Nature of the Lion

by T. M. Clark

  ‘I think we are close enough, from here we can shoot the nuisance,’ Enoch said. Looking at the big croc as he lay on the bank, his mouth slightly open to regulate his temperature, he shuddered involuntarily.

  Nick smiled. ‘What is it with you guys and crocs? Remember that one that we had in that river with Mike, and how you wouldn’t go in, even when he assured you that the croc was dead?’

  ‘That was not because of the croc, it’s because I cannot swim, you idiot. Do you not know us Matabele men? We never needed to swim!’

  Nick chuckled quietly.

  Khululani clapped his hands together silently, and smiled too.

  The crocodile became aware of their presence, or something else moving towards it, as he slightly closed his mouth and slipped backwards into the water. Too fast for them to react. It disappeared into the brown depths and they could no longer see it.

  None of them approached the edge, knowing the danger of the striking distance of the croc.

  ‘Darn it. Now we’ll need to bait it,’ Nick said.

  Khululani nodded. ‘I have seen some pheasant in the bush, I can shoot one.’

  ‘No, you will step on a mine. You do not know this area,’ Filipe said.

  One of the village men with them said, ‘I will give you one inkukhu so you can kill this beast as you said you would. It is a good price to pay to have him dead, as he captured my son.’

  ‘I am sorry that your son was lost. Thank you for your offer,’ Enoch said.

  ‘Wait here, I will bring it,’ the man said as he disappeared into the bushes. When he returned, true to his word he brought a live chicken under his arm, and a long piece of nylon rope was tied to its feet.

  The man said, ‘When my son was captured, he was almost at the bank after falling in the water. There were two boys. The other boy, he saw the crocodile and he froze stiff, he did not move. My son, he wanted to reach the bank. Get to us and safety. He kicked as hard as he could with his legs, and got closer to where I waited trying to reach him.’ The man dashed tears from his eyes, but continued. ‘This crocodile, he didn’t capture the still boy who was almost drowning. He took my son instead. You will need the live inkukhu.’

  Khululani stepped forward, taking the kaal-necked chicken. ‘Siyabonga, and I am sorry he took your son. We will shoot this crocodile, and your son’s spirit can finally rest.’

  Khululani took his hunting knife, and spreading the wing out, he cut the flight feathers, and quickly stepped forward and threw the chicken into the water where the croc had been. ‘Filipe, come behind me. Two pulling might be better than one; this croc is massive.’

  The chicken flapped its wings trying to get out of the water. It splashed and squawked as it attempted to swim.

  ‘Get ready,’ Khululani said, tugging the rope in a little, almost as if he was fly fishing. The chicken could now reach the sand bottom with its feet, and clucking loudly, its wings still flapping, it made to run out of the water, but kept falling over as its feet were bound. It was pulled further up the bank, just out of the water.

  ‘He is coming,’ Khululani said.

  The flatdog launched itself out of the water with speed, its jaws clamping down hard on the live bait. More than half its body now clearly out of the water as he tossed his head back, crushing the chicken between his powerful jaws.

  Enoch and Nick simultaneously let off shots into the croc’s head. He didn’t have a chance against their high-powered guns and the accuracy of the seasoned hunters.

  ‘Got him,’ Enoch said, still holding the rope taut.

  ‘Fine—you called it, you check him,’ Nick said.

  ‘Do I look like a fool?’

  The man from the village ran towards the croc and, taking a handful of river sand, threw it all over his snout.

  The croc didn’t move.

  The man lifted a rock and threw it. It landed with a dull thunk on the crocodile’s head and stayed there.

  ‘Guess he’s really dead,’ Nick said.

  The man started dancing near the croc, while others ran down into the river to help put ropes around it to drag it out of the water and onto the bank.

  ‘Will you feast with us tonight?’ the chief of the village asked. ‘It has been many years since we celebrated the waters being safe.’

  ‘Are you sure there is only one?’ Enoch asked.

  ‘We have seen no babies, so we have no reason to think there is more than one.’

