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  As Charlotte had predicted, the Vankeys sat across from us. Charlotte kicked me under the table as the wife, Hazel, introduced herself and her husband, Colin.

  In an act of revenge, I told them Charlotte was studying to be a doctor. There’s nothing an old person loves to do more than complain about their ailments. And to do so with an educated young woman for free. If I had my way, she’d be sitting next to them during game drives too.

  The pumpkin soup, topped with roasted pumpkin seeds, was marvelous and was followed by a piece of grilled white fish with a light dill sauce, sitting on a small mound of zucchini, carrots, and potatoes. Our last course was a slice of chocolate cake with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and berries.

  My fatigue returned as I took my last bite, and I hoped they’d be taking us to our rooms soon. I looked around the table. The conversation had died down as the meal progressed and as the effects of the long day set in. Other travelers were finishing their desserts.

  The trio was sitting at the other end of the table. I had caught Zonah, the twentysomething, sneaking glances at Charlotte during each of the courses. Charlotte never noticed, too busy talking about herself to the Vankeys.

  The staffers cleared the table and Sonny returned. He gave a brief talk about the next day’s itinerary, and some points about the lodge, before we followed him down the wooden trail to our accommodations. All I heard was ‘Five a.m. wake-up call.’ Another male staffer, tall, thin, with a flashlight in hand, trailed behind us. The old couple, Colin and Hazel Vankey, were in the first room. Sonny walked them down the short path to their “suite,” as he called it, while the rest of us stayed on the main path.

  The trio, Sabrina, Zonah, and Zaden, were in the next suite and we again waited while Sonny escorted them to their lodgings. The middle-aged couple, Jack and Geri Wallace, had the third. Charlotte and I were next, in room four. The professor, Dr. Higgins, had the fifth, and last, cabin. He stood with the tall staffer at the end of the path, waiting for Sonny’s return, with his usual look—annoyance. We said our goodbyes and Sonny waited until our door was closed.

  I stood at the door, shocked by the size of the room. From the outside, in the dark, the enormity of the space had been hidden. It was more than a room or a suite. “I think this is bigger than my apartment,” I said.

  “It is bigger than that dreadful studio,” Charlotte answered.

  At least she was polite enough not to say it was also nicer than my home. Which it undeniably was. I sighed, wondering if I’d ever have a home this nice. I didn’t have a designer’s eye to put together a space that was stylish yet comfortable. The dark wood of the bookshelves and sitting area furniture was softened by the cream-colored couch cushions. The olive green patterned pillows gave the space a little color, while remaining safari-chic.

  I explored the room while Charlotte prepared for bed. The far wall was all windows, overlooking the lush landscape. The moonlit night illuminated the landscape. I gasped when I saw our outdoor space—a small patio, two lounges, and even a small pool! I looked forward to enjoying it tomorrow.

  The right wall held a minibar—a well-stocked one. I’d enjoy that tomorrow as well. Our luggage sat next to the closet; the staff had delivered it while we ate dinner, and I unpacked. I organized an outfit for the next day. I made sure my outfit matched. At five in the morning, everything matched to me, but my sister had a more discerning eye.

  I sat on the couch in the sitting area. I closed my eyes and let it all sink in. Months of pinching pennies had finally gotten me on a safari. A dream I had since I was eight and had completed a school project on giraffes. I had jumped on the deal when it had popped up a couple weeks ago.

  My first glimpse of the Big Five was only hours away. Which would be the first we’d see? A lion, a leopard, a rhinoceros, an elephant, or a Cape buffalo? I didn’t care which I saw first, just as long as we saw all five during our game drives. And a giraffe, of course.

  I started to doze but was awakened by Charlotte.

  “Night, Naomi,” she said. She pulled the white mosquito netting aside and crawled into the dark wood four-poster bed. She fixed the netting, ensuring no open areas, and flipped the light over her side of the bed off.

  With the bathroom now free, I got up to take a long overdue shower. The dirt and grime of three airports and over twenty hours of travel needed to be scrubbed away before bed. Charlotte’s cosmetics case was on the counter. I was too lazy to go get mine out of my luggage and I peered in to see what fancy items she had stolen from our mother to use. I uncapped the shower gel and took in the glorious scent of lavender and rose.

