Never Ending Journey

• Imogen Bone, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2018

(The Language is made up)
1100AD 11/11/1100
“Mala Codor” cried Palko. He is from the Tu Ungane tribe. They are a tribe of strength. A family of the Tu Ungane tribe have just gone hunting and killed a wilder beast or, as they call it, a ‘Mokata’. Whenever they go hunting, Palko the family’s leader calls ‘mala codor’. Palko calls this so everyone of the Tu Ungane tribe knows that they have caught food.

1108AD 14/07/1108
“Pako mata, Pako mata” yelled Palko. He yells this to announce the arrival of the new baby. Dome’ and Poko, Palko’s parents have just had a child (known as a ‘malo topa’ in their language). He was named Backana. The tribe was glad that Palko had a new baby brother because he was second inline.

1109AD 24/06/1109
“Molaka tom e la co ta na mola” whispered Aunty Mokada. Today was the day that Dome’ and Poko got married four years ago. In the Tu Ungane tribe today is a very special day but Backana who was ‘yumo’ or one didn’t understand what this celebration was about.

Years past and Backana grew older and became wiser.

1118AD 23/11/1118
Backana has turned ten and it is now November and a tragic thing is happening.

Aunty Mokada has fallen very ill. She is in the last few days of her life. Aunty Mokada is 94 or ‘nipo cola’. She has ‘Melo ca pana’ disease. The disease has no English name because only the people of the Tu Ungane tribe get the disease.

1118AD 9:30pm
“Mok cada” whispered Aunty Mokada under her last breath. ‘Mok cada’ meant 'go look for the history of the Tu Ungane tribe'.

Backana screamed his agony over his grandmother’s death. “MOYA TOOOORRRRRR”. “Moka tam” Dome’.

Backana ran away to his camp.
Palko climbed to the highest rock and announced the death “MAYA TO MOKA!” All of the Tu Ungane tribe went to the death place of Aunty Mokada. They held a ceremony at the lake were Aunty Mokada always visited.

1119AD 13/01/1119
It has been one year since Aunty Mokada died and Poko, Palko, Dome’ and Backana had just come back from hunting and when Backana went into his tent he saw a box made out of seaweed and oak on the ground and the box had a letter on top. Backana opened the letter and it said “Malo Backana mo to pa na loka to pe na ma mok cada to ma mokat mokato buna mo lo ca mino Dem!”. In English that meant, Boy Backana you must go and find the history of the Tu Ungane tribe. You have one month to find the history. On the journey you may get killed by wilder beasts and other tribes. From Girl God.

After Backana read the letter he wondered if it was from Aunty Mokada.
“Doma pare Doma Pare” whispered Backana. ‘Ta mana’.