  ‘Don’t let your guard down. Just because this one’s gone, doesn’t mean another won’t come and take its place. They’re very territorial, so he might just have been keeping the others away,’ Nick warned.

  ‘Perhaps the next one will be smaller, and we can kill it before it becomes a monster. Either way, if we pull your truck through the river this afternoon, tonight you can come back on the pontoon and feast with us. We have that fresh meat from a kudu landmine kill. We will not eat this crocodile as he has eaten lots of our villagers, and it is not our custom to eat humans, especially not our family. But the young men, they will drink the crocodile’s bile in utshwala that Curandeiros Cassamo brews so that if another crocodile comes, they will have the strength to kill it. That the restless spirits of all people eaten would allow.’

  ‘It’ll be our honour, but first, we need to get the truck through the river,’ Nick said. ‘Once the men are done getting the croc up to the village for the women to skin, we do need to use your oxen to help the truck through the deeper water.’

  The chief nodded. ‘The horses, they will swim, but the truck, it will take a team of oxen to get it through the water. It is very heavy that one.’

  ‘That it is,’ Enoch said. ‘But I know that your oxen are strong, and they will get it through.’ Then he turned and said quietly to Nick, ‘Whatever you do, do not drink the homemade beer tonight, just trust me on this one. That stuff will make you sick, not give you strength, even when prepared properly.’

  * * *

  The six oxen were harnessed together, and the tow-leader walked at the front, encouraging the animals with a whip to pull. The water ran just above their bellies, and you could see the white of their eyes, terrified of the depth and what they knew once lurked there.

  ‘Donsa!’ called the tow-leader as his oxen strained with the weight of the truck. The men at the back pushed with all their might, and Enoch gently stepped on the accelerator. He had heard that in the first golden days of travel with cars in Africa, they often had removed the fan belt so that they didn’t throw water on the plugs, but he didn’t think it was necessary in modern vehicles. The truck got out of the deeper water with a lurch, and slowly made its way through the sluggish water that sucked at the metal, trying to claim it for itself.

  ‘Donsa!’ he heard the tow-leader call again as the oxen bellowed, the whip cracked once more and the truck suddenly had enough traction to move under its own power. He slowly inched forward, taking the stress off the animals, as they began walking proudly in front of the truck, knowing that their job was done, their gait easier now that they no longer strained with the weight on their muscles. They reached the bank on the other side and went up the small incline, still with the oxen pulling just in case the truck got into trouble. But Enoch knew his truck would get through with no more problems.

  Enoch stopped once he was up the bank, and looked over the flat river. He switched off and watched as the head musterer uncoupled the oxen from the truck, but kept them harnessed together as he drove them back into the water, back towards their side of the river, where Xo and Chloe still waited to bring the horses across.

  He looked at his youngsters. They were not children anymore. He was so proud of the two of them. Despite all the darkness that he and Mike had inflicted on them, they were two determined young adults who fearlessly faced any challenge that was being thrown their way. Always united, they worked together as if they were real siblings, not people separated by birth and colour.

  They would need every ounce of that cooperation to cr
oss the river. It was going to test their bond. And while he wanted to protect them and do it for them, he realised that he needed to let them do this one, be in charge of it and come out the other side stronger for it, no matter the consequences. Xo could swim, Enoch and Chloe had made sure he had lessons, and he’d often swum with Chloe in the river.

  It made sense that Xo and Nick would be with Chloe when the horses crossed, and not him. He was just thankful that Khululani and Filipe had both chosen to cross with Mike and Ethel on the pontoon.

  * * *

  ‘The crossing won’t be as easy as those oxen just made it look. River crossings never are,’ Nick said as they approached the river.

  ‘This looks the same as last time we crossed. The water is deceptive. It looks sluggish and slow, but the current beneath the surface is strong, carrying the unwary along with it,’ Xo said.

  ‘Come on, Xo, we’ve done enough preparation for events like this. All those steeple chases, and how many times did we take the horses swimming in the dam? We’ll be fine. The horses are strong, those oxen didn’t look like they struggled much—as long as we try to stick to where they crossed, we should be fine,’ Chloe said.

