Tutsii's African Adventure
It was a quiet sunny morning in Marondera, a small town in Zimbabwe. And everything was quiet in Tutsii's family, but this was no ordinary family for not everyone was a bush baby. Tutsii's family consisted of Jager (hunter) the leopard princess for she descended from the royal line of hunters. Dam (queen) the lioness, once a great queen of her pride, but has now retired for her love of her new family. Krag (strength) the buffalo with his long coat of fur, Snelheid (speed) the antelope with his slender shape and his fastness for speed; and Lag (laughter) the hyena, for he always made the family laugh. But we were all a family, and stuck together as families do.
As the sun started to rise higher in the sky, Tutsii thought he heard thunder which was unusual as it was not the rainy season yet. In the far distance Tutsii saw a dust cloud, and it was coming nearer and nearer. Then as Tutsii was able to focus he saw that the cloud began to take shape of a few human transport machines.
"Quick! Hide we have poachers." Tutsii shouted
With that the family hid as best they could, but it was too late for two member of his family. Dam the lioness and Jager the leopard had been captured, and all Danni and the family could do was look on as they themselves stayed hiding for fear of being captured. When the dust has settled again, Danni and the rest of the family came out of hiding.
"They have captured Dam and Jager, what are we going to do?" said Krag the buffalo.
"I am a fast runner. "Said Snelheid, "Let me follow after them and I will come back and tell you where they are."
"No that is too dangerous." Said Tutsii.
"We need time to work out a plan before we do anything drastic."
All that day they were coming up with plan after plan but they did not seem to be getting anywhere. Then Snelheid the antelope stood still and looked at the family and said.
"We are being watched, I have a very strong odour in the air."
"It's probably Krag the buffalo again; he has been eating too much grass." Lag said, now screeching with laughter; as hyena's do.
"I am being serious, look there in the distant bushes, there are some other animals watching us." Snelheid said.
"Stay calm, we will invite them in and see what they want, but be on your guard as we do not want anyone else to go missing." Tutsii replied.
The other group got closer and closer, until they were now in Tutsii's territory. There was a rhino and an elephant, escorted by a zebra and giraffe. Having all sat down together, the strangers began to tell their story. They too had had family members taken, and it seems like they were poaching the National Parks.
Tutsii could not understand why they had taken his family, as we were all free and not on any national park or reservation. He could only assume it was because we were in their path.
No one knew what to do as now this was not two missing family members but over a dozen. It was then that Tutsii spoke up.
"Right I will go and search for them, and I will bring them back."
"You cannot go alone, you need us to go with you, and there is always strength in numbers." Snelheid said.
The other strangers said they needed to rest, as they had travelled a long way.
It was agreed that the strangers would stay in the camp, and Krag would look after them whilst Tutsii, Lag and Snelheid went searching for their family and friends.
They left their camp, where Tutsii picked up the tracks of the poachers, and headed out of Marondera towards Rhodes Lynanga National Park. It was a very tiring journey, and when they got there they had no sign of their family. Tutsii was rather tired now and so Snelheid invited him to sit on his back as he then could see a little further.
"Right, there is nothing here, but the tracks are still visible. We must go on before it gets dark." Tutsii said
So again they walked past the park and followed the tracks until they came to Chipinge Safari Park. As there were people there, they rested for a while until it was safe to go inside. Once inside they asked the animals if they had seen anything suspicious, as they had lost their family. They were told a few large trucks had gone by, but were fired at by the security guards here, so they quickly drove off towards Chimanmari National Park.
Once again the posse left the park and picked up the poachers tracks, where they headed towards Chimanmari national park. Upon arriving at the park, they again had no luck. The tracks now seemed confusing as they went into the park and disappeared. Shortly after standing close by as they figured out what to do, a most elegant giraffe put her head over the gates.
"Are you here to help us, we have had our family and friends kidnapped by poachers. They have taken my baby, but we cannot get out of this park." She cried
"Don't worry, we will find them. Which way did they go?" Said Tutsii
"Through the park; and east towards Gorongosa. Please bring my family back home." She said, as she again cried and asked him to find them.
So Tutsii looked at his family and said. "East it is."
They left the park and headed towards Gorongosa National Park, walking under the heat of the dying sun, catching only a little bit of shade where they could. They could not wait for it to get dark so they could all cool down, but were also afraid that they may lose track of the poachers and lose their loved ones for good.
