As Ameena trudged along behind the boys, she struggled to keep her backpack on one shoulder and the Berber carpet roll on the other.
They passed a herd of camel tethered to a hitching tree. One of the camels growled gently at Ameena. She curled away from the camel as she kept up with the boys.
When they entered the campfire circle, Ameena knew these were the ‘true’ Berbers, or as all Moroccans called them, ‘Amazigh’. Amazigh people were famous for wandering from place to place in the Sahara desert. The name Amazigh even meant ‘Noble Nomads’.
The men were dressed in the long flowing robes called kaftans. Women were not only dressed in full hijab, but they wore ornamental necklaces. Their hands and faces were adorned with intricate henna tattoos.
“Hey everyone, this is my classmate Jamal” said Khalid, “and his brother Yusef and his sister Ameena.”
The introductions continued, but Ameena could only remember the last introduction.
“Ameena, you’ll like my little sister, Karina. You’ll be staying in her tent.”
“Hello, Ameena,” said Karina.
Ameena curtseyed to Karina, but said nothing.
“You sure are polite, Ameena, but I am no princess. Come with me and we’ll set up your bed.”
Ameena followed Karina towards her tent. As they left the warmth of the campfire, cold desert winds blew in her face. Ameena pulled her scarf snugly around her head.
“You’re probably not used to the desert winds turning from hot to cold at night, are you?”
Ameena shook her head.
“Luckily, we have lots of thick blankets, made from goat’s wool.”
Ameea unrolled her carpet and placed it in the bare spot Karina made for her. Karina laid out several blankets before she and Ameena returned to the campfire.
An old woman tended the fire. A set of small clay vessels, called tajine, circled the fire. Each tajine was capped with a cone-shaped lid.
The old woman lifted the small knob on the top of each lid, inspecting each tajine. Inside, bubbling stew filled each tajine.
Meanwhile, Yusef was telling everyone about his day in Marrakech.
“Today, at the night market, my little sister shot a handful of coins at the snake charmer’s basket. They went all over the place!”
Ameena glared at Yusef.
“They landed everywhere but inside the basket. The snake charmer had to collect them as they rolled everywhere. Ameena just backed away.
Everyone laughed, except Ameena, who fel5t embarrassed by her fears.
“A cobra is a dangerous thing,” said one of the Berbers, “all Amazigh know this. That is why we cover ourselves completely when we sleep.”
The Berber man creeped toward Ameena. Soon, he was face to face with the little girl. His face was old and wrinkled. A golden ring pierced his nose, like a pirate.
The old man put his fingers up to Ameena’s nose and grabbed it.
“If a Cobra sees your nose, he may eat it in the middle of the night.“
Ameena frowned. Meanwhile, everyone else laughed.
“He is just joking,” said Jamal.
Although Jamal tried to comfort Ameena, it didn’t help her mood. She ignored everyone else, though, as she watched the old lady tending the fire.
“Here you go, dear,” said the old lady, “the very first bowl of tajine. I’ve heard that whoever eats the first bowl of Amazigh tajine is protected from creepy crawlies for the rest of the night.”
Tajine was both the name of the plate and the dish itself. Olives and apples and pears and raisins combined with tender pieces of lamb in a hearty stew. Ameena picked pieces of fruit first, saving her lamb for last. Meanwhile, Karina cupped her bowl in both hands, slurping up the brothy goodness.
“I love tajine, don’t you?” asked Karina.
Ameena nodded and then returned to her tajine. It filled her tummy while warming her inside out. After the girls finished their stew, Khalid told them it was time for bed. Jamal and Yusef wished their little sister a good night and she disappeared with Karina into the darkness.
“You don’t think a cobra will come into our tent, do you?” asked Karina.
Ameena shrugged her shoulders.
“They don’t. I have lived in the Sahara all my life and have never seen a snake in my bedroll. I think they’re more afraid of me than I am of them.”
“I wonder if they are more afraid of me, though,” said Ameena.
“She talks!” joked Karina.
“Of course, I talk,” said Ameena, “but, like my father says, ‘never talk when you have to, and you’ll never have to talk when you don’t want to.’”
“What does that mean?” asked Karina.
“I don’t know, but it seems like a good excuse to stay quiet,” chuckled Ameena.
“I suppose so,” laughed Karina, “I’m always getting into trouble whenever I open my mouth.”
The girls headed into their tent and made their beds. Instead of going straight to bed, Karina lit an oil lamp and they continued to talk.
“I love your necklaces,” said Ameena.
“They’re traditional Amazigh jewelry. They once belonged to my grandmother.”
“I don’t have any jewelry,” said Ameena.
“Now you do,” said Karina. She fastened a necklace around Ameena’s neck. Ameena investigated every bead on the strand.
“It’s handmade by my grandma. All Tuareg know these knots. They represent part of our heritage.”
“Tuareg, like the tea?” asked Ameena.
“Of course,” said Karina, “that is where the word Tuareg comes from. The Tuareg are one of the original Berber tribes. We came from the Atlas Mountains, but now we live only in the Sahara.”
Ameena stared at the henna tattoo on Karina’s hand.
“Do you like it?” asked Karina.
Ameena nodded, “Very much.”
“I can make one for you, too.”
“You can?”
“Of course.”
Karina grabbed a small vial of green powder and mixed it with a splash of water. She mixed it into a paste and then added honey. When she finished mixing, she grabbed a tiny stick.
“What kind of design do you want?”
“Anything you want,” said Ameena.
Karina drew a small black sun with snake-shaped rays extending all along the outside. Tiny flecks of brown-green, which looked like tears to Ameena, encircled the sun. Karina continued until all of Ameena’s right hand was covered in henna.
“It’s beautiful!” exclaimed Ameena.
“Now you’re a Amazigh Princess, too.”
The girls lay side-by side throughout the night. Ameena forgot completely about any snakes biting the nose right off her face. Instead, she watched karina, wishing she could travel through the desert, too.
Karina woke Ameena early in the morning.
“Your brother Jamal is waiting for you,” said Karina.
“What time is it?” asked Ameena.
“Sunrise time,” replied Karina.
Karina helped Ameena to fix her bedroll, forming a backpack out of the carpet.
When they loaded into the little black hatchback, Ameena rode in the backseat. This time, however, Yusef was driving and Jamal sat in the backseat.
“Did you enjoy your trip?” asked Jamal.
Ameena nodded.
Unlike Jamal, Yusef sped through the desert, eager to get home. Meanwhile, Ameena rested her head against Jamal’s side. The smoky residue from the campfire was still in the fabric of Jamal’s shirt. It reminded her of the snake tales. Also, it reminded her of the tajine.
Ameena had a very good time indeed. She enjoyed her trip into the desert very much, from beginning to end.
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