“I’m becoming a real bush brat,” she told herself as she added a couple of books she just might find the time to read.
They all met up at Richard and Diana’s house and Amie, Jonathon, Kate, Charles, Anne and Benjy all piled into the minibus Richard had ‘liberated’ from his company for the weekend.
Everyone was in high spirits as they cut through the centre of Apatu and drove out of town. The tar roads did not extend far out of the city, but Amie was surprised at the width of the gravel road. There was plenty of room for the small number of cars and the large amount of pedestrian traffic as well as the frequent herds of sheep and goats that meandered from side to side.
Richard kept the speed down since it was a long time since the road had been graded and in many places the stones had formed ridges, which made for a bumpy ride.
Diana had brought flasks of hot coffee, rolls and pieces of quiche along for the journey. The lodge was over a hundred kilometres away; and they wouldn’t arrive before nightfall.
“How will we find it in the dark?” enquired Kate, much to Amie’s relief. She’d been dying to ask the same question, but didn’t want everyone to think she was nervous about getting lost in the wilderness.
“With a little help from modern science,” replied Richard, swerving around a particularly large pothole, and then slowing down behind a donkey cart. The two men in the front gave them all a friendly wave. “Dirk gave me the co-ordinates,” he continued, “and hopefully the GPS will put us right on the spot. Mind you, the first time we went there we arranged to leave early and arrive before sunset. It’s pretty much a straight road, only a couple of turnings off, but it’s getting the right turnings that makes all the difference!”
Although Jonathon and Amie had been in Togodo for quite a while, this was the first time they’d been outside the city and the suburbs. Amie knew there were a few intrepid explorers who drove off most weekends, but she wasn’t sure she would have the courage to do that. With her vivid imagination, her thoughts of getting lost and being eaten by wild animals were enough to make her very nervous indeed, but as part of a group of friends she felt much safer.
She hugged the camera bag and prayed she would get some outstanding footage. National Geographic, here I come, she thought, daydreaming while watching the scenery slip past. Close to town there was more subsistent agriculture, but farther out of town, the vegetation was denser. Despite this, Amie was amazed to see that every few hundred metres there were some signs of human life: a peasant woman walking along behind her husband, bent almost double under a huge bundle of firewood, an old man riding a donkey who nodded solemnly at the minibus, a couple of young girls walking so gracefully balancing five litre plastic containers full of water on their heads and a group of small boys bowling along an old metal hoop with a stick by the roadside.
“Health and Safety would have a fit,” commented Charles, and they all burst out laughing.
The sun disappeared below the horizon and it was pitch dark before Richard swung off the main trail onto a much narrower gravel road. Now the trees formed an umbrella over them and Amie kept telling herself to be brave. It was probably more dangerous in Castle Bridge when they staggered out of the pubs on a Saturday night.
Suddenly, they caught sight of small lights twinkling ahead. One moment they were there, the next they were gone, until after sweeping round a wide bend, there was the lodge.
“Welcome to Nkhandla Lodge,” Kate read the sign. “Hey, we’ve arrived!” she said. “I can’t wait to grab a drink and a shower.”
It was difficult to identify the complete layout in the dark, but from what Amie could see, it was a piece of Africa exactly the way they showed it in the travel agents’ windows. There were several small, rough, stone-built, thatched huts around a central courtyard, with a much larger building at one end with a reception area, next to a bar and tables laid for dinner on the wide veranda.
Far from being quiet as she had expected, the African night was full of noise. Cicadas were chirping, the trees rustling, and in the far distance she heard roars and some shrieks of pain. There were dark shadows beyond the huts and she was convinced she could see large, hungry animals moving outside the lighted area within the camp. It was only then she noticed she’d not seen any fencing. Surely that was dangerous? What was to stop the animals just walking through as and when they felt like it? She moved closer to Jonathon, feeling a little safer right beside him.
Dirk and Helen came down the steps with two local boys who began to unpack the minibus.
