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The morning sun was just brightening the window and chasing shadows into the corners of the room but Clim was already awake. He had been up most of the night going over the plan. Today is the day. He rolled over onto his back and laced his fingers together behind his head. He stared at the ceiling and listened to the slow but steady breathing of Jani, who was sound asleep next to him. Again he thought, today is the day. His name had come up in the lottery and today he would be sent to work in the mines, a move from which no one ever returned.
He turned onto his side and looked at Jani’s sleeping face. He ran his hand over her swollen belly and in that moment, felt his baby move. His child would be here in a week or two. Jani smiled and sighed a little, still on that warm and comfortable line between being asleep and being awake. Clim didn’t want this day to begin. Not for her. Not yet. He snuggled his face into the nape of her neck and breathed in her smell. She shrugged a little and let out a chuckle.
The room was getting brighter and he had to admit it out loud. “It’s time,” he whispered into her ear.
“No, it’s not,” Jani breathed without opening her eyes. Her voice was heavy with sleep.
“No, it is,” Clim said into her ear in a low voice. Then he kissed her and moved in closer. “The sun is coming up. It’s morning. And we have to be ready.”
“That’s not the sun,” Jani whispered as she stretched and arched her back. “It’s a shooting star lighting up the sky. Like that one we saw a few months ago.”
“I have to get up,” Clim said, a little harder than he meant to. “If my plan is to work, we both need to be up and ready.”
At the sound of Clim’s tone, Jani opened her eyes and the smile melted off her face. “This plan-”
Clim cut her off. He knew what she was going to say. “It’s going to work.” Still laying facing her, he took Jani into his arms and hugged her tightly. “We just have to follow it.”
The plan he was talking about was one that he had begun getting into place when his name had first been put into the lottery a few days ago. It was simple and, in his mind, foolproof. When the gorillas arrived, he would bolt. He had to wait until the gorillas arrived; villagers whose names were going into the lottery were guarded until the gorillas showed up to make sure these selected humans didn’t run before the final choice was made. When the gorillas came to the village, they would take the humans with them and leave the village. At least until next time.
“Do you remember where we are meeting up?” Clim asked. “You have to make sure you’re there.” Jani nodded. “Once we meet up, we will hide in that cave I found and travel by night to meet with the meadow people. They’ve agreed to keep us safe until our baby is born. As long as we behave ourselves.”
"Do you trust them?" Jani asked. There was fear in her eyes now.
"I have to," Clim said grimly. "We...have to."
“And then what are we going to do? With a baby. And gorillas maybe still looking for us.”
Clim breathed out and took a deep breath. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead. Let’s just get us safe and this baby born." He kissed her on the lips. "We can decide what to do next at that point.”
“I’m afraid,” she finally said out loud.
“I know," Clim said. "I am too.” Clim tried to smile but it didn’t reassure Jani at all. “The hard part is going to be evading the gorillas when they chase after me.” Jani hugged him tighter. “But I think I can do this. They expect us humans to do the same thing when we run. If I do something unexpected, I should get away." He waited a moment and Jani nodded. "When I get to you where we’re meeting, we’ll hide until it gets dark. I’ve got that cave prepared for us already. Nothing is going to get in the way of this plan working. I’ve thought of everything. It’s going to work perfectly because nothing can get in the way of its success.” She looked at him very skeptically. “It’ll be all right,” he reassured her. He kissed her. “I’ll run. I’ll meet you at the meeting place. We’ll hide. And tonight go to the meadow people. It’s simple. Nothing is going to get in our way.”
“But something might,” she said, her voice low. “You can’t prepare for everything.”
“If anything happens,” Clim began, “I will find a way to make it work to our advantage. I’m clever on my feet. You know that.” He was speaking slowly and calmly hoping he sounded confident to her.
The two lay in silence and said nothing. Clim leaned in and kissed Jani one last time. “I’m telling you; it’s going to be all right.” His voice cracked a little on the last word. In that moment, he heard it in his own voice. She did too. He was trying to convince himself as well as Jani. He ran his hand over her belly again. “This baby is going to have two living and healthy parents. Maybe not in this village. But wherever we go, I promise you, he will have us both.”
“Or she,” Jani said with a smile and they both laughed.
“Or she,” Clim echoed. He smiled.
A pounding on their door and they heard Miro’s voice call out. “Come on, Clim. It’s time.”
Clim got out of bed and crossed to the door. He opened it and let Miro in. Jani had gotten out of bed and was putting on a robe. Miro addressed her. “I’m sorry, Jani,” he started. “I know this is not a good time to lose Clim to the mines but the lottery must be obeyed.” He started to bind Clim’s arms. “Grun has said so and it is the tradition of this village.”
Clim looked over at Jani. He smiled but his eyes held a different message. “It’s going to be all right. We will see each other again sometime. I know it.” He winked at her and Jani nodded.
Then Clim allowed himself to be led out of the house leaving a silent Jani standing alone. She had only a short time to get herself ready, pack some meager supplies and get to the meeting place. She said a silent prayer that Clim was right. He had thought of everything. And he could deal with anything that came up. He had said so. He had even promised her. She ran her hand over her belly and felt her baby--their baby--move. What could possibly go wrong with his plan?