by Allen, Jewel
The elephant herd was coming closer now, with each generation represented. A little one stumbled along like a cute little vaudeville performer.
“Mom had several nervous breakdowns. She probably loved us, but she wasn’t demonstrative. She just wanted us to get in bed. Quickly. Efficiently. Sometimes, she got so angry when...” Lara struggled to continue, “...when I wanted to talk or even wanted a hug. That time when I got so angry with Mick...that was how my mom was. Her face twisted with anger. Once or twice, she grabbed me and shoved me in bed. Just to shut me up.”
Lara covered her mouth with trembling fingers.
Michael’s heart hurt for her. “But you’re not like your mom. You’re great with the children.”
“This trip has taught me that maybe I’m not so hopeless.”
“You’re not,” he assured her.
“Imagine, though, how scared I was when not only did I feel like lashing out at Mick, but I was attracted to you right off. Two no-nos.”
His gaze lingered over her face, her lips, then back to her beautiful eyes. “You were attracted to me?”
“You know I was.” She laughed, the sound wonderful to his ears. “Anyway, after my parents divorced, I wrote a lot.” She winced. “Lots of dark stuff. Some hopeful things. I read books to escape. My sisters were into music and theater. It was hard to keep grades up, though. We needed to work when we weren’t going to school...delivering papers, waitressing, selling popcorn at baseball games. We did whatever we could to survive.”
She paused, watching the little elephant. “He’s cute,” she said.
He followed her gaze and nodded.
“Anyway,” she shrugged. “I graduated with honors. Somehow. Believe me, I don’t know how I did it. But I’ve always had a photographic memory, and I’m sure it helped me with tests. The SAT. LSAT.”
“That’s impressive,” he said.
She shrugged. “I couldn’t focus easily, but I made myself. I had to push so much and just block out everything else.”
“Then you went to law school?” He raised an eyebrow.
She nodded. “Then I went to law school. Graduated summa cum laude. Almost was a valedictorian, but I was late with a school fee, and so I missed a deadline and they docked me a point. Some people whispered that the girl who did get valedictorian was selected because of her pedigree, but I didn’t care. I mean, near-valedictorian was good enough for me, for heaven’s sakes.”
Michael smiled and touched her cheek. Her smile warmed him, and hope flared inside his chest.
“Okay, I lied. I was ticked off. But it only made me work harder. I moved up fast in that law firm, the one I picked to work at. Because I had my pick. I could have gone somewhere else in the world, but I chose to stay in New York. I had big-name clients and all that...” Her voice trailed.
He watched the elephants careening to the left, to the foothills. Soon they would disappear.
Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I didn’t think I’d ever have a family. I didn’t know how to have a functional one. Until I visited a friend for Thanksgiving, and I thought I was in paradise. Everyone was so happy and loved each other. Or maybe it was more like a cheesy TV show. But it planted envy in me.”
Her hand tightened on the rail of the balcony. “I vowed I would get out of law while I could and live a fuller life. Find a man worth loving.”
Her words healed his heart like a balm. He wanted so much to believe.
“And...?” he prompted.
“I think I might have found him, but I’m...scared.”
He smiled gently. “Don’t worry; I am too. We can be scared together.”
She bit her lip. “You? Scared? The world-famous billionaire eye doctor?”
He glanced at the savanna. “I have to rev myself up every morning to face the world. Some things are routine, but with some things, I don’t know what I’m up against until I get to work. Sometimes I don’t know what to do and I’m in another country. Most of my clients come to my clinic, but I chose to finally travel years ago.”
“To run away from yourself?”
He shook his head. “To lose myself in service.”
“But don’t you see clients all over the world?”
“Primarily so I can write off my expenses. When I go to other countries, I try to set up a charitable day. I do as many surgeries and treatments as I can.” He smiled. “I had to finally learn about stocks so I could build my investment portfolio and have money to travel.”
