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An enormous mouth opened as it lunged at us, its massive body pushing the vehicle while it hit. Time slowed as I stared into the gaping mouth, and I remembered how we’d been told that the most dangerous, territorial animal in Africa was, in fact, a hippo. As it reared against the cruiser, my mind drifted to the headlines that would come from this horrifying encounter.
Famous Dancer Killed in Rogue Hippo Attack. World Grieves.
But then I gasped when I imagined another scenario for a headline ... theworstcase scenario.
Famous Dancer Maimed and Severely Disfigured by Rogue Hippo Attack. Miraculously Survives.
We had no time to react when the hippo body-slammed into us again. Our vehicle lifted and slid, moving across the bridge and toward the deep water on the sides.
“Can you all swim?” Ndungu asked as we started to go over.
“Yes!” I shouted back, then my words turned back into screams as I stared straight into the hippo’s mouth, the frame around the open air vehicle the only thing keeping me out of it.
“If we go over, paddle to that shore! It’s closer!”
He pointed across the river to the other side, and I barely had time to process his words before the hippo slammed into us again. This time, when the cruiser took the hit, it slipped off the bridge and we tipped sideways into the water. Our screams quieted only when we went under.
Fear like I’d never known rushed into me as the water flooded around us. After we went over, the cruiser bobbed back to upright, and we emerged together coughing and hacking, gasping for breath.
“We need to get out of this deathmobile! Now!” Marge shouted, always the one to jump into command at the first sign of trouble.
“She’s right. We’re off the bridge, and we’re gonna go under quick,” Ndungu said. “That hippo is going to keep coming, and we’re sinking. Everyone needs to swim to shore! He’s attacking the vehicle, so if we’re lucky, he will keep focused on the vehicle and not on us while we get away!”
If we’re lucky.
We weren’t. I knew that well enough from how often our adventures went sideways.
Like now.
But with no other options other than the certainty we’d drown or get eaten by the hippo if we stayed, I scrambled to undo my seatbelt, my shaking fingers struggling with the simple task. As the water started to rise toward my head, I cried out, “Help! My seatbelt! I’m stuck!”
“I got you, sweet cheeks!” Marge launched over, grabbing my seat belt tight and pressing down on the reluctant button. It let loose, and she grabbed my hand, pulling me after her.
“Follow me!” Ndungu shouted as the water swallowed the vehicle, leaving only the frame above us sticking out.
“Swim, ladies! Swim!” Marge commanded. “Swim like your life depends on it!”
We all scrambled to the side of the vehicle opposite the attacking hippo, then after a quick look to make sure I wasn’t leaping right into its terrifying mouth, I followed Marge’s lead and we all jumped in one after another. The cold water enveloped me as I went under, and I closed my eyes against it. But the panic I felt in being blind and not knowing what threats surrounded me forced me to open them back up before I popped back to the surface.
Snakes. Piranhas. Crocodiles. Any number of lethal predators could be swarming me as I struggled to the top. The only one I knew about with certainty was the giant hippo that could swallow me whole, and that was bad enough. With the fear of the unknown swallowing me like the cold waters around me, I swam for the surface.
My eyes burned from the water, and when I came up spitting and spewing, I used my free hand to wipe my eyes. When my vision refocused, I saw the other Widows ahead of us paddling hard with Ndungu leading the way.
“Keep swimming, soldiers! Don’t stop for anything! Paddle! Paddle!” Marge shouted, tugging my hand to pull me with her.
Finally, I got my petrified muscles to start working, so I dropped her hand and started swimming with her. A quick look over my shoulder showed the hippo biting and pushing against the vehicle drifting away, and I let out a sigh of relief it wasn’t following us. Then I thought about the animals at the waterhole who had to drink so cautiously because of the hidden threats hidden beneath the surface, and I panicked that I was swimming straight into the mouth of a hungry croc.
“Almost there! Paddle! Paddle!” Marge shouted.
I pushed the visions of being clamped beneath the powerful jaws of a croc and dragged under to my demise out of my mind and focused on the shore just out of my reach. Using every bit of strength in my body, I pushed myself harder until I felt the ground come up beneath me. The Widows and I spilled out onto the shore, each coughing and gasping as we climbed up toward safety.
While we lay there panting and staring up at the sky, Marge rolled her head over to look at me. “I just want it to be known that it wasn’t my wish that almost got us killed this time. It was yours.”
“Can it, Marge,” I managed out between heavy breaths, then I went completely limp before the world around me went black.
