Fifteen minutes before pickup time, I sat in reception. I was the first to arrive, all but guaranteeing me a good seat. There was no need to be early. Sonny had already told us we had to switch each drive. Truth was, I was just excited for another drive.
The others trickled in. Dr. Higgins arrived next, coming from the hotel’s front desk. He nodded a greeting to my “Good afternoon, Dr. Higgins.” He sat down on one of the plush chairs, pulled out his notebook, and started to jot something down.
The old couple came in next. “Mr. and Mrs. Vankey,” I said.
“Please call us Hazel,” she said, pointing to herself, “and Colin.” As if I couldn’t figure out who would be Hazel and who would be Colin. It would be fun if the stuffy old man’s name was Hazel. I bit my lip to hide a grin.
“Naomi,” I added, pointing to myself.
“Yes, we know.” Hazel sat down next to me. “Don’t let the gray hair fool you, honey. We’re not demented yet.”
Colin laughed at his wife’s comment and laughed harder when he noticed my reaction. My eyes bulged, mortified that she thought I had insinuated she was old.
I looked to Dr. Higgins for a similar request. I did not receive it. He kept his head in the book. He would still be Dr. Higgins.
The trio of Sabrina, Zonah, and Zaden arrived next, with the Wallaces a few paces behind. “Where’s your sister?” Sabrina asked as she sat down next to me.
“She’s coming.” I leaned in and added, “Something didn’t agree with her at lunch.”
“Oh, poor girl,” Geri said. “We have anti-diarrhea tablets in the room if you want me to get them.”
“This one travels with everything,” Jack chimed in. “Seasickness pills, sleeping pills, anti-diarrhea pills, antacids.”
“No, thank you. I think she’ll be fine. She’ll be here soon.” I glanced at my watch. It was exactly three and Sonny and Ray arrived and signaled us out. We all stood and headed to the Land Cruiser. I glanced back, searching for my sister. I caught Zonah doing it too.
“It happens,” Sabrina told me. She whispered to me, “Zaden stayed in the room during lunch because of that too.”
I nodded and looked over at the teenager. He was bringing up the rear of the group, fiddling with his phone.
“Oh, we’re missing one,” Sonny said and looked to me. “Will she be joining us?”
On cue, and just one minute late, Charlotte ran into the parking area.
“Young lady, we don’t have time to be waiting for you,” Dr. Higgins scolded.
Charlotte mumbled an apology. Sabrina pulled her in toward their group. “Don’t worry about him, Charlotte,” she assured her. “He’s just a pain in the ass. Every group has one.” She glared at him. “I bet he’s always been like that.”
Dr. Higgins returned the glare and an uncomfortable silence came over the group.
Sensing the tension, Sonny intervened. “Dr. Higgins, why don’t you sit up front with me? I think Naomi enjoyed her time this morning.” He winked at me. I tipped my baseball hat back in agreement.
“The front! I did not pay thousands of dollars for a view of a tracker’s back.”
“Well, everyone will have the pleasure of sitting up front with me for just one drive, why wait?” Sonny answered.
“This is going in my review,” he threatened Sonny. “This is not how they did it at Tonfi Lodge.”
Sonny smiled, with fewer pearly whites showing than with his genuine smile. He signaled for the rest of us to board, as Dr. Higgins climbed into the front seat. Hazel, Colin, and I sat on the top tier of seats. The trio boarded next, headed for the middle row.
Once Dr. Higgins sat he turned and pointed at Zaden. “This is all your fault.” We all froze, not understanding. “There should be only nine in this group.”
“Hey!” Zonah yelled. “Watch it! He’s just a kid. It’s not his fault.”
“Just sit down, Zonah,” Sabrina ordered and pushed him toward the middle row. She sat in the middle of the two of them.
“Mom, what’s he talking about?” Zaden whispered to Sabrina but not low enough.
“I’ll tell you what I’m talking about,” Dr. Higgins spat. “Someone in your group cancelled and she cancelled one room but not all the people in that room. There should only be two guests in a room, not three,” he answered. “Not you,” he added, pointing at Zaden again.
“How do you know all that?” Jack asked from the first row, sitting between Geri and Charlotte. I wondered who would cancel a trip like this. Plus, was it Zaden’s father? Or was it someone to watch Zaden so Zonah and Sabrina could have time together? I wanted Jack to ask that next.
“From the front desk. As the only single on the trip, I knew I’d get stuck sitting up here.” He glared at Sonny, “I will not be sitting here each drive.”
