skin. And then I saw something that made my heart stop.
The dog chain lay in a heap on the floor, partly covered by the yellow sand. Umfana was gone.
CHAPTER 21
It can’t be, I told myself over and over again. I ran around the chalet, looking for Umfana. He wasn’t there. The ground was covered in tracks. Old tracks, crumbling in. Disappearing.
‘Umfana!’ My cry rang out over the bush. ‘Umfana!’ I listened for his bark, a yelp. Anything.
Except for the normal sounds of the bush, there was nothing.
I couldn’t believe it. How could he have broken free from his chain? The answer hit me: I hadn’t tied him up! Two daysago, during that storm I’d let him into the house. Then Themba had arrived. I’d had to let him slip out the back door or I would have been in trouble.
Tie him up before he goes off killing animals.
That’s what Themba told me that first time. I didn’t listen. I just sent him off into the night. And now he was gone. It was entirely my fault. I needed to find him. Quick! But I would need help.
‘You can’t!’ cried Simoshile. ‘It is too dangerous.’
‘I don’t have a choice,’ I said. ‘I have to find him and I need you and André to help me!’
‘There’s a man-eating lion loose, Buyi. I’m not going to take that chance. I’m not going into any of the camps.’
‘I’m your friend, aren’t I?’ I pleaded.
‘Buyi is right,’ said André. ‘We have to help him.’
‘He probably didn’t wander too far,’ I pleaded.
Simoshile crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair. ‘I don’t know. I’m scared.’
I looked at André. He frowned.
‘We’re scared too,’ I said.
‘Then don’t go, Buyi. It is just a stupid dog. He’ll come back.’
‘It’s been two days already. He might be lost.’ Then softer, ‘I don’t want to lose him, Simoshile. Please, please …’
She thought it over a bit more, and then hesitantly gave in: ‘Okay, I’ll come with you.’
I felt terrible asking my friends to put their lives on the line for me. But I had no choice. I couldn’t venture out into the bush alone. They were my age but they had way more experience than me.
André suggested that we start with the Namhlanje camp. It was the one bordering our chalet. If Umfana had wandered off into a camp, it would probably be that one.
‘Umfana!’ I called when we reached Namhlanje. My eyes scanned the land, peering at the tangled underbrush for signs of life. It was already scorching hot. I just hoped we had enough water to last us the day.
‘Umfa – a – na – a!’
An hour went by. We found nothing. Once I saw the brown pelt of an animal move under a bush. I was just getting excited when it turned out to be a rabbit. It bounded off in a flash.
I didn’t pay any heed to the many animals that we came across. The various antelope, giraffe, warthog … My mind was set on finding my dog.
But still … in the back of my mind there came the warning. The scarred lion is still out there. Be careful!
‘Why didn’t you ask your dad to help you find Umfana?’ asked Simoshile.
‘He doesn’t know yet,’ I stammered. ‘He’ll be furious.’
‘Why do you say that? He seems like a kind man.’
‘I … I just know.’ I shrugged and shifted my attention back to the search. ‘Umfana!’ Desperation set in.
‘I would have asked my dad if it was my dog that had got lost,’ said Simoshile.
‘Me too,’ added André.
‘The thing is …’ I hesitated before continuing. ‘Things between Themba and me … it’s not too great.’ I somehow felt relieved to get it out into the open. ‘I know he is my dad and all, but we don’t get along that well.’
‘Have you talked to him about it?’ asked Simoshile.
‘No. We don’t talk much either. I’ve been here for almost two weeks now, but he still seems like a stranger.’ Silence. ‘He still doesn’t feel like my dad.’
‘Have you told your mum?’
‘No. I don’t want her to worry.’ I sighed. It
The dog chain lay in a heap on the floor, partly covered by the yellow sand. Umfana was gone.
CHAPTER 21
It can’t be, I told myself over and over again. I ran around the chalet, looking for Umfana. He wasn’t there. The ground was covered in tracks. Old tracks, crumbling in. Disappearing.
‘Umfana!’ My cry rang out over the bush. ‘Umfana!’ I listened for his bark, a yelp. Anything.
Except for the normal sounds of the bush, there was nothing.
I couldn’t believe it. How could he have broken free from his chain? The answer hit me: I hadn’t tied him up! Two daysago, during that storm I’d let him into the house. Then Themba had arrived. I’d had to let him slip out the back door or I would have been in trouble.
Tie him up before he goes off killing animals.
That’s what Themba told me that first time. I didn’t listen. I just sent him off into the night. And now he was gone. It was entirely my fault. I needed to find him. Quick! But I would need help.
‘You can’t!’ cried Simoshile. ‘It is too dangerous.’
‘I don’t have a choice,’ I said. ‘I have to find him and I need you and André to help me!’
‘There’s a man-eating lion loose, Buyi. I’m not going to take that chance. I’m not going into any of the camps.’
‘I’m your friend, aren’t I?’ I pleaded.
‘Buyi is right,’ said André. ‘We have to help him.’
‘He probably didn’t wander too far,’ I pleaded.
Simoshile crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair. ‘I don’t know. I’m scared.’
I looked at André. He frowned.
‘We’re scared too,’ I said.
‘Then don’t go, Buyi. It is just a stupid dog. He’ll come back.’
‘It’s been two days already. He might be lost.’ Then softer, ‘I don’t want to lose him, Simoshile. Please, please …’
She thought it over a bit more, and then hesitantly gave in: ‘Okay, I’ll come with you.’
I felt terrible asking my friends to put their lives on the line for me. But I had no choice. I couldn’t venture out into the bush alone. They were my age but they had way more experience than me.
André suggested that we start with the Namhlanje camp. It was the one bordering our chalet. If Umfana had wandered off into a camp, it would probably be that one.
‘Umfana!’ I called when we reached Namhlanje. My eyes scanned the land, peering at the tangled underbrush for signs of life. It was already scorching hot. I just hoped we had enough water to last us the day.
‘Umfa – a – na – a!’
An hour went by. We found nothing. Once I saw the brown pelt of an animal move under a bush. I was just getting excited when it turned out to be a rabbit. It bounded off in a flash.
I didn’t pay any heed to the many animals that we came across. The various antelope, giraffe, warthog … My mind was set on finding my dog.
But still … in the back of my mind there came the warning. The scarred lion is still out there. Be careful!
‘Why didn’t you ask your dad to help you find Umfana?’ asked Simoshile.
‘He doesn’t know yet,’ I stammered. ‘He’ll be furious.’
‘Why do you say that? He seems like a kind man.’
‘I … I just know.’ I shrugged and shifted my attention back to the search. ‘Umfana!’ Desperation set in.
‘I would have asked my dad if it was my dog that had got lost,’ said Simoshile.
‘Me too,’ added André.
‘The thing is …’ I hesitated before continuing. ‘Things between Themba and me … it’s not too great.’ I somehow felt relieved to get it out into the open. ‘I know he is my dad and all, but we don’t get along that well.’
‘Have you talked to him about it?’ asked Simoshile.
‘No. We don’t talk much either. I’ve been here for almost two weeks now, but he still seems like a stranger.’ Silence. ‘He still doesn’t feel like my dad.’
‘Have you told your mum?’
‘No. I don’t want her to worry.’ I sighed. It
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