by Rula Sinara
“All right,” she said out loud when it sent. She closed her laptop and stood.
“Finished?” Niara asked from the other end of the table. She was working on a post for the Busara blog, where they shared photos of the baby elephants with readers and gave updates. It helped tremendously with donations for funding all the food, medicine and other expenses it took to keep Busara running.
“Yep. For now. I might need to get more testimony, but it doesn’t have to be today.”
She stretched her arms behind her, then held each elbow across her chest to release the stiffness in her upper back.
“What about you?”
“I’m almost done. I promised Tessa I’d send her this. She takes care of the actual formatting and posting. I enjoy the writing, but not the rest.”
“I’m the same way. I think a part of me was meant to live centuries ago. No computers. Pencil and paper. Old, simple games like playing jacks or hopscotch. It’s probably why I loved all those books either set long ago or that centered around the basics of life. You know?”
“Oh, yes. I know. Haki is also that way. He was always an old soul, ever since he was born. I could see it in his eyes before he could speak. No wonder he took to games like checkers and chess.”
An old soul. That was Haki to a T. Mothers really did know their children.
“He beat Uncle Mugi badly the night we stayed at Jamba Walker. It seemed to energize him after the long day he’d had.” Maddie grinned.
“Poor Mugi. He loves the challenge.” Niara paused, then moved her work aside and linked her hands. Niara’s face always had peacefulness about it, even when she was concerned. “Maddie, dear. If you don’t mind my asking, did everything go okay when you were gone with Haki? He’s been more pensive than usual the past two days. You didn’t fight over this case issue, did you?”
The muscle between Maddie’s shoulder blades pinched again. How was she supposed to answer that? To his mother, no less. They’d agreed not to bring up the danger they’d been in, not only because they wanted to spare their families worry, but also because the more it was discussed, the more likely someone they didn’t know well would overhear. They didn’t want anyone potentially tipping off Roinet before their suspicions could be investigated. She was definitely not telling his mother about what had passed between them, either. Maddie struggled to come up with something that wasn’t a lie. She couldn’t lie to Niara.
“We didn’t fight. We shared our opinions and perspectives, but no one drew blood,” she said.
“Perhaps he was just tired, then,” Niara offered, but she sounded more polite than convinced.
“All that driving, as captivating as the scenery around here is, did take its toll on us. I’m definitely not used to it.”
“Yes...it’s just that he was so motivated to write that proposal. Yet I know he’s always had a great deal of respect for you. Always—even as children. You might be a little older but he has always been too mature for his age. Not negative, just...mature. As a mother I could see you both shared a serious outlook on life. You both care intensely about what you believe is right. You always have. What I’m trying to say, or advise, is that when two streams merge, the watering hole is less likely to go dry.”
Haki had always respected her? Maddie bit her lip.
“Auntie Niara, I don’t see where we could compromise on this. It’s effectively a document. It either gets passed or it doesn’t.”
“I didn’t say to compromise, necessarily. It’s always good to cooperate, but neither of you is the type to compromise what you believe in, and I wouldn’t want you to. When two minds are so alike, though, the ideas can flow together and never feel like a sacrifice.”
“I understand. But I tried to tell him that punishment isn’t always the answer.” Except you just saw how desperation can trump morality. What if Roinet and his sons had pulled their guns out? What if Haki’s life had been taken? You wouldn’t hesitate to go after maximum punishment if that happened.
Niara sat forward and cocked her head.
“Maddie. Between you and me, I agree with you. Yes, he’s my son and yes, I stand for our mission here, protecting the elephants. That cause is close to my heart. But I’m sure you’ve heard at least a little about my past. About how Haki was conceived. I won’t get into that now, but the point is—I was wronged. I understand what it’s like to be a victim of a heartless, evil act. Yet, punishment alone won’t stop crime. One has to get to the root of the issue. Problem-solve. The advantage right now is that you’re both here. At Busara. You’re not in a courtroom. You’re both thinkers. Remember that in chess, the queen is powerful, but only when thought goes into the steps she takes.” She pushed back her chair, got up and gave Maddie a kiss on her temple. “Now. I’ve said my piece. I won’t meddle beyond that or tell you what to do. I love you too much for that.”
