Secrets (a narrative by Hannah Wilson)

Up on one of the highest mountains in Nepal, cut off from the rest of the world. In summer as dusty as the Sahara Desert. In spring, the mountain starts to cry and in winter, it’s tears freeze into snow. Near the frozen mountain’s hat, there is a beautiful temple. Looking down from the temple you can see old rickety houses made of mud and sticks and fields of rice near the base of this mountain.

Maja has a bouncy, bubbly personality that she only brings out when she is alone with her mother, Aishah. Maja dream is to explore what is unknown to her, but, of course, that is forbidden, as she is a girl.

Anna hates her father’s business trips, especially when she can’t understand the locals. She can tell that this trip will be different. She won’t be going to school and will have to stay inside and help her mother, like all the women.

Maja was forbidden, by her stepfather, to go near the new family in the village. She knew that she would be punished but she just had to go. No one new ever came to the village and this could be her only chance to find out about the out side world. Telling her mother she was going to go collect some water she set out towards the house. As she approached the house she noticed something hanging out of the window and as she got closer she could see that there was a girl about her own age sitting with her feet out of the window with a little boy on her lap. An even younger boy standing beside her. As she walked closer she could hear beautiful singing in a language that she could not understand.

Anna was so bored with unpacking so her mother had sent off to go and entertain her brothers she had read to them, she had played with them but still they wanted more. So in the end she had sat on the windowsill and had started singing. As she was singing, Anna watched as a small figure made it’s way down the mountain. She noticed that as the figure got closer it was carrying a bucket and instead of passing, it started to come towards the house until she saw that is was a young girl around her age. She stopped right under her window. Anna was so glad that her father had given her lessons so she could understand what this girl was saying.

Maja stepped under the girls’ window and said hello. The girl stopped singing and for a moment looked confused. Then she spoke back. Maja asked what the girls name was and explained that she was going to the river and that she would show the girl where to go. Anna sat there not understanding most of what this girl was saying. She understood that her name was Maja and something about water but that was it so she started using signs with her hands to show that she knew little of the language. Maja seemed to understand and signed back that the bucket needed to be filled with water and that she would go with her. Anna signed back to stay there and went to find her mother. Her mother found her a bucket and her father came out with her to meet Maja. Anna heard her name a couple of times but in the end Anna and Maja set off for the river. When they got back Anna asked her father to suggest to Maja that they walk down to the river again tomorrow and Maja said yes.

Two months later the girls walked down to the river every day. Maja was teaching Anna the native language and Anna was teaching Maja english. Majas’ stepfather never found out they became secret best friends.