by Karen Rispin
"Go away!" I whispered. "Go on. Get!"
I was still crouched on my heels. Desperately, I hugged my knees tighter. One foot skidded out from under me. My behind hit the dust with a bump.
The boy elephant's ears fanned out in surprise. He squealed and hurried off toward the herd. He tucked his behind underneath him. He was in a hurry to get away from the strange thing on the road. I sat there in the dust, laughing with relief. The little elephant wasn't as tough as he thought, and I knew just how he felt. I didn't feel like an explorer any more at all. I sighed and stood up on shaky legs.
"This is stupid," I said, right out loud. "I'm going back."
That's when I heard the van. It was coming fast, kicking up dust. I moved off the road and waved frantically.
It stopped so fast that gravel skidded under its wheels. The driver leaned out the window, frowning, and said, "Walking in the park is not permitted. Get in. I will take you to Amboseli Lodge."
"But my family is at the Ol Tukai bandas," I retorted.
"I will take you to Amboseli Lodge!" the driver insisted, frowning furiously. "I must pick up the tourists there. If I am late, I have lost my job!"
I got in. The van started before I had the door shut. I landed with a thud in the seat. The van rocked from side to side as we shot down the road. I clutched at the seat to keep my balance and stared at the driver. He must be really scared about losing his job, I thought. The van leapt over a huge bump, and my head touched the ceiling.
A few seconds later we stopped in front of Amboseli Lodge. The driver practically pushed me out the door.
"It is forbidden to walk in the park!" he called after me. The van's tires squealed. It raced across the parking lot and stopped by a group of tourists.
What's going to happen to me now? I wondered.
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Chapter Six
I stood there watching tourists get into the van. I bit my lip. I was at Amboseli Lodge. Now what would happen?
Someone chuckled behind me. An English voice said, "That driver got rid of you in a hurry."
I spun to look. A woman in a skirt and a loose blouse was standing there. She was no tourist. She had the kind of tan you only get from spending hours and hours in the sun. Her short, blonde hair was dry and sun-bleached. Suddenly I realized I was staring and ducked my head.
"What's the matter?" she asked. "Cat got your tongue?"
"Um… no," I said, glancing at her uneasily. Her eyes were laughing. There were lots of smile wrinkles on her face. Still, she didn't look like the kind of person who'd let you get away with anything.
"Actually, I didn't even want to be here," I blurted, feeling flustered. "I was trying to get to Dr. Field. See, I have to talk to him about an elephant."
"About an elephant?" she asked with both eyebrows up. "For that you set out walking? That driver found you walking, didn't he?"
I ducked my head. Why had I said anything about the elephant anyway? That was dumb. My mouth felt dry. I swallowed, trying to get the courage to explain that I only wanted to get back to my family now. I knew going back was the right thing to do.
"An important personal matter concerning an elephant, is it?" she said, interrupting my thoughts. "Well, that can be managed. I know where Bruce Field is, and as I'm nearly finished with my business here I'll give you a lift. I wouldn't mind hearing what sort of urgent message concerning an elephant could bring a girl like you out on her own. I'll meet you here in ten minutes."
She spun on her heel with a swirl of skirts and disappeared into the lodge. I stared after her. She was actually going to take me to Dr. Field! My heart thudded in my throat. I knew I should go back. Still… if she would take me to Dr. Field… I frowned. I was stuck now, wasn't I? It would be rude to back out now and ask for a ride home, wouldn't it? I squirmed, trying to convince myself I couldn't back out.
When she came back, I just went with her in her Range Rover. She didn't say anything. Everything I could think of saying or asking sounded stupid to me. I looked around uneasily. There was all kinds of odd gear around. There was a two-way radio stuck to the dash, and on top of it was a three-ring binder.
The binder was open. I leaned forward to see better. I could see two big pictures of elephants. The Range Rover rocked over some bumps and the binder fell off the dash. I picked it up quickly and tried to open it to the same place. The whole binder was full of photographs. Each one was of a different elephant.
