Jade felt the sting even through her thick felt hat.
“Beat foolishness out of your head,” said Mumbi. She raised her hand to strike again, but Jelani caught her arm.
“Mother, stop!” he said. His tone was gentle but firm.
“Foolishness in her head,” repeated Mumbi. “I have seen the crocodile take hold of the lioness and drag her under. One waits for this one now.” She raised her stick again.
“Mother, go back to your hut,” ordered Jelani.
Mumbi waved her digging stick in the air as she returned to the gate. She called over her shoulder, “A lioness alone and away from a pride will die. Foolishness!”
“What did I do to earn that?” asked Jade, rubbing her head.
“Be grateful it was not a bigger stick,” said Jelani.
JADE’S CAMPFIRE BLAZED, providing warmth in the cool evening air as well as protection from whatever stalked behind glowing eyes. The air was rich with a fine spray, thanks to the arc of falls a few hundred yards downstream. Their muted roar made a backdrop to the jackals yipping in the distance. A few swallows fluttered overhead while she pitched her tent.
A second, smaller ring of stones housed Jade’s cooking fire. After photographing the falls from below, she had grabbed her pole and managed to land two large rhino yellowfish below the falls, but not until after they’d both put up a considerable fight. Once back in camp, she’d quickly scaled and filleted one, placing it in her skillet to cook. The other she filleted and gave to Biscuit. A fish eagle, reminiscent of the bald eagle with its great white head, had eyed Jade’s catch for a while, even following her up to the top of the falls. It flew away downstream after Jade tossed the head and entrails into the river.
Now the fragrant scent of fish browning in butter filled the air, and Jade inhaled deeply. This is the life! She’d known that she’d feel better once she got out of Nairobi. She loved Bev and Avery, but it was getting harder and harder to stay in Parklands. She grabbed a folded cloth and used it to remove the water pot from the fire. Since none of the shops were open on Sunday when she left, she hadn’t been able to replace the coffee that Bev took. Jade threw in a handful of spiced red tea and let it steep while she listened to her fish sizzle.
I should go to Lake Victoria and do a story there. Get away. Then, before the thought was finished, another followed on its heels. And what if Sam comes back when you’re gone? Do you expect him to hang around and wait for you?
She ignored her own question, since it broached the next one: what if he didn’t come back? Jade tended her fish instead and tried not to focus on life without Sam. It didn’t work. She knew that, ultimately, she’d need to leave Kenya to avoid memories. But with so many painful ones awakened after her trip to Europe, Jade wasn’t sure where she could go next. A bit of butter popped and Jade turned her attention to her dinner. After she flipped it over to cook on the other side, she carefully decanted a mug of tea. She took a tentative sip, followed by a second and a third. The brew ran hot and flavorful down her throat. She still missed her coffee, especially the aroma, but this would do for now.
Jade was considering mixing a batch of biscuits when a familiar call drifted down on the evening air from Ol Donyo Sabuk. Jade remained motionless and listened as the male lion hurled his throaty challenge to the last half hour of sunlight. As the call died away in a series of softer harrumph s, she felt her throat constrict and her eyes dampen. Her own words to Sam came back to her as clearly as if she’d spoken them aloud.
If you think for one instant that I’m going to forget about you, then you’re crazy. I’m going to see you in every sky and hear your voice in every lion’s roar.
“Stop it!” she scolded herself out loud. “He left you behind. You’re wasting your life fretting over one man.” She let her anger deepen
“Beat foolishness out of your head,” said Mumbi. She raised her hand to strike again, but Jelani caught her arm.
“Mother, stop!” he said. His tone was gentle but firm.
“Foolishness in her head,” repeated Mumbi. “I have seen the crocodile take hold of the lioness and drag her under. One waits for this one now.” She raised her stick again.
“Mother, go back to your hut,” ordered Jelani.
Mumbi waved her digging stick in the air as she returned to the gate. She called over her shoulder, “A lioness alone and away from a pride will die. Foolishness!”
“What did I do to earn that?” asked Jade, rubbing her head.
“Be grateful it was not a bigger stick,” said Jelani.
JADE’S CAMPFIRE BLAZED, providing warmth in the cool evening air as well as protection from whatever stalked behind glowing eyes. The air was rich with a fine spray, thanks to the arc of falls a few hundred yards downstream. Their muted roar made a backdrop to the jackals yipping in the distance. A few swallows fluttered overhead while she pitched her tent.
A second, smaller ring of stones housed Jade’s cooking fire. After photographing the falls from below, she had grabbed her pole and managed to land two large rhino yellowfish below the falls, but not until after they’d both put up a considerable fight. Once back in camp, she’d quickly scaled and filleted one, placing it in her skillet to cook. The other she filleted and gave to Biscuit. A fish eagle, reminiscent of the bald eagle with its great white head, had eyed Jade’s catch for a while, even following her up to the top of the falls. It flew away downstream after Jade tossed the head and entrails into the river.
Now the fragrant scent of fish browning in butter filled the air, and Jade inhaled deeply. This is the life! She’d known that she’d feel better once she got out of Nairobi. She loved Bev and Avery, but it was getting harder and harder to stay in Parklands. She grabbed a folded cloth and used it to remove the water pot from the fire. Since none of the shops were open on Sunday when she left, she hadn’t been able to replace the coffee that Bev took. Jade threw in a handful of spiced red tea and let it steep while she listened to her fish sizzle.
I should go to Lake Victoria and do a story there. Get away. Then, before the thought was finished, another followed on its heels. And what if Sam comes back when you’re gone? Do you expect him to hang around and wait for you?
She ignored her own question, since it broached the next one: what if he didn’t come back? Jade tended her fish instead and tried not to focus on life without Sam. It didn’t work. She knew that, ultimately, she’d need to leave Kenya to avoid memories. But with so many painful ones awakened after her trip to Europe, Jade wasn’t sure where she could go next. A bit of butter popped and Jade turned her attention to her dinner. After she flipped it over to cook on the other side, she carefully decanted a mug of tea. She took a tentative sip, followed by a second and a third. The brew ran hot and flavorful down her throat. She still missed her coffee, especially the aroma, but this would do for now.
Jade was considering mixing a batch of biscuits when a familiar call drifted down on the evening air from Ol Donyo Sabuk. Jade remained motionless and listened as the male lion hurled his throaty challenge to the last half hour of sunlight. As the call died away in a series of softer harrumph s, she felt her throat constrict and her eyes dampen. Her own words to Sam came back to her as clearly as if she’d spoken them aloud.
If you think for one instant that I’m going to forget about you, then you’re crazy. I’m going to see you in every sky and hear your voice in every lion’s roar.
“Stop it!” she scolded herself out loud. “He left you behind. You’re wasting your life fretting over one man.” She let her anger deepen
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