team elephant

“Hurry!” Ruby cries.

The elephants bend lower, moving like a giant elephant shovel.

“Where is she?” Masika asks.

“Lower,” says Akello. “Lower, sisters!”

“There!” Ruby yells. “No . . . wait! There!”

“Up!” Akello commands, and the interlocked trunks rise from the muddy water to reveal a tiny, trembling baby gorilla, sitting in their makeshift sling.

“Kudzoo,” says Akello, “stay calm, baby. We’re gonna toss you to safety, okay?”

Kudzoo gives a little nod.

“On my count,” says Akello, “start swinging. One, two, three!”

Up and over go the trunks, and up and over goes Kudzoo. She lands with a little plop on the gorilla side of the moat, right next to Masika’s rear legs.

“Good work, everyone!” says Akello. “And good thinking, Ruby!”

“Th-thanks, elephants!” says Kudzoo, wiping mud from her eyes. “That was fun. Can we do it again?”

Akello takes a deep breath. “Maybe later, sweetheart.”

Quickly I make my way back over the moat. “Kudzoo,” I say, “follow me. Let’s go find your ape peeps.”

“Can I go with Bob?” Ruby asks Akello.

Akello touches Ruby’s back with her trunk. “I’d much rather have you stay here, dear. And it’s ‘may I.’”

“But Uncle Ivan!” Ruby pleads.

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” I tell Akello.

“I’m going,” Ruby says in her most determined voice. “Maybe I can help. I helped just now.”

Akello hesitates but finally gives a slow nod. Probably she figures there’s no arguing with Ruby.

She’s right on that one.

Ruby crosses the moat and joins Kudzoo and me. “Be careful,” Akello warns. “There’s more of this storm coming.”

“I got her, Akello,” I say.

“You’d better have her,” she warns.

“I think I flew, Bob,” says Kudzoo as we weave our way through the wasteland that was Gorilla World.

“Yeah, me too,” I say. “It’s that kinda day.”