"You're the elephant lady!" I blurted, then added, "Um… I mean, the lady who studies elephants."
She laughed. "Yes," she said, "I'm Margaret Webb. I don't mind being called an elephant lady as long as you aren't referring to my size."
"I can tell you, then!" I blurted. "See, yesterday when we were driving in, we were passing this swamp. We were late because we had to stop the Masai from stoning the Geislers' car. Daddy helped even though the Geislers were mad at Mom and Dad because of my half brother." I stopped and frowned. I wasn't making sense. That made me even more flustered. "Like, see, Rick was adopted, and he thinks everything is Christians' fault, with the environment, you know—"
Dr. Webb interrupted, "Hold up. Take a deep breath and compose yourself."
I could tell she was trying not to laugh. That made me feel even sillier.
"We're nearly to camp," she said. "When we get there, you're most welcome to tell your tale. Only do try to stick to the point. It was about an elephant, was it not? Though I find prodigal half brothers and angry Masai intriguing, I doubt if they are central to our current concerns."
I bit my cheek. Me and my big mouth, I thought. Why did I have to drag Rick into this? Why couldn't I just have stayed home?
She turned the wheel. We bounced off the road onto a dirt track. A man was stepping out of a camper. She yanked the parking brake on and climbed out. "Bruce, there's a young lady here to see you about an urgent matter concerning an elephant."
I wished I could disappear. What came next didn't help. Dr. Webb turned toward me and said, "I've just had a thought. Child, do your parents know where you are?"
I shook my head, wishing even harder to disappear.
"Oh, for Pete's sake!" she said. "I'll give the park office a shout on the wireless. You find out what brought this child out, Bruce." She turned toward me, "Just where are your parents?"
"The Ol Tukai bandas," I said with my head down. She left.
"Well?" Dr. Field asked, stopping in front of me. "What can I do to help you?"
I looked up at him. He was tall and had a scraggly red beard. At first I was afraid, but then I looked at his eyes. They were brown and kind. I swallowed hard. This time I was determined not to tell about Rick and the Geislers. I would only tell about the baby elephant.
I finished by saying, "And Rick thinks it's got a dislocated hip. He's studying to be a vet for wild animals, like in a zoo." I finished.
"Rick is right," Dr. Field said. Dr. Webb walked out of the tent just then. He looked up and told her, "It's Jezebel's baby."
"I should have known!" she said. "Come child, I'm taking you home. I couldn't raise anyone near the bandas on the wireless."
"Aren't you going to do anything?" I asked, hurrying after her to the Range Rover. She didn't even turn around.
"Why don't you ask her to come out with us tomorrow?" Dr. Field called after her.
As soon as the car door shut, Dr. Webb started talking. "First of all, I don't believe I know your name, child."
"Anika Scott," I said. I wished she wouldn't call me child.
"Well, Anika Scott," she said, "I am here to study the elephants. Pure animal research requires that the researcher not interfere. If we do anything to the elephants, we change what we're studying. Do you see?"
"But, the baby!" I blurted. "It hurts him."
"Yes, it's difficult to watch," she said. "But elephants aren't tame cattle. One can't just call in the vet."
"Rick's going to be a wild animal vet," I cut in. "People do help wild an
imals."
She sighed. "Have you any idea what would be involved in trying to treat that baby?" She sounded angry. "Do you think his mother would let us touch him? We'd have to tranquilize her. The other family members might interfere as well. It would be dangerous for the elephants and for us."
"Oh," I said, hanging my head. "I didn't think of that."
"Didn't think! Didn't think!" she muttered furiously. "That's the trouble with people. Meddling with animals they know nothing about. Ignorant do-gooders are a menace!"
She looked over at me. I slid down in the seat and turned my head away from her.
"There is some hope that the baby will develop a false joint," she said. Her voice sounded gentler. "He seems brighter than last week. Perhaps he'll manage well enough."
I sat staring at my feet. Daddy was right. The scientists already knew all about the baby elephant. All I'd done was make myself look stupid. Now I was getting hauled back like a lost three-year-old. Besides that, I would be in big trouble. I cringed. Getting yelled at in front of Rick would be totally embarrassing.