“No, sir. I told everyone they’ll get their time up here,” Sonny assured him and then turned the ignition on.
His anger not defused, he turned his ire toward Charlotte and me. “That’s why those two girls got such a cheap last-minute deal, right?”
No one answered.
Charlotte looked at me for confirmation, which I couldn’t give. All I knew was I had found the deal two weeks ago. There would be no more happy sister hugs if Dr. Higgins kept this up.
The truck’s quick acceleration threw us all back and forced Dr. Higgins to look forward.
For fifteen minutes, we drove in silence. I was thankful for the extra sunscreen I had applied, at Charlotte’s urging, as the strong African sun beat down.
Ray made nearly constant subtle gestures to Sonny to go right, or left or keep going to straight, something I missed when I had sat so close to them. I had only caught a few.
Above the rest of the travelers, I had an amazing view of it all, especially my fellow travelers. Dr. Higgins would snap a picture, review it, take another if he wasn’t pleased with it, and then put the camera down. He then would pull out his animal guide and make a notation. I saw Zaden nod off on Sabrina’s shoulder, while Sabrina stared out onto the vast landscape. Zonah took bursts of photos on his iPhone every time we stopped, as did Charlotte. Geri was always searching for Jack, seeking to hold his hand, despite him being right next to her. Charlotte may have been right about those two.
Next to me, I watched as Colin took pictures of everything, while Hazel instructed him.
Maybe Charlotte was right. Human watching was fun, when there were no wild animals to observe.
But after Dr. Higgins’ outburst earlier, I wondered who the wild animals really were.
“Give us a few minutes to set up,” Sonny instructed us as we stopped.
I had assumed the break was an opportunity to stretch our legs until Jack came over.
“Sundowners,” Jack told me. “The best part of the drives.” I waited for him to explain. “Happy hour!”
Sonny and Ray arranged a small table at the front of the Land Cruiser, setting three bowls of snacks and displaying various drink options. He poured a glass of red wine and walked over to Dr. Higgins with it. The hour-plus game drive had soothed the savage beast and he smiled when he took it.
Sonny handed Jack a beer and Geri a glass of white wine. Her hand lingered on Sonny’s as she accepted it. He then approached us for our drink order. “Champagne for the ladies?” he asked Sabrina, Charlotte, and me.
“Oh, yes,” Sabrina answered for us. “Soda for him, please,” Sabrina ordered for Zaden. Zonah got a drink from Ray. I couldn’t tell if it was alcoholic or not. Despite a day of being together, I still couldn’t decipher Zonah and Sabrina’s relationship or Zonah’s age. His facial hair was about the same as when we arrived. Was it slow growing? Or had he trimmed it for that five o’clock shadow look?
Drinking age here was eighteen and he was definitely over eighteen so it didn’t matter what the drink was. None of it really mattered. I was just curious. Especially since Zonah seemed to be checking Charlotte out whenever Sabrina wasn’t looking.
With everyone equipped with a beverage, we held our glasses in the air while Sonny toasted, “To my motherland,” with his juice.
We mingled and snacked and drank for twenty minutes.
Jack pointedly went over to Dr. Higgins, who was, as always, a minimalist with conversation. Jack didn’t look insulted when he walked away, headed to the makeshift bar for another Castle beer.
Most of the time was spent enjoying the view, until Sonny called us back to our ride and dinner at the lodge.
You could sense the relief of everyone that the drive, and the sundowners, had been free of another of Dr. Higgins’ outbursts. He was probably suffering from jet lag, like the rest of us, but wasn’t handling it as gracefully.
I heard a commotion behind me and the tension returned.
“Just wait a minute, old man,” Dr. Higgins said. “Just let me get in and then you and the old lady can get back to your seats.”
“Who the hell are you calling old?” Colin shouted.
Dr. Higgins ignored him and climbed into his front seat. Colin continued to glare at him and wait for an answer.
Hazel tapped him on the shoulder and held out her hand. I reached down and offered her my hand as well onto the small steps around the wheel to climb into the cruiser.
“Oh, thank you, dear,” she said as she took it.
“I would smash that mother—” Colin started.
“Colin!” she rebuked.
Colin was right. He towered over Dr. Higgins by at least eight inches and outweighed him by at least forty pounds. And most of that was muscle.
His sleeves now rolled up, I could see the bulging biceps and Marine tattoos. His set posture and face wasn’t a sternness but his go-to posture from years in the military.
“Who the hell does he think he is?” Colin said to Hazel. She patted him on his thigh.
“A pain in the ass,” Sabrina answered.