“That’s so noble.”
He glanced at her to gauge how sarcastic she was being, but her eyes were shining, and her voice sounded sincere. “Thanks, but it’s the least I could do.”
“So when you go on these jaunts, it’s not just to take in the sights after you restore someone’s sight?”
“Clever, but no.”
Silence fell between them. The sun had risen in earnest, bathing the horizon in a spectacular array of colors. The elephant herd had disappeared into the mist, but another one came out. They appeared to get into a watering hole, playing with each other, drinking, and spraying their backs.
A family who cared for each other.
He ached to have that family, too, in his life. Lara and the children could be his family someday. The prospect filled him with excitement.
If she would have him.
“What made you decide to do your charitable projects?” she asked.
“You mean other than because I’m a nice guy?”
They laughed.
His expression turned serious. “I have always felt guilty if I wasn’t doing what was right. All my life.”
“Why?”
He felt her eyes on his profile. “I was always the golden boy. Jim, my brother, on the other hand, was the rebel. A few years ago, he finally straightened out his life. These kids were born out of wedlock. They finally married a year ago, at my urging.”
He leaned forward, watching the interplay of colors in the mist. “And then they were killed. I honestly couldn’t believe that God would play such a cruel trick on them. I suspect Jim gave me guardianship of the children because he wants them to have a more stable upbringing. He and his wife were good parents, but they weren’t perfect. A few times, social services were called in. The children, fortunately, seemed unscathed.”
Lara nodded, her eyes wet with tears.
Michael rubbed his jaw. “I couldn’t get myself to marry because I didn’t think a spouse would understand why I had to travel so much. To serve. To continue to fill the role of the good kid.”
Lara visibly swallowed. She touched his hand tentatively, but he flipped his palm so their hands clung tightly.
“Thank you,” she said. “I think I’m beginning to understand now.
Chapter 40
Lara looked up from breakfast. Kalinga was rushing toward them, looking like death had warmed him over.
Kalinga summed up as much: There was a coup, the Zimbabwean president had been overthrown, and they could be in danger.
Michael exchanged nervous glances with Lara. With that morning’s revelations, he felt more confident about their relationship. Despite this disturbing news, he felt at peace. He and Lara had a mutual understanding, and that was a huge comfort.
“There’s been news that Zimbabwe has descended into chaos and there are travel restrictions,” Kalinga said. “I must take you out of Zimbabwe to Zambia, where you will be safer. There you will make your travel connections.”
“Are we leaving, then?” Michael asked.
“We are having to take the safari one day at a time, Doc. At present, we aren’t canceling any reservations, but we must take your safety seriously. If, at any time, we have to leave the country, we can take a bush plane to get you to the nearest embassy in South Africa. I haven’t heard of any incidents, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”
“Where is your family, Kalinga?” Lara asked.
“In a little village called Nguba.”
“I bet you’re worried
about them.”
“I am. I don’t deny that. But we leave it up to God.” He raised his palms heavenward.
They had to pack in a hurry. As Lara emerged from the bedroom she shared with the children, Michael was waiting on the patio. He opened his arms, and she ran into them.
His touch soothed her fears. He kissed her temple and planted a soft kiss on her lips.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said.
The drive eventually led them into Zimbabwe’s border, which was a location of chaos. There were police at a barricade, checking people’s IDs. Long lines of taxis queued, waiting for passengers.
Kalinga turned while waiting to be motioned through. “My family told me the government’s monetary system has gone down completely. They are now using the U.S. dollar.”
Even though Lara’s heart was breaking, the thought of these people going through their hardship made her troubles seem so insignificant. She still had money in her bank, citizenship to a free country, and her health. Beside her, the children played innocently with their toys. Did they even realize what was going to happen?
A guard motioned their vehicle through. It shuddered as it advanced slowly among the pedestrians weaving in and out of the taxi lines. Lizzie and Mick huddled close to Lara, as though sensing something abnormal was going on.