"Which banda is yours?" Dr. Webb asked. She turned onto the road that ran behind the thatched cabins.
I pointed. Sandy was out beside the porch. Dr. Webb stopped behind our cabin. Sandy stared hard, then started yelling. A second later Mom was running toward the Range Rover. Dad was coming behind her. Dr. Webb yanked the parking brake on, got out, and headed toward them.
Slowly I climbed out. My thong fell off. I bent down and reached for it in the grey dust. I wasn't in a hurry to face anybody. I stood up on one foot, holding my thong, and looked uneasily at the others. Dr. Webb was talking fast, but I couldn't hear what she was saying. Rick strolled out of the house and came over to the group.
I looked up from putting my thong on. Dr. Webb was striding back toward the Range Rover.
"Thank you so much for bringing her back," Mom called after her.
Tires crunched in the gravel. I was left there, standing alone, facing my family. It was as bad as I thought. Even worse maybe. Mom's voice sounded high and edgy. She kept telling me never to leave like that again. Daddy went on and on about how I shouldn't be so self-centered. He said that I should have thought about how other people would feel.
I shuffled my feet in the dust, trying not to cry.
"Don't you realize how badly you frightened your mother?" Daddy demanded.
"I was just trying to help the baby elephant!" I blurted desperately. "I meant to leave you a note." I spun away from them and ran for my room. Flopping onto my belly on the bed, I burst into tears. Everything was horrible. The baby elephant's leg still hurt. Dr. Webb and Dr. Field thought I was a babyish idiot. Rick thought Christians were jerks. My whole family was mad at me. Besides all that, the Geislers were trying to get us kicked out of the mission.
A few minutes later Mom came into the room. She sat on the edge of my bed. I held my breath, trying to quit crying. Her hand stroked my back gently.
"This isn't an easy time for any of us," she said. Her hands rubbed my back between my shoulder blades. Gradually I relaxed.
"Mom, I'm sorry," I said. "I wasn't thinking about you guys when I left. Later, I knew it was dumb. I mean, I almost started to come back twice."
"I know it's not easy," she said. "One of the jobs of growing up is learning to think. You're twelve. You should be thinking about the consequences your actions will have on others."
We stayed there quietly for a bit, then I asked, "Can the Geislers really get us kicked out of the mission?"
"I don't know," Mom said, and she paused. After a bit she added, "I don't really think so. The mission already knows that I had an illegitimate child as a teenager. Still… having him actually on the scene is diff—"
"They can't!" I interrupted, sitting bolt upright.
Mom just raised one eyebrow. "Can't? I don't know about that. I'm more worried about Rick's reaction to this. I'm praying that his anger about this won't blind him to God's love. We've got to be very careful not to make this into a fight. Dad and I think it's time to turn the other cheek and leave the outcome up to God. Even if Rick is leav—"
"Rick was already angry at Christians anyway," I interrupted. "He thinks it's Christians that are wrecking the earth. So it doesn't matter. We shouldn't just sit here and let the Geislers get us kicked out!" My voice came out high and squeaky.
"I think you need to settle down," Mom said in a no-nonsense voice. "Remember what we talked about in the car? Rick will decide what to think about Christians by how we treat each other. Do you honestly think we should begin a fight with the Geislers at this point?"
"But they're fighting with us!" I blurted. "They already wrecked everything!"
Mom shook her head, "No, I don't think so. They think that Rick's presence could do a lot of damage here. Your father and I don't agree. We think that if we can show how God forgives and heals—"
"So if you don't agree, go tell the field counsel!" I said, jumping in. "If they only hear what the Geislers say, that's not fair!"
"That's enough!" Mom said. "Galatians 5:14 and 15 says, 'The whole law is made complete in this one command: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." If you go on hurting each other and tearing each other apart, be careful! You will completely destroy each other.' Is that what you want? Think about it."
