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“They won’t hurt you. Smile when they come toward you. One look at your messed up face and they’ll take off in terror.”
She smacked me again.
“Please don’t hurt them, Ndungu,” I said. “She’s beautiful.”
The pride of lions sprawled in the sun, and none of them moved as we grew closer. When we got close enough our aging eyes could see them very clearly without squinting or Marge’s honkin’ binoculars, Ndungu put the cruiser in park.
I watched the majestic creatures in quiet awe, and I was glad my Widows seemed to know to stay silent too. Whether they were just scared of drawing the attention of the powerful beasts or giving me a moment to let the experience sink in, I didn’t know. But regardless, I was grateful for the silence.
Movement to the left captured my attention, and my breath hitched in my chest when the male lion sauntered in. His lush mane blew in the wind, and the way his powerful, muscular body moved was as stunning as the dancers I’d spent so many years with. Effortless. Fluid. Beautiful.
“The king of the jungle,” Doris whispered. “Wow.”
“He’s incredible,” Sylvie said.
Marge let out a slow breath. “Nowthat’sa man.”
As I watched the mighty lion waltzing through his pride of females, I remembered how I’d felt when I’d met Alejandro. He’d been a lion amongst cubs, and suddenly, I missed him so much I ached in a part of my soul I didn’t even know existed. His kiss. His touch. The way he could make me feel with just one look. But at the same time, I watched the lioness prowling in the wild, and I ached for her freedom. The powerful, conflicting emotions twisted and twirled inside of me like a tornado.
The male lion looked over toward us, and his head lowered when he locked onto our vehicle.
“He’s not happy we’re here,” Ndungu said. “We should go.”
But I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay and watch them. Enjoy seeing the big cats in the wild like I’d dreamed of doing. But before I could argue to stay a little longer, the large male let out a rumble, charging forward toward us before stopping with a snarl, his huge paws kicking up dust into a cloud surrounding him.
“Whoa! Cripes! Go! Go!” Marge dropped her binoculars in her lap and hit Ndungu on the shoulder.
“Eek! Drive! Drive!” Doris squealed.
He didn’t hesitate, and when the big cat charged his warning again, Ndungu hit the gas and we hurried away.
“Whoa! That was crazy.” Sylvie held onto her safari hat as the winds blew through the vehicle while we put some distance between ourselves and the pissed off lion.
“They are territorial,” Ndungu said as he slowed. “Sometimes they let us get close like that and watch, and sometimes they want nothing to do with us.”
I stared out the back of the vehicle, my heart getting heavier the farther we got from the majestic animals that had enamored me so much.
“Don’t worry, Alice. We’ll see more,” Sylvie said, noting my sad expression as I stared off into the distance.
“You wouldn’t know it now, but there is a land bridge made of rocks and dirt right there that we use to cross the river.” Ndungu pointed to a place at the river marked by tall stones. “If the water were lower, I could take you across to a spot where I know a pride of lions live. But, after the rains the past few weeks, it’s too deep to cross without a risk of getting stuck. However, there is a great watering hole about a mile up. You’ll see lots of animals, and there are often lions there as well.”
I lit up knowing I may see some more. “Good. I liked the lions.”
We made it to the watering hole, and parked a distance away so we wouldn’t disturb the huge herd of water buffalo lining up to take their drinks. Cautiously, they took turns going to the bank, their watchful eyes surveying every inch of the water.
“Oh! A different looking one! Let me look it up in my book.” Doris pointed out the deer looking creature, then flipped open her tour book identifying all the African wildlife.
“Put the book away, Doris. We’ve got our own personal animal identifier right here. Ndungu knows what all the animals are. Don’t ya, buddy?”
He grinned widely. “I sure do. I can tell you anything you want to know about them. And that one you’re looking at is a gemsbok.”
“They all look so scared trying to drink,” Sylvie said. “Are there crocs in the water or something?”
“Oh, yes. Crocs hide in the water, and in a split second, they can jump out and grab ahold of them,” Ndungu said. “The smart ones are very cautious drinking, always ready to leap to safety at the slightest ripple in the water.”
“Can you imagine having to fear for your life just to get a drink of water?” Doris asked. “Thank God we were born as humans.”
“That would suck,” Marge said, her binoculars affixed to her eyes again.
