Day 1955: 5 Minute Freewrite: Tuesday - Prompt: animal tracks

Theola is a young girl who loves to hunt and explore different bushes hunting for bushmeat. One day, she spent hours in the bush, clearing bushes to look for animal trails.

After walking some distance, she saw farmland with no grasses, only planted cassava and other agricultural products. While looking carefully to see animal tracks. She has heard stories from other hunters how wild rabbits and other animals from that particular farmland.

While checking the plows, she saw a trail. She brought out her local knife, hoe and dropped her hunting bags. She began digging the hole after she had been able to discover the animal track. She was determined to dig until she achieved her aim.

Photo credit @mariannewest

Hunting alone without a gun can be a very difficult task. After a long dig, it was effortless, she brought out matches from her sack hunting bag, left the rabbit hole to a nearby bush to gather dry grasses. She lit it and pushed it into the hole to heat up the rabbit inside the hole.

After a long time digging, she heard a sound and she was ready to catch the animal. A very tall dark snake crawled out which left Theola running Helter Skelter for her life leaving her hunting tools.

She got home breathing heavily and her mother noticed all wasn't well.

"Theola, you left with a bag, why are you breathing and sweating profusely" her mum asked in a concerned manner.

"I saw an animal track which when I followed the trail I was hopeful it would be a rabbit. After all my efforts, I saw a big dark snake crawling out hissing and looking hungry. I had to run out to avoid being bitten". She explained.

"I have told you to quit this hunting and pay more attention to your education. Your mates are all in school, learning to become the leaders of tomorrow. I have called your aunt in the city, once she returns, you will be traveling to the city to complete your education".

"Mama, I hate school, is not my thing, hunting is my joy" .

"You will love school when you reach the city," her mother encouraged.

Her aunt came and Theola went to the city with her aunt but she never forgot the experience she had with the snake.