“Thank you,” Maddie said, putting her hand on Niara’s. “I’ll do my best.”
“Usijali. Don’t worry—it’ll all work out however it’s meant to be. For now, if you’d like, you could go over to the pens and see the elephants. Pippa is there.”
Pippa. Maddie took a deep breath as her cousin’s words came back to her. I’m just wondering how other women feel when they’re in love. How they know. Didn’t Pippa know? Did Maddie?
She slipped her laptop in its case. Their entire family and circle of friends was made up of couples who were madly in love and devoted to each other: Kamau and Niara, Jack and Anna, Ben and Hope, Mac and Tessa, Mugi and Kesi, Simba and Chuki... So why was it so confusing? Why did it feel so messed up? The gap between watching love and experiencing it was as wide as the distance that separated her from life here and her life on the other side of the world. What she felt for Haki was strong and all-encompassing, but she wouldn’t be here long enough for them to figure out if it was the real thing. Pippa’s life was here, and when Maddie returned to America, she needed to know that her little cousin was going to be happy. That was all that mattered.
“Thanks, Auntie. I’ll head there now.”
Maddie stepped out into the midday sun and had to shade her eyes with her hand. Mosi squealed from a nearby tree at the sight of her. He swung down, scampered along the porch rail carved from a single log and jumped to her feet.
“Hey, buddy, I don’t have anything on me.”
He poked at her leg, stepping back each time just in case she turned out to be a not-so-nice human.
“Sorry. My pockets are empty.” He pouted and ran back up the tree. Maddie stepped down onto the dry earth and started across to the pens and clinic. Something hit her in the back.
“Ow!” She spun around and Mosi screamed at her. He had another shelled nut in his hand. “You little...monkey. Don’t do that. If you have nuts to throw at me, then why are you begging for food?” She marched off. He squealed.
“Nope. No treats,” she called back without turning around. “That is not the way to treat a girl.”
One of the keepers witnessed the exchange and laughed as he led a baby elephant toward a grassy clearing where several others were playing.
“Our Mosi is in love. He wants your attention,” he said.
Maddie laughed and splayed her hands.
“What’s a girl to do?”
She approached the baby and it reached out with its trunk to search her pockets.
“That tickles. He’s so sweet,” she told the keeper, running her hand along the baby’s trunk, then rubbing him behind the ears.
“You are good with animals.”
“Yeah. I’ve always loved them.” Yet, she’d left them behind and didn’t have any pet but a single fish. A pet she could only watch in a glass bubble. No contact. No real bond. Nothing like the undeniable connection she was experiencing with Haki now. But no way could she have a place in his heart after all these years
. She’d left Kenya and he had Pippa here—right in front of him. A longing pulsed in her chest. She touched the fuzz on the elephant’s head.
“I like you, little guy.”
“He likes you, too. His name is Enzi. It means power. Between Mosi and Enzi, we’ll have to see who wins your heart—first born or power.” His face lit up with pride at his own sense of humor.
“Oooh, hard choice,” Maddie said as she let them pass. Hard choice, if she had one, which she didn’t. First born or power? She tried to silence the echo in her head. Haki or senior partner? Love or loyalty? Her heart or Pippa’s?
Most of the pens had wooden gates on the outside so keepers could get in and out with their charges without causing a traffic jam, but there were two indoor pens in an interior area, closer to the clinic, where emergency patients were taken for treatment, surgery or recovery until they were out of the woods. She figured that Etana would still be there. She let herself through a gate that led down a short, dirt-floored corridor and was drawn by voices to the room on the left.
