My African Adventure
The sun scorches the sacred ground
Where mankind drew its first breath
The river searches for the sea
Blistering and parched
Impala and wildebeest huddle close
Seeking shade from the sweltering sun
Herds of zebra graze along the Savannah plain
A soft warm breeze ripples through the long grass
I cruise along the dusty gravel road
Windows rolled down
My eyes exploring the trees and underbrush
Eager to find signs of life or life itself
Wishing for a leopard lying in a tree
Or a pride of lions feasting on a recent kill
I spot warthogs wallowing in a mud puddle
A waterbuck observes curiously
Broken branches litter the road ahead
My senses on high alert
Aware of only one creature
That destroys trees with such ease
The road curves around a large baobab tree
Its engraved trunk larger than my vehicle
The path ahead obscured
Proceeding with caution, I orbit the tree
Long ivory tusks and beady black eyes
On guard and vigilant greet me
Head shaking side to size, he sizes me up
I am a threat
His ears start to flap
His movements a series of jerks and violent shrugs
He raises his powerful trunk and trumpets his warning
I shift my vehicle into reverse heeding his war cry
I am too slow
My heart hammers in my chest
I hear the blood rushing through my veins
He charges
The earth quakes beneath his giant feet
My vehicle shudders with each pounding step
I see a flash of grey and white as he thunders towards me
My vehicle slips off the side of the road
My stomach drops
My tires spin failing to find traction
A panicked scream escapes my lips
Fear paralyzes me
Instinct kicks in and my body moves
The desire to live overpowering my fear
I slam on the gas and my vehicle finds purchase
In a puff of smoke and dust, my vehicle lurches forward
I feel the earth still shaking
Closer and closer
Each stride the length of my vehicle
Closer and closer
He is right behind me
My foot pushes the peddle harder
My vehicle vibrates and growls in protest
Just a bit farther
I will my stuttering vehicle forward
Praying it won’t break down again
I watch the speedometer falter
Another deafening trumpet resonates through the air
A quick glance into my rearview mirror
He slows, head shaking and ears flapping wildly
My retreat
His victory
As the distance between us increases
My heart rate slowly returns to normal
Grateful to be alive
I spend the remainder of the drive
Reminded of my place in the ecosystem
Reminded of which species is truely
the King of the Beasts
This is their world
We are mere visitors.