  I hopped in the shower and luxuriated in the fine body wash. The many jets sprayed warm water against my aching muscles and within minutes I was refreshed. Using the lodge’s shampoo and conditioner, I washed my hair. The water was still warm but I knew I’d have to get out of the shower at some point. Using the impossibly soft white towel, I dried myself and towel-dried my hair. I wished I had such luxurious towels like this at home.

  My night routine was far shorter that Charlotte’s and, wrapped in their large, extra soft cream-colored robe, I was out of the bathroom five minutes later and ready for bed.

  Except I was now wide awake.

  Charlotte was already asleep. I looked at my side of the bed longingly but knew sleep wasn’t anywhere near. I’d need a little help. I threw on some clean jeans and a T-shirt, and quietly left the room.

  The full moon lit the trail. The lighting of the large common area, which included my destination—the bar—also lit my way.

  “Where did you come from!” someone shouted as I approached the bar.

  “Room four,” I answered. Did he think I was trespassing? It was a small, secluded lodge. Where did he think I was coming from?

  “No, no, no! Miss, you have to call if you want to leave the room.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “At night. You must call us. Call reception and we will come get you. You cannot walk around here at night by yourself.”

  I’d walked in my own city at night. I’d think that was far more dangerous than out here, hundreds of miles from any city.

  Sensing my confusion, he added, “The animals.”

  “Animals?” My eyes bulged. “Yikes, don’t tell my sister that.”

  “We did! We told all of you. Weren’t you listening during orientation?”

  “Oh, must have missed that.” I bit my lip. “Sorry.”

  He nodded and walked away. Mr. Wallace was watching, and smirking, at the bar.

  “Rookie,” he said as I sat down at the far end of the bar. He laughed and tipped his glass in my direction. He took a sip and signaled for the bartender. “Can you get my friend here a drink?” He nodded.

  “White wine, please,” I ordered. “Thank you, Mr. Wallace.”

  “Jack.” He signaled for me to sit closer to him. The bartender placed the wineglass next to him and I moved down. “On me, of course,” he said.

  “Um…thank you.”

  “Afya,” he said, holding his glass toward mine.

  I mumbled “Cheers” and took a long sip of the wine. I debated asking but learning now would be less embarrassing than learning at checkout. “This is included, right?”

  “You are a rookie! Yes, everything’s included. Drinks are definitely included.” He finished his beer and signaled for another. “With no TV, limited internet, what else are we supposed to do?”

  I breathed a long sigh of relief. Paying for drinks, or anything else here, wasn’t in my budget.

  His next beer arrived and we again clinked glasses. “So, I’m guessing you are not a safari rookie,” I said.

  “No I am not, been on a few.” He took a long sip of beer. He held his hand out and counted his past safaris. “Kenya and Uganda. Tanzania. I think Zimbabwe too. The wife loves these things.”

  “I’m guessing you don’t.”

  “What’s not to love? Traveling during the playoffs with little time or ability
to check the scores. Just what a man wants to do on vacation.” He held up his drink again. “At least the booze’s included.”

  Morning Game Drive

  The ringing phone woke me. “Naomi! Can you get that? I’m in the bathroom.”

  I stretched and reached for the room’s phone but was too slow. The ringing stopped and I rolled back onto my back. I stared at the white netting, trying to remind myself where I was.

  I glanced over at the bedside clock. It felt like I’d been asleep five minutes, but it was actually four hours. It was too early. I pulled myself up and leaned against the bed’s headboard. My body clock said it was still night and the view out the large windows confirmed it. I knew the beauty of the landscape was beyond those windows but I could see none of it. It was completely dark. The evening’s moonlight was gone and the sun’s light was still an hour away. But the room was well lit. Charlotte had all the lights on. Probably in a passive-aggressive attempt to wake me up.

  The room’s phone rang again and I answered it on the first ring. “Rise and shine, ladies. We leave in fifteen minutes.”