“Hey there.” Dr. Bekker waved for her to join them. Ahron, the keeper assigned to Etana, was crouched next to Pippa in front of the baby. Pippa’s cheeks were streaked with tears and her nose was red. She looked over at Maddie as she held the oversized bottle for Etana.
“She’s eating. Look at her. Good girl,” she added, giving the elephant a rub and coaxing her to take more.
“She’s going to make it. Pip, you have the touch,” her mom told her.
“She’s the most precious thing I’ve ever seen.” Maddie swallowed back a lump in her throat. The baby had a bandaged wound on her ankle from the snare and the way her leathery skin draped against her bones was heartbreaking. Etana gazed at her with soulful eyes as she sucked hard at the bottle. She’d found her appetite and the will to survive. Dr. Bekker had treated her, but she’d also been given love and hope. It mattered. Life was nothing without love and hope for something better. Maddie rested her shoulder against the wall of the pen and cocked her head as she watched. Etana kept looking at her, ears twitching and fuzzy forehead wrinkling with expression. A sudden awareness and bittersweet ache washed through Maddie. You know, don’t you? That I also lost my mother at a young age. Etana almost seemed to rear her head in a nod as she took a big gulp. Haki had said that elephants know. Was this Maddie’s imagination? Was guilt messing with her? It felt unmistakably real.
It’s going to be okay. I got a new mother who cared for me, just like you’re getting here. My mother’s name is Hope. And you’re a strong one, Etana. This is your family now.
Maybe there really was something to a name.
* * *
GRINDING HIS TEETH did nothing to quell Haki’s anger. A stabbing pain shot through his ear and he rubbed at his jaw and opened his mouth to stretch it. The coppery stench of blood from his clothing and the baby elephant’s open wounds filled the jeep. He checked to make sure the needle he’d inserted for the IV was holding despite the rough road. He, Kamau and their team were riding with the baby in the covered truck bed of their medical unit. He double-checked her breathing and heartbeat. She was in critical shape but he refused to lose hope.
His father grabbed the radio.
“Mama Tembo. This is Busara One. Do you read?” He waited for the static to pass.
“Busara One. This is Ahron. Mama Tembo is in surgery.”
“We’ll be arriving in approximately twenty. Infant. Leg injury. Severe blood loss. Prep medical. Over.”
“Copy, Busara One. I’ll tell Dr. Bekker now. Over.”
“Was she scheduled for surgery today?” Kamau asked, tucking the radio in its holder and checking to see if the bleeding had slowed.
“I saw notes that Sefu was trying to loosen the stitches on his trunk. She’s probably restitching,” Haki said. Anna would be ready. She always was. Busara was her life’s work.
Haki was proud to be part of it all. The surgery and emergency care he did as a vet had been his goal growing up. But Anna was Dr. Bekker, a respected researcher and vet with a doctorate of veterinary medicine from the US, and his father was Dr. Odaba, who’d studied vet medicine in Kenya but gone beyond that bachelors to earn a PhD, as well, and make a name for himself as a field-rescue vet. Haki had earned his BVM, and although that degree earned him the title of doctor in Kenya, he wanted more. He wanted an actual doctorate degree. He knew he was making a difference as things stood, but he was restless. He wasn’t satisfied with following in others’ footsteps. He wanted to mark his own path.
But his drive to forge that path bothered him because going back to school for years would mean leaving Busara and Pippa...and they both needed him right now. Unfortunately, Busara was getting busier. That meant the number of casualties was going up, not down. They needed the extra veterinarian more than ever. He was family. He owed them. That degree wouldn’t make a difference in terms of what he could do—was already doing—to help with rescues. It would only make a difference to him. The timing wasn’t right. It wasn’t meant to be.
The chopper that had helped sight the incident was getting smaller as it flew away. It wasn’t Mac’s this time. An hour ago, Mac had called in an injured adult he’d spotted from the air while he was flying some people toward the Masai Mara. He was too far out. This baby had been found closer to Tsavo East. KWS had been called in and they had a vet on board who had tried saving the mother. Kamau and Haki’s crew had been in the area when the call came over the air. Busara was the nearest rescue prepared to take the calf.