“Welcome,” said their host. “It’s great to see you. I’ve put you in the three bandas on either side nearest to the bar and dining area. If you tell Jefri and Kahlib what has to go where, they’ll show you where to go.”
Much to Amie’s relief, their accommodation was the one on the left, closest to the main building. Even then, she reckoned they would have to walk several metres in the dark to reach the bar area, which felt very dangerous. She scuttled behind Jefri as he carried their suitcase into the hut.
Once inside, she stopped in amazement. It might look rustic and primitive on the outside, but inside, the floor was laid with terracotta tiles, the furniture made from varnished logs, the enormous bed was tastefully covered with a Laura Ashley floral print to match the curtains, and the soft duvet and pillows looked very inviting. The bathroom was separated from the bedroom by a half height wall, and Amie was both amused and shocked to see it had a window, which looked out onto the dark night. There was one small curtain to pull across the window and she hoped it would be wide enough to afford some privacy.
“It’s absolutely beautiful!” she exclaimed. “This is the Africa I dreamed about. This is what I imagined it would be like, not Apatu!”
“Even with the dangerous and wild animals roaming free, waiting to gobble you up?” teased Jonathon, who had followed her inside.
“Don’t you dare frighten me. I’ll be right behind you, every step of the way. If they eat you first, they won’t be hungry enough to eat me as well!” Amie giggled nervously.
“Come on. Let’s go over to the bar and have a stiff drink; that should help calm your nerves!” Jonathon was already on his way out of the door.
“Wait for me.”
As they walked across the central area, Amie saw Diana had thought to bring a torch with her which she was using to sweep the ground in front of her. Now why didn’t I think of that? she asked herself.
“Just checking I don’t trip over a night adder,” called Diana cheerfully. “Always like to see where I put my feet, especially at night.”
“There are snakes out at night?” gulped Amie. She’d been too busy worrying about the large game to think about the smaller stuff.
“There are always a few, but don’t look so worried,” laughed Diana. “They usually stay far away from any activity.”
“Unless they’re attracted by the food,” added Richard, who’d appeared from the darkness.
Amie reached out and clutched Jonathon’s hand. She breathed a sigh of relief as they walked up the steps to the bar.
After a few drinks, the good company, and an excellent meal, Amie began to relax. She was even beginning to feel braver as well. After all, Helen and Dirk lived out here all the time; so it couldn’t be dangerous. She was just being a baby.
Helen looked over and smiled. “Is this your first trip out into the bush?” she asked quietly.
“Yes,” said Amie.
“It can be a bit overwhelming,” said Helen. “I was twitchy when we first came out here to live. Dirk’s family have been here for generations, but I was born and bred in England.”
“So, you know how I feel right now?”
Helen reached out and squeezed Amie’s hand. “Yes, I do. It took me a while to get used to a totally unfamiliar environment, but now I feel safer here than I do in the city.”
“Have you ever been in a dangerous ...?” Amie trailed off. She didn’t know the right words.
“A couple
of narrow escapes, but it’s reassuring having Dirk around. He knows the animals and how they’re likely to behave. They have their own code of behaviour, and I think it’s probably more civilised than ours in the long run!”
“I guess it’s the fear of the unknown. You must think I’m a total wuss,” replied Amie.
“Not at all,” smiled Helen. “Just very normal and in a few years, you’ll wonder why you were so anxious. Africa grows on you.”
Once again, Amie was reminded that when you started travelling and living overseas, it was taken for granted you would be doing it for your whole working life. She still didn’t know how she felt about that.
Dirk was indeed a mine of information. He had some large charts showing the different animals they were likely to see. “It always helps to know what you’re looking at,” he explained. “We can all recognise a lion for instance, but did you know it’s mainly the lionesses who do the hunting, and then make way for the male lion to come in and eat his fill after they’ve done all the hard work? It’s amazing how the girls all work together; they spread out and, if possible, surround their prey, but their killing methods are very inefficient. They bite the throat of the victim and that can be tricky, jumping onto the back of, say, a wildebeest or a water buffalo, and then stretching down to attack the throat or muzzle to suffocate it.”
