Wash

I let out a long breath. It was official: Our guide didn’t care if he lived or died. He was carrying a rifle, but I was sure those measly bullets wouldn’t do anything to stop the whole herd, if even one of the massive creatures.

Jake handed Anto the camera, then the guide slinked into the grass cautiously, looked around for a moment, and climbed on top of a large rock. He motioned for us to stand closer together, and Jake took full opportunity of the necessary closeness, slipping his arm around me. “Smile,” Anto whispered.

I rolled my eyes when Jake pulled me even closer.

“Smile!” the man whispered more insistently.

Realizing he wasn’t going to give up, I finally smiled. All things considered, having to stand next to Jake for a photo was slightly less hazardous than being killed in a stampede because I didn’t want to say “Cheese.”

After Anto snapped the picture, he jumped back down and handed Jake the camera.

Jake glanced down at the digital image. “It’s good.”

“Great,” I said. “Let’s go.”

As I took a step away, another twig snapped. The beasts lifted their heads and snorted. I instinctively grabbed Jake’s arm, and he protectively moved me behind him.

Suddenly, there was a pounding of hooves, but when I peered around Jake, I was relieved to see them running off to the left.

I turned around, with my nerves still on edge, only to see a lioness bolting out of the tall grass. I backed up slowly, but to my surprise, she ignored us and made her way to some thicker vegetation, where a dead animal was waiting for her to feast upon. I couldn’t even make out what kind of animal it had once been, but its insides were strewn about.

Jake grabbed my arm and led me to the right.

Wide-eyed, I glanced over my shoulder to make sure the lioness wasn’t following us, and I was thankful she wasn’t. The last thing I wanted was to end up like that dead animal.

We made it back safely to our vehicle and sped off. I hung on as we continued the bumpy ride over rocks, brush, and fallen branches. Everything was so beautiful and I couldn’t stop staring up at the indigo sky dotted with the most fluffy, white clouds. It was the prettiest sky I’d ever seen. I never took time out like this for myself, and it was nothing short of amazing. After a few minutes, Anto slowed down.

“Look ahead!” he pointed.

I stared at the magnificent elephants through my binoculars and watched the old matriarchs lead the way as their precious families and young calves lumbered right behind them on the green and brown earth. Suddenly, a blur caught my eye. An ostrich sped past us going so fast, I swear it could have been mistaken for a road runner.

“Get a picture!” Jake said.

I snapped, but I was sure it was nothing more than a blur.

“Did you get it?” he asked.

When I glanced down at the view finder, I was pleasantly surprised. “I sure did!”

Jake shot me the biggest grin ever as the wind whipped through his hair.

Chapter 10

On the way to our camp, we saw more lions feeding on a buffalo carcass. Looking through my binoculars, I even caught a glimpse of six white rhinos and one black one with her baby. I watched a leopard drinking at a waterhole, only to be chased away by an angry herd of elephants, and I also saw a wild pack of dogs with at least ten pups. We saw lots of giraffe, hippos, and antelope. Every time I saw a new animal, my excitement grew. Our African safari was, by far, one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I made sure to document everything with my camera.

When we set up camp, I realized that Jake and I would be forced to share a tent; we were informed that if we separated, it would break the requirements of the will. Since we didn’t want to risk being disqualified, we had to play by the rules. Jake wanted to sleep under the stars, but our guide was against that, because it wasn’t safe at all. I actually had to agree with Anto; as much as Jake was on my nerves, I didn’t want him to get eaten by a lion or bitten by a malaria-carrying mosquito.

After dinner, we sat by the fire and chatted with Anto. He had been a tracker for twenty years, and he had the best stories to share by the fireside. We listened anxiously and hung on his every word. The black sky twinkled with billions of glittering stars, a breathtakingly dazzling display.

After a while, I excused myself and sat down in front of our camp to watch an approaching lightning storm. Black clouds drifted in the sky as bright flashes of light lit up the golden grasslands. We were serenaded by the natural sounds of the wildlife around us. The little slice of African wilderness truly touched my heart and soul. Just being out there in the bush, practically alone with my thoughts, was a life-changing time for me.

After about an hour, Jake approached. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Everything I dreamt of and more.”

“I’d love to spend another week in Africa.”

“I know, but we don’t have that kind of time. It’s so peaceful and serene here, though. I could just sit here for hours with my thoughts.”