A Tale Of Choice

by Alexa Stewart

  EARLY THE NEXT morning, just before the African sun rose into the sky, the Fergusons awoke with a start. They had overslept. They flew out of bed, washed quickly and packed hurriedly. They reached the hotel counter in time to check out of their room and meet the rental car agent with their Jeep. Once all the paperwork was done and Jim had the keys, he turned to the clerk and asked for a sheet of paper. He wrote a quick, short note to Mrs. Omondi, expressing his thanks for such a wonderful holiday at this grand old hotel and his desire to return someday.

  Then he looked at his watch, trying to decide if they had enough time for a quick bite to eat before they traveled the 330 miles to Nairobi. They had to be there by 4 o’clock to meet the safari van. Jim wondered how good the roads were between the two cities. The hotel clerk assured him that the roads were paved all the way and they shouldn’t have any problems reaching the capital, with time to spare.

  “Let’s go check with the waiter in the restaurant and see if he can get us something to eat in a hurry. I think we can spare a little time to eat some breakfast before we have to leave,” Jim said to Shelly.

  The Kilimanjaro Room was sparsely populated that morning. There were some businessmen in suits, with briefcases at their feet. A variety of families with children of assorted ages scattered around the restaurant, making plans for the day. The waiter assured Jim and Shelly that he could serve them quickly and that he would do his best to get them out of there within the half-hour allotment. So the Fergusons sat down one more time in the large cool room with the small white tables and ordered a quick bite to eat.

  As soon as they sat down, Shelly’s face turned white. A look of fear came over her face.

  “What is it?” Jim asked concerned.

  “I left my cross in the room! I’m sure I did. I placed it on the nightstand last night in its little box, right next to the lamp, so I wouldn’t forget it this morning. But, I don’t remember packing it!” she said with alarm. “I know I have left it!”

  “Go and see if you can find Mattie or someone else to let you into the room. I’ll wait here and if we have to, I’ll have our breakfast put in a container so we can eat it on our way to Nairobi,” he told his worried wife. “Don’t worry. It should be just where you left it,” he said with reassurance in his voice.

  Shelly ran out of the restaurant and over to the hotel counter. She asked for help getting into the bridal suite to retrieve her precious cross. The clerk informed her that he was able to reach Mattie by the hotel service phone. She would meet her at the door to room 201 and let her in.

  Shelly ran across the lobby, down the hall, flew up the stairs. There was Mattie, walking towards the special room that had been so beautiful and full of the most wonderful memories for her.

  “Mattie!” called Shelly as she ran up to the maid.

  “It is so nice to see you again, Shelly. I am glad I can say goodbye to you one more time before you go,” her new friend said as she opened the door with a large smile.

  Shelly ran into the bedroom and there it was, sitting just where she had left it the night before. She grabbed it and held it to her heart, so elated that she had found it.

  “I better put this on!” she said with emotion.

  She took it out of the box and pulled the chain over her head and threw the little box into the waste basket, for she wouldn’t need it any more. She gave a big sigh of relief now that she was wearing it next to her heart where it belonged.

  “Mattie, I’m sorry I must hurry back downstairs so quickly, but Jim and I need to get on the road soon. Thank you so much for helping me,” Shelly told the girl as she gave her another hug.

  “I’ll write as soon as…” she was saying, when a loud explosion of firecrackers seemed to go off in the hotel. She could hear people shouting.

  “What was that?” Shelly asked to no one in particular.

  Then she could hear screaming far away in the building somewhere. Her heart couldn’t quite register what was going on.

  Mattie stood still as stone, her skin a chalky paste. Fear could be read in every feature of her body. “No…” she said softly and deeply, like a groan. “It cannot be…” her voice trailed off to nothing.

  “Mattie! What is it?” Shelly demanded in fear, for she was terrified by Mattie’s appearance.

  “Come! Hurry!” Mattie said firmly as she grabbed Shelly’s arm and pulled forcefully. “I have heard that sound before. Its machine guns! Something is very wrong. I must get you out of here, quickly!” Mattie said softly, so not to be overheard, but with no doubt of her purpose or resolve.

  “No! No! Jim!” Shelly baulked at leaving him… ever!