  ‘I’ve crossed many rivers with my brothers from the Scouts, but this is the mighty Limpopo. I don’t think it’s a river to be taken lightly,’ Nick said.

  ‘I’m not, that’s why you’re riding Marin. He doesn’t like water much. Xo and I’ll have Kimberlite and Diablo on lead reins. You’ll need both hands to get Marin into the water.’

  As if to prove her point the stallion bucked, trying again to unseat Nick.

  ‘Cut that out,’ Nick said firmly. ‘Come on, it’s only water, boy, you can do this,’ Nick said, though he was glad they were all roped to the horses, just in case.

  He watched as Xo entered the water first with Sirocco and Kimberlite followed with no problems.

  Trying to keep close, Chloe took Pampero in and shortened her lead on Diablo, with no problems either. He saw her smile as she turned back to check on him.

  Marin was prancing and stepping as if he was a horse on new shoes that were not comfortable. Unsure of the water, the highly strung Arab was not keen to enter. Then he bunched himself together and jumped into it, and ran into the chest-deep part, splashing water everywhere as he almost caught up to the other horses.

  Chloe was laughing. Marin’s antics had wet them before they’d even started. ‘It’s not a hot bath with bubbles, but it’s water either way,’ Chloe said.

  Nick laughed with her. ‘It’s going to be interesting seeing him come out the other side if this is what he does on entry.’

  ‘Bucking, farting and a possible spill from your saddle coming up,’ Chloe said. She laughed. He could listen to her tinkle of a laugh all day. They could disguise her as much as they wanted, but when Chloe laughed it was totally woman, and any male would know it.

  The water rose on the horses’ bodies as they made their way across, and Chloe called to Xo, ‘You’re going off course, keep upstream. This isn’t where the oxen crossed, it’s deeper already.’

  Xo adjusted.

  Nick could see that Xo was trying hard to get the horses back on course, but the river was strong. A team of oxen yoked together was stronger than a single horse fighting the current—but they kept going, and the water got deeper.

  Sirocco began swimming, and Xo turned around. Chloe was looking backwards, checking on how Marin was going.

  Xo shouted, ‘Chloe, careful that shelf drops off sudden—’

  Pampero’s back dipped suddenly, causing the unbalanced Chloe to slide off and go under. For the moment she was still tied by a rope to Pampero’s bridle. The horse was now swimming, totally out of her depth and unable to touch the bottom, and dragging the full weight of Chloe.

  ‘Shit,’ Nick cursed as he watched from behind, hoping that the bridle didn’t give or slip off the horse’s head. He watched in slow motion as Chloe broke the surface of the muddy water, long enough to take a single breath before she was pulled under again, straining against the ropes that held her to Pampero.

  Nick could feel when the rush of adrenaline kicked in. The hyper awareness of his situation. The steady beat of his own heart. The battle-trained calmness that overtook him. He urged Marin forward. They were already upstream from Pampero, as was Diablo, who now swam alone. Nick cut in between Pampero and Diablo and hoped that the old horse would keep on in the direction he was heading. He took the lead rein from Diablo as he passed.

  Diablo tossed his head, not liking being fiddled with as he swam. Marin’s strength was now helping as Nick urged him forward until he was almost neck to neck with Pampero, whose eyes were white with fright, and she began shaking her head, trying to shake the weight dragging her head into the water.

  ‘Steady, girl. Steady,’ Nick said as he attempted to calm Pampero. He grabbed her by the bridle, ensuring that even if it slipped now, he would have a hold of Chloe. He clipped the lead rein onto the bridle and let her go again. He wound the other end around his arm. ‘You’re going to be fine, just find the bottom, put your feet down, girl, find the sand as soon as you can.’

  Pampero continued to drag Chloe, who was still under the water. If he couldn’t get her out in the next few seconds, she was in real danger of drowning.