  I jumped out of bed and got dressed, thankful I had planned ahead. My backpack was prepared for the day, with my camera, binoculars, and hat.

  Charlotte strutted out of the bathroom in her safari finest. Her khaki cargo pants were paired with a light cream fitted shirt and she carried a coordinating long-sleeved buttoned shirt. She looked ready for a catalog shoot.

  I braided my hair, cinched the waist of my slightly too big light gray pants, and tucked in my tan T-shirt.

  Following Charlotte, I trudged to the hotel’s reception area and out of the hotel to our waiting Land Cruiser. My fellow travelers were in various stages of wakefulness. Old people get up early so the Vankeys were ready and well-equipped. A large camera, with a telephoto lens, hung from Colin’s neck. The couple wore similar safari outfits as yesterday. Missing from their ensembles on the flight last night were the safari hats. Today, they wore matching ones. Tan, wide-brimmed hats, with straps hanging around their necks. It really completed the ensemble.

  Dr. Higgins, also wide awake, was ready to go. He carried a messenger bag. Last night, he channeled a professor. Today, Indiana Jones. I paused, trying to remember if Indiana Jones was a professor. I couldn’t remember and I didn’t care. My only care was a cup of coffee. Or a jug of it.

  The Wallaces arrived next, holding hands. Jack didn’t appear to have stayed at the bar much longer than me and didn’t look any worse for wear. It appeared his wife had gotten up at four in the morning. It would take me an hour to get my hair that coiffed. She did know we were going to ride in an open car all morning on rough roads that produced clouds of dust, right?

  The trio were the last to arrive. The woman was yelling at the teenager to hurry up. He appeared to be sleepwalking. He looked like I felt. I gave a conciliatory smile, which in typical teenager fashion he ignored.

  “So glad to see all of you,” Sonny announced. He checked his watch. “And all of you on time! Let us go. The animals are waiting!”

  Distracted by the aroma of coffee, I looked around to try to find where it was coming from. Not finding its source, I headed to the truck and was last to arrive. Comfortable in her perch in the top row, Charlotte asked, “Does Naomi get to sit up there?” pointing to the small seat hanging off the front bumper.

  Sonny laughed and the others joined in. “No, that’s for our tracker, Ray.” On cue, Ray came from the hotel, carrying a large cooler.

  “Coffee?” I asked.

  “Later.” Sonny pointed to the seat in the front next to him and I climbed in.

  He stood on his seat and appraised his new group. “Ready to find some wildlife?” he asked.

  “Yes,” a few answered.

  “You don’t sound ready.” He turned to Ray. “Do they sound ready? Maybe they need a few more hours of sleep.”

  “They do,” I mumbled. A few nodded agreement.

  “I’ll ask again. Are you ready to see some wildlife?” Sonny asked, in a slightly louder voice.

  With more energy, we responded, “Yes.”

  “One more time. Are you ready to see some wildlife?”

  “Yes!” we yelled.

  “More importantly, Ray, are you ready to find us some wildlife?”

  Ray nodded and saluted the group before hopping into his seat on the front of the cruiser.

  Sonny drove on the smooth dirt road away from the lodge. He waved at the staffer at the security hut, who opened the gate and let us out into the African bush.

  Last night, exhausted from the journey, I hadn’t taken in any of the sights on the ride from the airport. This morning, I didn’t know where to look. The sun’s first rays lit up the lush greenery on either side of the road. Short thorny bushes were surrounded by tall thin grasses. Trees, of varying heights, dotted the view farther off the road. The beauty was in the haphazardness of it all. No landscaper had ever touched this landscape.

  The dirt road became bumpier as Sonny made a series of turns. With no GPS or street signs, I wondered how he knew the way. Years of experience, I assumed.

  Ray held up his hand and the cruiser stopped. We all sat silently and waited. We looked around, trying to figure out what he was seeing. Ray pointed to the right and Sonny took off. He pointed two more times, once to the right, the second to the left. We came over a hill and there it was.

  Our first animal sighting.

  “Impalas,” Sonny told us in a hushed tone.