  “I must get you out of here and to a safe place. We will find Jim as soon as you are safe. We have no time. We must get out of here, now!” Mattie said resolutely, between her teeth, as she dragged Shelly from the room and to a service door in the hallway.

  Shelly was about to pull away from Mattie’s grip, when more gunfire and screaming could be heard down in the belly of the hotel. The sound weakened her resolve to stay and she allowed Mattie to pull her through the door and down a flight of stairs.

  Shelly became lost in a mental fog.

  What’s going on?

  Why?

  What should I do?

  Where’s Jim?

  Is he all right?

  Where’s Mattie taking me?

  As they moved in slow motion through the service quarters of the hotel, they came to a door that opened to the outside. Once through that door, Shelly realized that if she turned right, she would be headed toward the front of the hotel, and if she turned left, the sea awaited her. She pulled her arm from Mattie’s hold and turned right. Mattie was left standing in dismay as she watched the American run the wrong way! Shelly came to the corner of the hotel and stopped behind some bushes. Cautiously peeking through them she watched the chaotic scene on the driveway. There were jeeps and vehicles parked carelessly on the lawn and road. Two huge trucks with wooden benches in the back and a canvas top were parked in front of the hotel with gunman herding people into them. They were shouting and threatening everyone with horrible-looking weapons.

  Shelly could see what looked like a body of a hotel employee laying in the walkway. He was wearing a hotel uniform. She watched in dismay and shock as a group of men were being loaded onto one truck, while women and children were being put into the other.

  All of a sudden, Shelly could see Jim! His hands were clasped together, resting on his head. She could see he was looking around for her, she knew he was. As she started to go around the bush, Mattie stopped her with a firm hold. For Mattie had quietly come up behind her and hadn’t left her side.

  “You cannot help him, Shelly!” she said softly but firmly. “These are very cruel and dangerous men. We cannot do anything for now. We cannot!” she said resolutely and in fear.

  Unexpectedly, a woman who had been crying became hysterical. She broke away from her captors and ran for someone in the other truck. Shots rang out. She was shot down in the road. The man who had shot her walked over to her and fired again into her head. Her body jerked once. She was dead, truly dead!

  Crying could be heard from the women and children in the truck after the terrible sound of the gun died away. The gunmen started shouting orders again among the trauma and chaos, when a man in the other truck tried to go to the dead women, but he was gun-whipped into submission.

  Shelly could see Jim’s face was ashen and sickly as he continued to look for her.

  They’ve killed her! Shelly thought in shock, this can’t be happening. She is really dead. Dear God… her thoughts died away as the scene continued to unfold. Her heart was beating hard in her chest as her body trembled and tears flowed silently down her face.

  What was she to do? This couldn’t be real. The sun was still in the sky. It was just as it was the day before, but here in this place there was horror, evil and death.

  Mattie pulled very hard on her arm this time. She hit Shelly hard on
the face and said, “If we do not go now, death will find us!”

  In shock and disbelief, she allowed Mattie to pull her away. The sight of that woman shot down in cold blood made her sick, retching sick. Raw fear was starting to take hold of her, as she listened to her heart beating in her ears. She was running now because she could do nothing else, for fear drove her.

  They ran along the side of the building, over the lawn and across the sandy beach onto the dock. Why they were never stopped, only God knows, for they were out in the open and easily seen. Yet, they weren’t challenged. Mattie jumped into her boat, dragging Shelly behind her. Shelly had no idea how she even got into the boat. Tears blinded her eyes as she grieved and feared for her husband, for Mattie and for life itself.

  The sound of explosions and gunfire started to spread throughout the island. Screaming could be heard as buildings crumbled and fires rose into the sky. People were fleeing Mombasa as if the world had come to an end, and maybe it had. They were fleeing wherever they could, some into the water, others ran for their lives in the streets, but all were being killed where the gunman could find them. Truckloads of armed men continued to disperse into the streets as Mattie pulled away from the pier, the boat throttle pushed as far as it would go.

  Gunshots rang out and whizzed past Shelly’s head as she sat stunned in the back of the boat, too traumatized to keep her head down. Only by the grace of God did they escape. Rocket launchers were now being used to destroy anything on the water. Bodies were starting to float here and there as boats burned and sank.

  Mattie’s little boat disappeared into the smoke that started to drift over the sea. The sun faded into the haze, red and dying.

 

  Lost