She stood up and looked at me fiercely. "I want you out front, ready for lunch, in fifteen minutes, and I expect you to be in a civil frame of mind."
That verse made me think. I really hadn't been paying attention to anybody but me. I bit my lip. The whole family had been sitting around doing nothing all morning because of me.
After a bit I shut my eyes and prayed, "Please help all this to turn out OK. Sorry I went without thinking about anybody else. Please help that little elephant to be OK. Help his leg to get better. Help me not to be so mad about this thing about the Geislers. I'm so confused. Like, Rick seems OK without you, and he thinks people who belong to you do rotten things… I don't get it."
I told God about the whole mess, and that made me feel better. I sighed. God was still himself even if I didn't understand.
When I came out for lunch, I said sorry for wrecking everyone's morning. That made me feel better inside too, even though it was embarrassing.
"That's OK, Sis," Rick said.
There was a long silence. Sandy was watching Rick in a funny way. I thought somebody would ask what happened to me that morning. Nobody did.
"Um… they couldn't help the baby. You were right, Mom," I finally said.
Mom nodded. There was another long silence. What was wrong with everybody? I was almost glad when it was time for dishes. I thought Sandy would make a fuss like she usually does. She didn't. She picked up some dishes and hurried out. I followed her.
As soon as we were out of sight of the grown-ups, she grabbed me.
"You know what happened while you were gone?" she whispered. "Rick really yelled at Mom. He's against her being a Christian. He said for her to stop fooling herself and all kinds of other things. Anyway, he said that Christianity is bad. He said he was leaving."
"Rick said he is leaving?!" I squeaked, staring at her with my mouth open.
"Shhhh!" she said. "He'll hear you."
"Rick is leaving? For sure?" I asked again.
She nodded. "I don't even care!" she whispered furiously. "Like, at first I thought it would be neat having a big brother. Not any more!"
"When is he leaving?" I asked.
"Right after lunch," she said. "That's why nobody was talking."
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Chapter Seven
I frowned at the cup I was washing. Why hadn't Mom told me Rick was leaving? Then I remembered. I had interrupted her when she started saying something about Rick. I bit my lip. God wasn't answering our prayers at all. It wasn't fair!
I must have been staring into space, because Sandy said, "Come on, work! You're not the only one in this family. You think you're so great run
ning off to save baby elephants. Last night you wouldn't even answer when I called you. I know you weren't asleep. I wanted to talk about Rick and the Geislers and stuff. But you wouldn't even answer. Well, you're not so great."
My mouth fell open. That wasn't how it seemed to me at all.
"Uh, sorry," I said finally.
Sandy nodded but didn't answer. I wondered if she was trying not to cry. I couldn't think of anything to say to her.
"Anika," Daddy called, "when you're done there come on out. There's something I want to tell you."
I wrung out the dishcloth and came slowly out onto the porch. My eyes squinted against the bright outdoors sun.
"I decided I'd better tell you even if it can't happen," he said. "Dr. Webb invited you to go out with her and Dr. Field tomorrow. She invited Rick too. Apparently you told them he was training to be an exotic animal vet. We told her you won't be able to do it since we'll be leaving to see Rick off at the airport. Maybe you could write her a nice letter and visit with her another time. It would be a good chance to learn something about the animals you're so interested in."
"Oh," I said. I held my feelings down. It was no use getting upset. Everything was already too horrible.
"Hey!" Rick exclaimed. "I didn't hear about this. Who did you say that woman was?"
"Dr. Webb," Daddy said. "Dr. Margaret Webb. That's right—you didn't come out until just before she left. She's been studying the elephants in Amboseli—"
"I didn't know that woman was Margaret Webb," Rick cut in. "Margaret Webb is famous. Her work with elephants is awesome!" He looked sharply at Daddy and asked, "I have an invite to spend a day with her? That's a once-in-a-lifetime chance! I'd stay for that! Is the offer still open?"
"We can certainly find out!" Mom said. She sounded happier than she had all morning. "You and Kevin could go over to Amboseli Lodge and radio her. See if Anika and you would still be welcome."