Just as the sun went down they rested, which was just a few kilometres from Gorongosa. But they had to rest as they needed all their strength for the next day. Snelheid said he would continue to the park as he was still the fastest, and he could ask if anyone has seen anything.
"No Snelheid it is far too dangerous, with poachers and wild animals on the prowl. We do not want you ending up as someone supper. Stay here with us, and we will continue at dawn."
Snelheid agreed, so they all settled down for the night, as one by one they took turn to be look out.
Next morning as the sun rose, the posse got up and made their way to the park. Once they got there they asked a very old and tired elephant if they had seen anything suspicious. They had lost their family and friends to poachers; and were on a journey to find them. The elephant told them that there had been some noise in the night; and that a large convoy of animals were passing by and heading towards the coast, towards Nova Sophia.
Tutsii and his family thanked her and quickly headed towards the coast. With the speed of Snelheid they got to the coast before the sun had set in the afternoon sky. As they got to the coast, there before them they saw a large boat, and lots of crates on the beach. They were a little out of the way of the main harbour, and were waiting for a ferryboat to come and collect them to take them to the larger boat way out in the bay.
"We have to creep in very slowly, see who is where before we make out move." Tutsii said.
"But there are only three of us; and there are lots of poachers." Lag replied
"We need to make our move swiftly, and be sure we know where everyone is." Tutsii told Lag
"I being the smallest, will creep down and see where Jager and Dam are; and see if I can locate the others. You stay here and wait for me." Tutsii again told them
Tutsii made his way through the brush, and towards the beach. He managed to locate some of the missing friend's families, who in turn pointed towards a large crate which housed Jager and Dam. They were going to be the first to be loaded onto the ferry, so time was running out. Dannie found Dam and Jager and said.
"We will get you out of here soon, stay calm Dam and Jager."
"Oh Tutsii it is so good to see you, but you have to go or you will be caught." Said Dam
"I am not going without you, we will get you out soon, just be patient." Tutsii said.
Tutsii signalled to Lag and Snelheid who came rushing down. Getting to the first few crates lag and Snelheid managed to free a few others, but it was too late as now the poachers had seen them.
"Get them, the animals are escaping." The poachers shouted.
The poachers started to circle Tutsii and his posse, they were now trapped. Just as they were about to be captured they heard a noise of thunder. At first they thought it to be the crashing of the waves, but the noise got louder and louder. Then, just as the poachers were going to capture Dannie and his posse; in the distance on the hill in the distance stood Krag and all the other animals. They came charging down the hill, forcing the poachers to run into the sea, and down to the harbour.
Krag with his strength broke open the crates to free everyone, and when it came to the crate with Dam and Jager. He hit it with such a force that the crate broke freeing his family and flew into the sea hitting two of the poachers.
Tutsii ran up to Dam and Jager and told them how much he had missed them, as he gave each one a hug.
"You were foolish Tutsii, but we are so grateful." Jager told him.
Everyone cheered, and once they were all free they joined their loved ones. The elders of the other families came up to Tutsii and said.
"Thank you, you showed courage and bravery in your plight to free our loved ones. But why did you do it? You only needed to have freed your own, why free us all?"
"Because it does not matter how different we are, or where we originate from. Family is family, and the strength of a family is only as strong as the love for that family." Tutsii replied
Then the elephant came up to Tutsii and said to him.
"I will pass the message on to the tribes as we go back, as each family will know of your words. From this day, we will no longer call you Tutsii of the bush baby tribe; for you will now be known as Wyshied; for that is the language of Africa for wisdom.
Tutsii was overwhelmed, that he had finally been given a tribal name from the leader of the elders of the elephants. He ran up to his mother and father, and there he looked at her and said.
"I am Wyshied, of the bush baby tribe. What happens to the name you gave me?"
"You will always be Tutsii, for it was your birth name. You have now been honoured by the elder of the elephants; and with that you have been given a tribal name. You were very brave with what you did, and we will honour your tribal name and call you Wyshied. But when we are alone, I will still call you Tutsii, as it is a name we gave you."
"Can I have two names father?"
"Yes you can, but as of today everyone will know you as Wyshied; and you should be proud of that name, as an elder gave it to you because of what you did, my son."
"I am proud father, and just like my friends I now have a tribal name."
So Tutsii, or Wyshied as we know will know him, left his mother and father's side and ran over to his friends; where they played until the sun set, and it was time for him to go to bed.