Msafiri/Story
The "Little Brother"
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Under the dim moonlight, a circle of young creatures engaged in animated chatter on the great plains.
"It's my turn! What do you think we should play?"
"No, no. It's my turn today! I wanna go fishing!"
"But you get the next two days too, that's not fair at all!"
"It's not my fault you won't be here for your turn... Plus, I need to practice hunting anyway."
"How about I go instead? There'll be tumbleweeds today, and I want to catch the biggest one!"
"Alright, enough. Let's do this the usual way — draw lots!"
One of them pulled out a handful of wooden strips from their pocket, and the circle instantly closed as everyone picked their lot.
"The triangle mark — I got it!" Someone let out a victorious whistle as the others reluctantly returned their blank strips with pouty faces. And as this was happening, Msafiri was going about his usual hunting practices with his younger brother, blissfully unaware of the shenanigans that were about to unfold. His bright, sharp eyes focused intently on the prey mid-flight.
He crouched and sprang up in a clean pounce. The soft feathers landed in his palms right on cue, and so did the prey's small form. His little brother clapped in celebration.
"Plop!' said the small pebble that suddenly struck his brother's back. Msafiri immediately locked onto the source of this prank with deadly precision. He was on his way to teach the little troublemaker a lesson when his brother spoke up.
"It's fine! That was our signal anyways, heh."
He watched as his brother skipped toward the "secret meeting" and kept watch from a respectful distance. Even kids need their privacy, he thought to himself.
However, whether it was the telltale winds or the rush of excitement after a successful hunt, Msafiri's sensitive ears overheard some strange chatter.
"Weren't you guys supposed to take turns? Why are you guys here?"
"Taking turns just doesn't work. Drawing lots is way easier! Besides, I got lucky, hehe. Can't blame me for that!"
"Well, fine! You know the rules, show me the good stuff first..."
Could it be that his little brother was involved in something written in the sacred laws...?
Before Msafiri could put two and two together, the little rascal who had drawn the lucky lot rushed up to him.
"Big bro Radarear! What are we gonna do? Hunting? Chase tumbleweed? What it is, I'm your little brother for today!"
"You're my... little brother? What do you mean?"
Msafiri looked down at the kid with pigtails and expectant eyes. His lips twitched as even more questions popped into his head.
"Well, anyone who draws the lucky lot can be your little brother for a day for the price of one fish! I've already paid mine~!"
As the answer dawned on him, Msafiri lifted his head and twitched his ears as he spotted his actual little brother sneaking away.
Uh-oh, busted! His little brother, who hadn't gone far, shuddered as the gravity of getting caught red-pawed by Msafiri descended on him.
Finally, Msafiri learned why his little brother, who usually complained about never having enough fish to eat, had been sharing half of the catch lately.
Kula Bata!
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This was the first time Msafiri had tasted such authentic...sand.
He spat a couple of times as he stood up. Fine yellow sand reustled and fell with his movements.
The lens cap of the recording device was off, and the localized sandstorm was captured in its entirety.
"Is it filming already?" Msafiri leaned in closer, blowing away the misbehaving feathers on his headband that interrupted his curiosity.
The camera bobbed up and down,, nodding affirmatively in place of its operator.
"Well then, welcome to Planet D-18's exploration site. I'm your Driftingale Exploration Team Guide, Msafiri."
He abducted an innocent emergency flashlight from somewhere to serve as a microphone while skilfully mimicking a documentary host.
"As you can see — we've just been invited to an exceptionally warm welcome ceremony fresh out of the vehicle, and even sampled some local delicacies."
"Pfft—" the cameraman barely stifled a giggle. Msafiri tactfully stepped out of frame, leaving the recording to the professionals as he turned his attention to setting up camp.
But the camera faithfully captured everything in sight, including a greenhorn who accidentally tore a hole in the tent just as another wave of yellow sand came with a gust of wind. Fortunately, this one came and went quickly, and Msafiri's timely assisted evacuation meant no one was hurt. No one, except for the torn tent, now half-filled with sand.
The green horn was at a loss after causing the major blunder as Msafiri pulled out his allpurpose tape and started mending the tent.
"This is perfect. I've heard about this thing called sand bath therapy. Should we all give it a go? Kula bata!" he suggested.
That night, the entire team enjoyed a nice, long, three-hour "sand bath." Topics from serious expedition work to not-so-serious gossip were exchanged, and the newly assembled team became fast acquaintances in no time.
While the windswept sands didn't exactly have any real therapeutic properies, at the very least, some of this team felt relieved.
And for Msafiri, that was all that mattered.
Special Coming-of-Age Gift
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On the 364th day of his fourteenth year, Msafiri became a “runaway” on the eve of his adulthood.
He still remembered that phone call from Driftingale Travel Agency years ago, which wasn’t meant for him, but still… It quietly planted the seed of a dream that hot summer afternoon, one of measuring every planet and every islet with his own eyes, ears, and feet. And where better to start than the very place he called home?
Msafiri chose the perfect day to set out, with the intention of making his very own special coming-of-age gift. However, trials were afoot for these nascent dreams and their dreamer. And just like that, Msafiri lost his way. The lack of experience and days of roughing it in the wilderness had taught Msafiri harsh lessons. He’d never felt this challenged back when he hunted with his parents and little brother. Only now did he realize that he wasn’t quite the skilled hunter he thought himself to be out here on the plains, let alone finding directions, plotting routes, or setting up camp… All that condensed theory and knowledge in textbooks proved painfully shallow when the time came for him to apply them. But the scorching sun had no sympathy for those beneath its rays. Msafiri huddled in a patch of tree shade, too hungry to find rest. He took out his notebook and began scribbling down everything he’d seen in the past few days.
Unbeknownst to him, the note he’d left under a cup before leaving had been whisked away by the wind. After fruitless searches around the territory, his friends and family, who were all there for his coming-of-age ceremony, soon mobilized to track down the rebellious young Msafiri. As night fell and the air cooled down, Msafiri set out once more to find proper sustenance. He wouldn’t allow himself to share meals with the vultures again.
As Msafiri twitched his ears and shook his head, trying to shake off unpleasant memories from yesterday, he heard the sound of flowing water from ahead. Perhaps he could try his luck at catching fish? In the worst case, he could still drink his fill – Now was hardly the time to be concerned over catching a cold from getting wet. His empty stomach had been growling all the way, and had there been any fish in the water, they’d all be startled and scattered by now. Msafiri rested near the bank and peered closely at the water’s surface. Under the silvery moon, a small patch of odd scale patterns appeared before him. It almost looked like… a map? It was the Guide Fish! The mythical fish that bore a map on their scales. It would guide the seeker toward treasure, which was determined by what the seeker desired most in the moment. Suddenly, the hunger in his stomach dissolved, and all Msafiri wanted was to go home. The fish swam cheerfully in the water and responded to his wish by guiding the lost boy back home.
Finally, after passing three river forks, Msafiri spotted several worried figures in the distance. Thank goodness the legend of the Guide Fish holds true, he thought and collapsed from exhaustion before he could crack a smile. The last thing he heard might have been the sound of a fish leaping out of water, but for the first time in his life, Msafiri dismissed it as a mere hallucination of his keen, reliable ears.
The coming-of-age celebration finally commenced, and Msafiri received gifts from the Driftingale Travel Agency – a backpack full of travel supplies and a half-written road journal. Someone still remembered that little boy who rushed to answer the phone call, it seemed.
Though Msafiri wondered… why did the fish soup at the bonfire party that night taste a bit too salty?
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