  Nick worked faster than he ever had. Pampero’s neck was straining to hold the dead weight of Chloe, which made every movement of his desperate. He grabbed at Chloe’s rope and began pulling it in. Using his whole body, he hauled the rope into his chest, then wrapped it around his arm, and repeated the motion, slowly winding Chloe in.

  Chloe’s head bobbed up again. She was trying to swim against the current but getting nowhere. Then a survival instinct so strong must have kicked in—she grabbed onto the rope with both hands, steadying her body as the water sucked at her, and began pulling herself back towards her horse.

  ‘Come on, Chloe, pull!’ Xo shouted.

  ‘You can do this,’ Nick shouted almost at the same time.

  She pulled herself along, then pushed her legs downwards and found the riverbed. Finally, she was able to stand and continue walking—getting closer to Pampero, while Nick continued to wind her in on his arm.

  Nick dragged her by the rope over Pampero’s back. She swung her legs over her horse and gripped her mane so she could sit up, coughing and then vomiting out the muddy river water.

  He saw that Xo had got Kimberlite to the shallows.

  Chloe had stopped vomiting, while Nick untangled himself from Pampero. He led them out of the water, and Marin, as if sensing that there had been a major event in the river, behaved himself and didn’t try to unseat Nick.

  ‘Oh God, Chloe, I thought I lost you there, I thought we had lost you for sure,’ Nick said as he hauled her off Pampero’s back and into his arms.

  ‘I’m okay, I’m okay. I thought I was lost there, too. I thought I was going to drown,’ Chloe said as her arms snaked around Nick’s waist and he held her tightly.

  She was safe.

  * * *

  Enoch, who had been on the other side watching the whole scene unfold, ran down to the edge of the water and waded into the shallows. He grabbed Kimberlite’s lead rein from Xo.

  ‘Hurry, help Diablo, he is still trying to make it across,’ Enoch said.

  ‘On it,’ Xo said, and turned Sirocco sharply, plunging back into the river.

  As he watched Chloe come out of the water, he thought of how proud Mike would’ve been if he’d been able to comprehend what was going on. He knew that Sarah would’ve approved of the woman Chloe had become. He knew that he and Xo had spoiled her and tried to shield her from much, but he also knew that at her core she was stronger than they gave her credit for.

  He watched as Nick came out, still guiding her with the lead rein, and immediately went to check on her. Then haul her into his arms. Nick didn’t know it yet, but he was hooked, and while Enoch accepted that Nick was still fighting a demon within himself for what he and Mike had
done, and Nick’s choice that fateful day, he hoped that Nick would be man enough to overcome his reservation that Chloe was part of Mike, and see that she was now a woman in her own right.

  Enoch still believed that what they had done that night had been the right thing to do as revenge for what had happened to Sarah. If one day Nick felt half as much for Chloe as Mike had for Sarah, he would understand the actions and perhaps find peace within himself.

  Enoch walked towards them to check on Chloe. Kimberlite pushed his back with his nose, looking for some sort of acknowledgement for getting across the river and not causing anyone any dramas. Enoch moved to the side and waited for a single step till the horse’s head was next to him, then scratched Kimberlite’s ears as they walked. ‘Thank you, boy. Hopefully, this should be the last time I ask you to cross this river.’

  He thanked all the gods that everyone had made it across the Limpopo.

  In about two days, at the rate they were going, they would be in Zimbabwe again. He couldn’t relax yet, he could only hope that the rest of the journey went more smoothly than this part.

  CHAPTER

  22

  Their second night in Mozambique, they camped on the other side of the river in RENAMO territory, and Filipe stayed at the camp in case any soldiers came. Khululani stayed with Filipe, Mike, Ethel and the horses, while Chloe, Nick, Xo and Enoch kept their word and feasted with the villagers on the landmine kudu. But all had refused the homemade beer. It was late when they sat on the pontoon pulling on the steel cable to get across the river when they saw the campfire in the distance.

  ‘Do you see that fire on that kopje?’ asked the chief’s son, Julio.