After some slowing and stopping and slowing again, they were once again on their way. Lara hugged the children.
Minutes into their continued drive, Lizzie spoke up. “I have to go potty.”
Kalinga slowed down. They had reached a stretch of savanna, much like they had encountered in Botswana—Acacia trees, thorny bushes, and dusty red dirt.
Lara took Lizzie by the hand and trudged one way, while the boys went the other. There was hardly any cover, but Lara didn’t care at that point.
She had gotten so used to not having privacy when they went “bushy-bushy” that she didn’t notice the vehicle full of men coming from the opposite direction on the highway until they had stopped. The girls were done with their business, but Lara was peeved that they were ogling them. Holding Lizzie’s hand, she led the little girl out of the bush and toward the Rover.
In the periphery of her vision, she noticed that the men were approaching them. Picking up her pace and with her heart thudding in her chest, she carried Lizzie and walked on.
A man cut her off, and she gasped. He was wearing ratty jeans and a soiled yellow shirt. Its cheery color seemed incongruous with the dour expression on his face. She had seen him before. He was the frustrated vendor at Zimbabwe’s border after they’d seen the Falls. He’d looked at Michael funny, with his sidelong glance.
“Stop please, madam,” he said.
She looked around. At least six others had swarmed her on all sides, and she couldn’t really go back that way. In her arms, Lizzie clutched at her tighter.
Past Yellow Shirt, Lara could see Kalinga and Michael approaching. Lara said a silent prayer, hoping for some miracle that these men would leave them alone.
The man pulled up the hem of his shirt and flashed her a handgun tucked in his waistband. He smiled now, a stained, uneven grin that didn’t make him look any more approachable.
Kalinga spoke to the fellow, who turned his head with such a malevolent gaze that Kalinga visibly flinched.
“Let the women go, friend,” Kalinga said.
Yellow Shirt told him something, and Kalinga continued his coaxing. Yellow Shirt appeared unmoved by Kalinga’s words.
Of all the predators on the savanna, this was one predator Lara wasn’t excited to see.
Michael came forward with his hands up. “Something the matter?”
“American?” the man pointed the gun at Michael’s jaw.
Michael exchanged a calm glance with Lara and nodded, just a slight movement. “Take me instead,” he said. “Let the women go.”
“They will fetch good money,” Yellow Shirt said.
“I will bring in more money,” Michael said. “I am a billionaire eye doctor.”
“You, a billionaire?” Yellow Shirt’s laughter boomed in the clearing.
“I am,” Michael said. “Google me. Look up Michael Monroe, billionaire, and you will find me.”
Yellow Shirt motioned for one of his men to come over. Together, they googled Michael on his phone.
“He’s not lying,” Yellow Shirt said, as though being honest was a totally rare occurrence.
“Let them go,” Michael repeated.
Yellow Shirt gestured for Lara to walk toward him.
Lara carried Lizzie and stopped near the man, not trusting him to be within arm’s reach. She felt so small and vulnerable. But what about Michael? She raised her eyes to his, grateful for his sacrifice but also worried for his safety.
“Let the child walk,” Yellow Shirt said. Up close, Lara could see that the whites of his eyes were nearer the color of his shirt.
Lara glanced at Michael. He nodded, and Lara set Lizzie down. “Let’s go, sweetheart,” she said.
Lizzie moved on, and Lara tried to follow, but the man pointed the gun at her.
“Stay,” he said.
Lara’s heart pounded. “But she needs me.”
“Stay.” The man’s hand trembled as though he was scared of actually using the gun.
This wasn’t really happening, was it?
Lara could possibly attack him, but there were others. Besides, she didn’t know if the man was serious about using his gun. Even if he wasn’t, he was trembling so much he’d probably make the gun go off if she pushed him into a stressful situation.
“Don’t make me shoot you!” the man said, his voice rising.
