New Destination
Later that morning, the caravan left the site for a new destination. Peter perched in front of the camel's hump held the reins while Sarah held to his brother and covered her face from the scorching sun. Peter could not wait for the sun to go down and night to come again. Was it just a dream? Peter asked himself thinking while on the camel. Why wasn’t the camel speaking to him now? Why? If he said that he came to help us. He asked. Finally, the day came to its end several hours later. A fire was set up and thieves and children sat around it. Everybody slept when Peter laid down facing the camel.
He spoke to Sarah hoping to keep her awake. He waited for the camel to wink or speak to him again, but the camel never winked or talked to him. His coat never glowed either. He was about to close his eyes when he heard the words in his mind.
"Peter it’s me. I am sorry Peter. Sorry indeed. But I cannot speak or wink at you while the others are awake. Not even in front of little Sarah. She's too young and I might even scare her too, "Tal-Mishem said in Peter’s mind.
Peter understood every word the camel said mentally for this time he didn’t move his lips as humans do. The words had never come out of the camel’s mouth, he thought. Then, the animal’s lips moved up and down with each word again. All words pronounced in clear English. Peter remained mute without saying a word as if he had seen a ghost of some sort.
"Peter, Peter, you’re okay? The camel puffed a warm ball of air at Peter's face. “Uhh, your breath stinks,“ Peter complained clipping his nose. "Yeah…I think so, but it will pass, don’t worry,“ the camel said and laughed saying again, I am Tal-Mishem you know, but some call me TM. I like it too for children like Sarah can’t remember or say my name,“ the camel said with a grin showing its teeth.
“Can I call you TM then? Peter said.
"Oh, please just call me TM, that’s fine! Tal-Mishem replied.
"That’s fine for me too, Mr.TM," Peter said and giggled.
“And please don’t shout whenever you talk to me. Your words get in my head too loud. “Just think about what you want to tell me. I’m going to understand your thoughts, every word in them, Peter," the camel whispered mentally.
“I am dreaming again perhaps,” Peter said to himself and closed his eyes.
"Peter look around you. Pinch your cheeks,“ Tal-Mishem said and Peter did.
“Ouch, it hurts, " he said.
“Of course.” The White Talking Camel laughed. For a second he sounded like Mr. Bernard, Peter thought.
"Peter, I am Tal-Mishem the White Talking Camel indeed. The Talking Camel, remember me? I'm here to help you and your sister to escape. To help you go home, " Tal-Mishem said.
The camel’s words got into Peter’s mind clearly. Peter thought of awakening Sarah again. His eyes grew the size of geese eggs very white and round. Only a tiny speck of blue-stained the whiteness of his eyeballs.
He wanted to say something, but his tongue got stuck as if frozen indeed. He could not move it to say a word. When his tongue loosened up, he called out his sister's name.
“He is talking to me indeed Sarah, Sarah wake up now! Peter said almost yelling.
When he turned his head around, the camel was gone. It had gone to be with the herd of camels knelt now on the sands. They all rested just a few feet from the children. Some chewed with sleepy eyes; some cuddle next to each other while others with half-closed eyes rested on their bellies. None looked like they could talk or glow.
They all look alike," Peter told himself and went down to sleep again next to Sarah.
That night, Peter dreamed of the White Talking Camel like many times before. He rode on his back and together went through the desert. They came across the pyramids of Giza that looked like a gigantic golden triangle from the air. The next morning, Peter couldn't tell what was real and what was not from his dreams the night before. I dreamed of this camel, he repeated. One side of him wanted to tell his sister Sarah. The other side of him said no I cannot tell her now.
He decided to keep it a secret and do like the camel had asked to do.
“Did the camel blink its eye to you last night Peter?
"I will tell you later,” Peter said as s man with the milk pouch came to the children; he put the pouch in front for them to drink the sour camel’s milk.
"Drink as much as you two can. We won't stop until this evening if you puke it, I'll have you eat sand the whole day,” the man said picking up the heavy leather pouch.
Then he poured the greasy milk into the kids' open mouths. Peter understood every word the man said.
"Don't worry Peter. I've made your mind understand his language," Tal-Mishem said staring at Peter.
Like round walnut and brown eyes from the distance, he thought. Minutes later, a man came and dragged the children to where a camel stood. The camel driver hit the camel with a stick on the animal’s chins. The camel went down on his knees for the children to climb up to its loins. The camel pushed first its rump, then its front legs until it stood again full height. Peter and Sarah sat on the camel's back. Peter took the reins and held to them hoping not to fall. Slowly, with heavy steps, the camel walked the single lane of camels and followed them walking into the desert again. The caravan of thieves and children went into the desert as the sun rays were beginning to warm up. Sometime later, desert heat became hot, very hot making the children thirsty and sweaty.
About midafternoon, a small village of sun brick houses appeared in the distance where the houses looked reddish under the heat of the desert; all pushed against each other like a giant beehive with doors and windows, “Pete told Sarah and they giggled.
They got closer to the houses and a pack of skinny, slinky dogs came out barking at the camels. The caravan passed by the outside walls of the town and sometime later, they stopped by a well far behind the village. That evening, when the sun left and the sky was without light and dark, the men set up the fire again. One of them brought a stick with meat to Peter and Sarah for dinner and he went away. They began roasting morsels of meat on sticks and after their meal, they ordered all the children to feed the camels.
“When came to one, he heard clearly, “Listen, Peter, and pay attention because soon we’re going escape. We’ve traveled for many days now since we left the port of Tunis behind. We went through the city of Sfax and lakes Itchkeul and Red lake.”
“And we’re going to come across deserts surrounding,“ TalMishem said.
“It’s just a desert everywhere, so much desert,“ Peter said,
“Oh, yes, but tens of thousands of years ago, the Sahara Desert was very green with vegetation everywhere.
“It had many lakes, forests, and animals. It had so much life every where,“ Tal-Mishem said as if remembering being there in the past.
“What happened to water and trees Tal-Mishem? Peter asked.
“Aah, that’s a long story, Peter and we’re going to talk about that in the future. Let me tell you about the people here. They have lived here for over five thousand years. Even before the Phoenicians and the Greeks came here to sell their goods to people in here when it was known as Tripoli, which meant three-cities,“ Tal-Mishem explained to Peter.
“Was Tripoli bigger than London?
“Indeed, Peter, it was called Tripoli which means three-cities in one as I said. The Phoenicians settled here, then the Greeks and then the
Romans. Later, also the Turkish and they all fought for Libya, “ TalMishem said.
“Are we going to stop by the lake? Peter asked.
“Yes, our camels are tired and thirsty and it’s a beautiful place to rest, “Tal-Mishem said.
“Have you been to the lake? Peter asked.
“Oh, yes, many times and many lakes Peter. Like lake Itchkeoul, Red lake and the Great lake of Tunis.
“They’re all beautiful places to be around, Tal-Mishem told Peter and went on to say. “Tomorrow we’re going to enter the city of Burayqah when we go across to its other side, we’re going to be ready. We’re going to escape from there and cross the desert and keep traveling until we’re in Egypt.“ Tal-Mishem sent the message to Peter’s head.
“Are we going to travel through the desert again in one day?
“Not exactly one day, Peter. Our last journey before we get to Egypt is going to be through the Libyan desert next to Egypt.
“It will take us many days unless we could fly. We need to prepare for our trip, “Tal-Mishem explained.
“Can you really fly TM,” asked Peter remembering Mr. Bernard’s story.
“Well, that’s very tricky sometimes, Peter. We’ll see when the time comes,” Tal-Mishem said and winked at an eye at Peter.