  There were oohs and ahhs and cameras clicked. I struggled with my backpack to get my camera out.

  The herd of antelopes was mostly gone when I finally had my camera ready. “Don’t worry,” Sonny assured me. “You’ll see plenty more of the impalas.”

  I nodded, but was still disappointed with myself. I should have been ready. I hung the camera around my neck. I’d be ready for the next animal sighting.

  “They’re like Chevys back where you’re from.” Noticing my lack of reaction, he asked, “Get it? Chevys?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “Chevy Impalas? The car. There’s lots of them in the US, right?” Cars weren’t my thing but I nodded anyway. “You’ll see plenty of impalas here too and get plenty of pictures.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Sonny looked back at his group. “More?” he asked.

  Fully awake now, everyone cheered, with shouts of “Yes!” He put the car in drive and we took off again in search of more wildlife.

  The terrain remained bumpy and Sonny followed Ray’s signals until we came to a clearing.

  “A journey of giraffes,” Sonny announced. He slowly drove the cruiser off the road for us to get a closer look at the grouping. I held on to the passenger-side railing, wishing the vehicle were equipped with a seat belt.

  Once we stopped, I rested my arms on the passenger door and rested my chin on them to watch the four giraffes stretch their necks as they ate leaves off the trees. They took no notice of us, even though we were only a few hundred feet away.

  Sonny tapped me on the shoulder and whispered, “You want me to take your picture?” He pointed to me and the giraffes. I was so mesmerized I had forgotten about the camera.

  “Sure.” I handed him the camera. He snapped a few photos.

  I returned to resting my arms and head on the passenger door to observe the giraffes until they glided away and out of sight. I heard murmurings behind me from the other travelers, who had also marveled at the animals.

  Ninety minutes, and countless animal sightings later, we stopped for a short break. Countless to everyone but Dr. Higgins, who recorded each sighting in his travel log.

  We were all thankful to stretch our legs. Mrs. Vankey was thankful for the potty break. And I was thankful for the coffee.

  Ray set up drinks and a few light snacks. I only wanted the coffee. Sonny poured a cup and handed it to me. “I believe you’ve been wanting this.”

  I peered into the cup of black deliciousness and too
k a deep breath of the aroma. “Thank you.”

  “I didn’t want you tackling the others for it.”

  Just one day and he knew me well. It was sad my caffeine fix was that obvious. I took a long sip and didn’t care. “I would have run through that pod of hippos if I needed to for this.”

  He smiled brightly. “Look at you, even without the caffeine you learned! You think the rest remember that a grouping of hippopotamuses is a pod!” He refilled my cup. “You…You will be my best student this trip.”

  I smiled, glad I had impressed someone. Throughout my elementary and high school days, and three (and a half) semesters of college, I had never impressed a teacher. Charlotte would say he had said it to increase his tip. She was probably right. But his tip was raised when he handed me the first cup of coffee and refilled it when no one was looking.

  Sonny and Ray handed out cups of coffee, tea, or juice to each guest before getting themselves each a cup of juice. Sonny held up his glass. “Wasn’t that a wonderful way to start your vacation!”

  We raised our glasses in salute. All fully awake from a magical morning of animal sightings, and the ride on the rough road, we cheered back.

  Cup of coffee in hand, I wandered around and smiled at my fellow travelers. Jack raised his own mug of coffee in greeting as I passed. I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one needing the caffeine fix after the late night at the bar. His wife, Geri, held his hand and drank her orange juice. She smiled back.

  Mr. and Mrs. Vankey had commandeered Ray’s attention and were peppering him with questions. Colin held his large camera in his hands, pointing to images in the viewfinder. Ray told them what type of foliage each image was. I wondered how he maintained his positive attitude.

  The professor stood off by himself, sipping his coffee and watching the impalas interact with each other. He certainly was channeling Indiana Jones with his ensemble. He had the tan safari shirt, the khaki pants, the dark brown worn felt fedora. All he needed was the whip. And the ruggedly handsome good looks. Maybe twenty years ago, and twenty pounds ago, he had them.