Lara stopped in her tracks, sweat breaking out all over her.
Now the man was motioning for Michael to join Lara.
But Lizzie...
Kalinga had already met Lizzie halfway and was carrying her to the car. “Don’t worry, sir,” he shouted out to Michael. “I will make sure the children are safe.”
For a moment, Lara wondered if Kalinga was in cahoots with these men. But his attitude and personality from before convinced her otherwise. The children were better off with him so they didn’t have to be kidnapped along with her and Michael.
Kidnapped.
Lara shivered and wanted to collapse with fear at the thought.
Michael walked over to her side, and they clasped hands. She’d never wanted more human contact than at that moment.
Yellow Shirt motioned for the others to return to their vehicle, singling out two of them to walk alongside Lara and Michael, prisoners now.
“What do you want with us?” Lara said.
Yellow Shirt pointed the gun at her and barked, “Silence!”
With their luck, the fellow would trip over the brush and trigger the gun.
Lara and Michael slid into the back seat with a man on either side of them. The others got in, not caring about seatbelts.
Lara had the ridiculous thought that these men obviously wouldn’t care about staying safe with a seatbelt. That was the least of their problems. The other men hung out of the windows, now holding semi-automatic weapons.
Leaning closer toward Michael, Lara felt his arms tighten around her. If it weren’t for the dire situation, she’d be a bit more excited about their nearness. But it made her feel more comforted.
The driver drove the pickup truck into a U-turn. Lara watched them going farther and farther away from the Rover holding Kalinga and the kids—and into a dangerous unknown.
Chapter 41
Michael was going out of his mind with worry. First for the children, even in Kalinga’s care. Michael had promised his brother he would care for them, and yet here he was, being driven off by kidnappers back to Zimbabwe.
What rotten luck that their safari happened to be at the same time as the country’s upheaval. That was the only thing he could attribute this to. Desperation. The people here lacked money. They were hungry. And so they resorted to crime.
And Lara,
sweet Lara. She huddled beside him, her warmth a nice assurance to him that she was okay. He hated that the children didn’t have him or Lara, but this was a ton better than the children having to endure who-knew-what with their captors.
He studied the kidnappers, trying to find clues. There was the man in the yellow shirt, their apparent leader. He rode shotgun in front. The driver had a bald head, with a butterfly tattoo on his nape. The man to his left smelled of onions. To the left of Lara was a man who didn’t look old enough to be hanging out with these older guys. He looked like he was maybe twelve.
There were more men in the bed of the truck. He couldn’t really turn his head without attracting their suspicion. He hoped the men would talk so he could get clues as to what was going to happen to them, but they hardly spoke to each other, and when they did, they spoke in what must have been their native language.
They clattered on the road until they reached a barricaded checkpoint. The border area. His heart exulted at the sight. Here was deliverance!
The men in the car tucked their weapons onto the floor. Yellow Shirt leaned out the window and handed a ten dollar bill to the cop, who simply looked away. Apparently, the appearance of two Caucasians in a truck full of Zimbabweans was so commonplace it didn’t trigger a red flag. Or maybe the cops were in on this.
The thought depressed him. He exchanged worried glances with Lara, the sound of everyone picking up their guns and setting them on their laps making his nerve endings go taut. Michael’s hand found hers on her lap and clasped it warmly. She seemed to hang on for dear life.
They slowed and turned into what looked like a shanty town, little clapboard buildings with stray dogs and children with running noses. A man sat on a stoop, his head cocked as though listening. When he turned slightly, Michael could tell right away that the man was blind or near-blind. His eyes were cloudy-looking.
That gave Michael an idea.
He noticed eyes. He hoped that his talent for healing eyes could mean their salvation.
The truck stopped, and out jumped everyone. The boy near Lara pointed his gun at her clumsily. He was one to watch and maybe turn into an ally. An ally to what end, Michael didn’t know. Hopefully to freedom.