Back on the trail the girls were now talking more and more about how hungry they were. They also wanted to be given just about everything we possessed. One girl kept grabbing at my pants and suggesting we fuck, even when Helene was present. Some desperation and anger began to show through their smiles.

Near the top the herd boy suddenly showed up with a younger friend. This lad looked real wild. Worn rubber boots, a loin cloth and a tiger striped blanket held around him with a big safety pin. This was pretty much all he owned.

We finally summited and tried to enjoy the view, but the jungle drums were beating. A rock had been thrown at us at one point, the younger herd boy kept trying to get in Helene's pockets, and the girls songs had become meanacing.

One song went like... "Pick-a-ninny, Pick-a-ninny, Pick-a-ninny... Boss!" When they said "Boss" they would shout it in our faces and make a motion with their hand like they were cutting off their neck.

De retour sur le sentier, les jeunes filles commencerent a nous repeter a quel point elles etaient affamees et pauvres. Certaines enviaient mes boucles d'oreille, d'autres mon jonc de marriage. L'une d'entre-elles s'est offerte sexuellement a Christopher et ce a plusieurs reprises. Elles etaient pauvres, mais bien nourries. J'avais l'impression qu'elles jouaient a un jeux dangereux. Devant notre indifference, elles commencerent des chants de guerrieres accompagnes de gestures agressives.

They knew we had food, so we brought it out for all to share. It was a feeding frenzy. I got a bite of banana and the cracker I was trying to eat was ripped from my mouth. The young herd boy had felt coins in Helene's pockets and was now all over her. I couldn't keep him off and was trying not to be violent so I took the coins out of her pocket and threw them down the mountain side.

With the kids occupied Helene and I started our descent. We were 2 hours away from the nearest village. In about 15 minutes the kids had caught up with us again. The older herd boy bounded down the hill back to his hut. The younger boy was shouting down the valleys to round up the other herders so they could gang up on us. We could see them running along the lower flanks of the mountain, all converging toward the hut.

Entre-temps, le jeune berger qui nous avait paru timide a prime abord, nous a rejoint pres du sommet acompagne d'un autre berger beaucoup plus agressif. Ils etaient interesses a notre argetn ainsi qu'a la nourriture qu'on transportait dans notre sac-a-dos. L'un des jeunes garcons avait les mains dans mes poches, alors que Christopher tentait desesperement de terminer sa bouchee sans qu'une des filles ne la lui enleve de la bouche. Inutile d'ajouter qu'ils ont tout pris sans rien nous laisser. On se serait cru au baeu milieu d'un festin de vautours.

We were stumbling down the mountain as fast as we could but they easily gathered at the hut before we got there. They young girls got scared and started to shout to one another to distance themselves from us as we approached the hut.

There was no way around the hut, so we braced ourselves and proceeded with some resignation into the crucible. The gang of herd boys all had sticks and stood around like little Clint Eastwoods in some spagetti western movie. I was very relieved to see that the oldest was only around 14 and they were all skinny.

Une fois qu'ils ont reussi a prendre notre argent et notre bouffe, les bergers ont commence a siffler pour appeler leur confreres des sommets environants. On se trouvait a plus de deux heures du village le plus proche et la frousse s'est emprise de nous. Nous n'avons jamais descendu une montagne aussi vite de notre vie. Malheureusement, ces jeunes montagnards nous ont rattrapes sans aucune difficulte. Ils avaient des batons en leur possession et nous menacaient avec des roches. Heureusement qu'ils avaient tous moins de quatorze ans.

Basically they chased and harassed us like a pack of jackles for the next hour as we descended. Standing on the high ground whenever the trail narrowed, they would lord over us and wave their sticks.

At one point the young aggressive herd boy attempted to drag off one of the girls. Helene grabbed her arm and would not let go. A tug of war ensued until I drew near and he retreated. After that the girls offered us some protection in return.

When we got back to the village many of the parents dropped hints that we should give the kids some money. When we explained our ordeal they were sympathetic.

In the end, the kids were just expressing broader social expectations and grievances.

L'un des bergers a commence a s'enticher d'une jeune fille du groupe. Il l'a tirait vers lui. Elle se defandait du mieux qu'elle le pouvait et paraissait effrayee. J'ai commence a voir noir. Je me suis donc mise a la defendre entre deux coups de batons qui ne m'ont jamais touches en passant. A un moment donne je la tirait vers moi alors que le berger la tirait de son cote. Christopher est venu a notre rescousee et j'en ai profite pour m'elancer tres vite vers la vallee en la tenant par la main, jusqu'a ce que tout danger soit loin derriere. Une fois de retour au village, certains adultes nous demanderent de l'argent pour leurs enfants. Mmmmh Voici donc d'ou ces jeunes filles prennent leur example. On a ainsi compris que notre mesaventure etait representative des sentiments d'une societe face a l'injustice flagrante entre les nations riches et celles pauvres dont ils font parti.

A few days later a black man visited me in my dreams. He was dressed in a loin cloth and gazed at me without an expression. Lifting his hand to his heart he made a scooping motion with his fingers.

He wanted my heart.