“Do they kill something every day?” asked Amie.
“Not necessarily. It depends how hungry they are and how large the pride is,” replied Dirk. “A good kill might keep the pride going for a few days, but of course they don’t always kill everything they attack. The prey may outrun them, or a lion may get injured by flailing hooves and if they’re undernourished, they may not have the strength to hunt successfully.”
“And if the lion is very dominant, he will take, as they say ‘the lion’s share’ of the kill, leaving the lionesses and cubs with very little to eat,” said Helen.
“Then they have to protect the kill from the hyenas, the jackals and the vultures too, so it’s not often they get to sit down to a leisurely meal, poor things,” smiled Dirk.
“I’m beginning to feel quite sorry for them!” laughed Kate.
“Not sure I do,” added Anne. “They’re very successful breeders even in captivity and at least they’re not on the endangered species list.”
“True, but did you know the majority of lions in Kruger National Park in South Africa are infected with tuberculosis, which has become a serious problem? It’s had a big impact on the numbers of lions there.”
“Do you have the same problem here?” asked Charles.
“Unfortunately, there are no proper investigations run by the government. They show little or no interest in their wildlife at all,” replied Dirk.
“In theory, there’s a governmental department which is supposed to manage the wildlife, but they seem to be totally inactive,” added Helen.
“One of the biggest problems is they have no state vet at the moment,” Dirk continued. “Without properly trained people, where do you start?”
Charles poured himself another drink. “It’s common knowledge Africans don’t appreciate the tourist opportunity they have on their doorstep, nor how much foreign currency it could earn.”
“That’s very true,” said Diana. “Even Mrs Motswezi, who runs a local school in the capital, was amazed to hear we don’t have the big five in Europe, or America, or anywhere else for that matter! I’m not sure she has any real concept of the size of the world and all the other countries, peoples, and cultures there are.”
“Yes, it’s too easy to assume the people we meet over here have had the same access to the knowledge which we take for granted with television and the Internet,” added Benjy.
“Well, it’s bed time for me,” Richard said, standing up. “I’ll see you all in the morning.”
Much to Amie’s relief, everyone else prepared to leave, and she was glad they all walked through the compound at the same time. Safety in numbers, she thought as they disappeared into their cottages.
Amie was horrified to notice there was quite a large gap between the door and the floor; surely a snake could slither in underneath? She grabbed the coverlet off the bed and stuffed it firmly along the bottom of the door, hoping it would make any illegal entry impossible. She turned around to see Jonathon watching her. He grinned slowly and shrugged his shoulders.
“OK, so you think I’m a cowardly baby,” said Amie, “but you just need to remember what an active imagination I have, and it doesn’t do any harm to take sensible precautions.”
“I never said a word!” protested Jonathon.
“You didn’t need to. I can read your mind! I won’t be able to sleep a wink tonight. I’m going to freak every time I hear a noise, or a clunk, or a shriek.”
“You can’t read my mind,” Jonathon said. “I have an idea which will help you to sleep very soundly. Come here and let me show you.”
Even after they had made love, Amie was still convinced she wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink. She couldn’t take her eyes off the bottom of the door to see if something was trying to push its way in. Then suddenly it was morning, and the first dawn chorus found her safe and sound, and snake bite free.
Everyone had agreed they would simply relax the first day and take an evening game drive, but get up at dawn on the Sunday to catch the animals by the waterhole.
Sitting over a lazy breakfast, Amie found herself beginning to relax even more. While she understood the bush was alive with hidden activity, she couldn’t help but let herself unwind. Helen was right, there may be dangers, but they were not man-made, they did not have to worry about the human element. She noticed the local Togodians who worked in the lodge were very different from those she’d met in the city, and she mentioned this to Helen.