Haki glanced at the time.
“Son, we’ll get there. That calf wouldn’t even have a chance if it weren’t for your quick action back there. No matter what happens to her, I’m proud of you.”
Haki swallowed hard and nodded, but he couldn’t get past knowing he wasn’t able to do more.
When they finally reached Busara, Haki handed the IV bag to one of the techs to hold above the baby. He got out of the jeep and prepared to secure the thick tarps that served as a stretcher for the calf. Kamau and two others grabbed the edges from inside the truck bed. They needed to lift her gently and get her to where they could treat the wounds. They needed to save her.
“Ready, one, two, three—lift,” he called out. They hoisted the tarp and set her down on the ground. From the corner of his eye he could see Dr. Bekker running over from the clinic. He barely registered Pippa and Maddie emerging from inside.
“Haki!”
He jerked toward Maddie’s panicked voice. She looked pale and had started toward them but Pippa took her arm and said something to her. The blood. He was covered in blood.
“I’m okay. It’s not me. Tell them to keep the others out of the way,” he yelled. Pippa would know he meant the other keepers and babies who were out of their pens. She left Maddie and ran to the open area, where the elephants were playing, and warned the men to keep them from coming to check on the new arrival. He was sure all their residents picked up on the scent and the tension whenever a new patient was brought in. He didn’t want to expose them to further trauma.
Dr. Bekker reached them and took a corner of the tarp to help bring the baby at least closer to the clinic, if not inside. If they had to do surgery out in the open, it wouldn’t be the first time. They’d treated adults out in the savannah before. Out here, you did what you had to do.
“What happened?” Anna asked as she, Kamau and Haki worked to clean the wounds and stop the bleeding. They kneeled to ground level as the baby lay on the tarp.
“An electric fence was down and several elephants wandered out of the forested area and got to one of the farms. Another Masai farmer heard and set out snares to stop his crops from getting raided. This little one was with her mother and stepped on a snare. The mother didn’t want to leave her, which made her an easy target,” Haki said.
“KWS found her embedded with arrows in her l
eg and side. Dead,” Kamau continued. “One of those arrows hit the baby—we’re not sure if it was by mistake or not. She was already injured by the snare.”
“We think they were there awhile. Possibly days. This is full of pus,” Haki said as he cleansed the baby’s ankle. It took an iron stomach to handle the stench from the infection. Kamau stuck massive tweezers into the baby’s side wound and pulled out an arrow about eight inches long.
“Unbelievable. I don’t want her out too long. She’s really frail,” Anna said.
“It’s been an hour since I administered the sedative,” Haki told her. “I went ahead and set up the fluids, too. She looks dehydrated.”
He finished cleaning the ankle wound, then loaded a syringe with antibiotics and stuck it in her hip. Anna packed the arrow wound while Kamau checked her vitals.
“Wake her up, stat,” Kam said.
Haki flipped her ear over and quickly injected the drug to reverse the sedative into one of the veins. Then they stood back. All they could do now was wait and pray that she’d come around.
“Come on, girl,” Anna coaxed.
Haki ducked his head to wipe his face against his shoulder and caught Maddie standing there watching. The color was drained from her face and her eyes and nose were red and swollen. Her lips parted, but she didn’t say a word. The baby had yet to come around. They finally met each other’s eyes.
This, Mads. This is what happens.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MADDIE GRABBED A bag of sugar and a container of tea from the back of the jeep as Pippa unloaded a cloth sack, plus a bag with her water and soil sampling kits she’d held on to since her college geology labs. Maddie’s mom had asked Pippa to check a few wells in the area when she could. Apparently, Hope was concerned about some clinical symptoms that had been showing up in the rural villages. This particular village was the closest to Busara, and Busara’s water had been fine when Pippa tested it.