“You may already know there are three main tribes in Togodo,” said her hostess. “There are the Kawas, the M’untus and the Luebos. The Kawas are the biggest and brightest tribe and the most warlike, and they are the ones you’re most likely to meet in the capital and largest towns. The M’untus mostly live in the north and they are far more laid back and peaceful. Generally, they get on quite well with the Luebos, apart from the odd skirmish now and then.”
“Are all the staff here the same tribe?” asked Charles.
“Yes, and for that we are grateful. They’re all Luebos. It’s like a large family. Within each tribe you get large extended families, or sub tribes, and all our staff is from the one vastly extended family. If one member leaves or dies, then immediately another one appears; we don’t have to advertise! And if anyone from another branch of the Luebos strays onto our land, they’re chased away immediately.”
“I suppose in ancient Britain we also had tribes behaving the same way,” mused Amie, “but that’s all so very long ago.”
“Tribalism is alive and well in Africa, and in many ways, it’s slowing them down on the road to the first world. It also encourages corruption and greed, as tribes seldom get on, and there’s always the fear lurking in the minds of those in power they might be overthrown one day.”
“How can you tell one tribe from another?” Amie wanted to know.
“We might not be able to tell at first,” said Helen, “but they know immediately, by the way they speak, the languages are different, the way they dress and of course by the tribal markings.”
“Are those the scars you see on the cheeks?”
“Yes. You most probably thought the young men had been fighting …?”
Amie laughed. “Yes, I thought some had been a bit handy with the knives after a hard night’s drinking, until I noticed more and more of them.”
“Making score marks on the cheeks and arms is part of the initiation ritual of all the tribes in Togodo, but the more educated people don’t always follow traditional customs nowadays. Or if they do, say with circumcision for example, they’ll go to the hospital rather than let some old man in the bush with a rusty knife attack their most precious possession!”<
br />
Amie laughed again. She liked Helen; she was down to earth, refreshing and more relaxed than anyone she had met so far in Togodo.
“How long have you lived out here?” she asked.
“Coming up ten years now,” replied Helen. “And I wouldn’t live anywhere else. I would be heartbroken if for any reason we had to leave. We take a trip into Apatu every other month and what I see there, I don’t like. The capital seems to attract the worst kind of people, yet I can understand that many go to find fame and fortune, or even a better education. After a couple of hours I can’t wait to get back to the bush.”
“Can your staff here read and write?”
“When they arrived, most of them couldn’t, so I set up a classroom and taught them, though I have to admit I could only teach them in English. Dirk is quite fluent in the local dialect of course, but I’m nowhere as good, but whether they have transposed those skills to their own language I doubt. There’s not a lot written in Togwana.”
“No, I guess not.” It wasn’t something Amie had thought about before. With a population of less than thirty million, most of whom were illiterate, there wasn’t much call for books and magazines, and those she had seen were all in English.
“Another problem with the tribal system is that when Europe was carving up this continent, they took no notice of tribal areas. Now you often have the same tribe, split apart by an artificial border, living in two neighbouring countries which causes conflict – tribalism against nationalism. It’s not an easy one to solve.”
“No,” said Amie. “I’d never realised all that before. None of it’s easy, is it?”
“No, and I’m selfish enough to hope we’re left here in peace and quiet, among the animals we love, with enough tourists and visitors to keep us going. What goes on outside, I really don’t want to know about.” As Helen went off to the kitchens to oversee the meals for later in the day, Amie found herself wondering if it was better to know what was going on, or was it wiser to hide your head in the sand? She thought she would want to know so she would have enough time to … to what, jump on a plane for London? But then, what if your home and everything you possessed were already here in Africa? She guessed there were probably thousands of non-indigenous people who had survived various civil wars and government changeovers, and still farmed their land. They had nothing to run back to in the old country. Everything they knew and loved was in what would always be a foreign land.
Amie in Africa Box Set 1 Page 11
