Thursday, July 5th
The long awaited day finally came. Lux, Ahsoka, Mina, Daniel and Travis were finishing up their luggage before they would head out to the New York John F. Kennedy Airport. Mina and Travis placed Anakin and Padmé in Burt and Linda's very capable hands. The children were disappointed that they weren't coming along, but once Mina promised she'd bring back a few souvenirs for them, they returned to their well-behaved selves.
The best they could get was an indirect flight from New York to Nairobi, which would take between 16 and 22 hours. They booked a VIP flight with Virgin Atlantic Airways, which seemed to be the fastest flight of them all.
As Daniel brought a heavy suitcase, Ahsoka finally noticed his choice of T-shirt. It was written "Who Farted ?" in bold, colorful letters.
If anything, Ahsoka didn't want his silly antics to embarrass them in public. "Oh no, you are not wearing that shirt, young man ! Go and choose something else !"
Daniel stared back at his mother. "Seriously ? Ok, be right back !" He ran up to his room, minutes later, he came back down. "How's this ?" It was written "Gimme Head Till I'm Dead !" in the same style of bold letters.
Ahsoka face-palmed. "Even less ! Nooooo ! Can't you wear a "normal" shirt like all of us ?"
"You're no fun !" Daniel pouted. He walked back dejectedly to his room. He came back with just a plain grey T-shirt with nothing written on it.
Mina tilted to her brother. "I know I've seen those shirts before, but I can't place my finger where…"
"It was two of the shirts that "Booger" wore in the Revenge of the Nerds 2 movie." Daniel calmly explained.
Mina chuckled a bit. "Oh yeah, now I remember ! His choice of words made many moments pretty funny… despite being kind of a slob."
Ahsoka peeked out the window. "Everybody ready ? Our ride is here !"
Everyone gathered outside as Burt arrived in his Minivan to pick the group up. "Hurry up, you loons ! Your flight takes off in two hours. Through the intense traffic, you'll make it just in the nick of time !"
Once all the luggage was loaded and everyone was on board, Burt drove with great haste between the traffic lines, sometimes swerving between other vehicles to speed things up.
Lux looked away as Burt had passed many cars way, way too close. "It's a good thing he knows the city like the back of his hand. No way would I attempt to drive so recklessly !"
A true speed record, the group were dropped off at the entrance of the airport after an hour of intense driving. Burt waved everyone goodbye. "Enjoy yourselves, huh ? And don't worry about the grandkids, the cat or the dog, they're all in very good hands !"
Ahsoka felt a load off her shoulders. "Thank the Force that Burt and Linda agreed to take care of Aayla and Snootles while we're away ! I've fed and watered my invertebrates well enough, so they should be fine for a week and a half. The first thing I'll do when I board the plane is order myself a nice glass of Champagne. Yes, I deserve this opportunity to relax completely."
It took about half an hour to process their flight tickets and luggage. 15 minutes before takeoff, they finally boarded the plane. The Stewardess lead the group to plain looking chairs.
Daniel wanted the special treatment they were promised. "Wait a sec ! We're VIPs ! Very Immense Penises !"
Lux, Ahsoka, Mina and Travis all stared at each-other. Ahsoka blinked and slapped her montrals. "Did he really say that ?!" She chose to disown him temporarily. "I have no idea who this person is ! Never flown with him before !"
To their surprise, the Stewardess caught on to Daniel's ill-timed gag. "Nice try, "Booger" ! The VIP seats are over here ! And don't worry, you're not getting any Muff or Hair Pies !"
Daniel's lekku stripes went to their darkest in seconds. "Ohhh… I got burned BAD !"
Several of the passengers caught on to the references and roared in laughter, applauding the two, thinking it was a set-up comedy sketch.
As they sat, Ahsoka glared at her son, a deep frown on her face. "You better not say any more nonsense like that ! You're fortunate everyone took it as a joke !"
Daniel was about to blurt out something else, but Mina placed a hand on his mouth. "You have a brain like all of us, right ? I'd suggest that you think a bit before you talk for the remainder of this trip."
As the ship began to take off, everyone had their seatbelt buckled. 20 minutes later, they were airborne and service for drinks and food began. The Stewardess passed by Daniel, tossing a bag of chips and a can of Coke at him. Still embarrassed by his earlier stunt, he simply nodded at her. "Thanks for the snack !"
While Ahsoka had been given a glass of Champagne, Lux opted for Gin & Tonic. Mina and Travis shared a small bottle of red wine with a small bag of BBQ peanuts.
Several hours later, they were offered dinner. It was a piece of roast chicken, with potatoes and peas on the side, along with a rich gravy. As per usual, Ahsoka passed her share of vegetables to Lux. After dinner, she chose to relax by listening to her music. Being on a plane, she had to listen to it all at a very low volume, making the overall experience less exciting. Lux, on his end, did his best to sleep during the flight.
Mina reached into her purse and took out a book to pass the time. Travis just focused on watching at the clouds since he sat right next to the window. Daniel, on his end, was bored out of his skull since he didn't bring along any distractions. He tried to get some sleep, but being next to his sister made it impossible, despite that she was completely caught up in her book. The occasional turbulence during the flight didn't help either.
Friday, July 6th
After a long flight of 22 hours, the group finally arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Once they boarded off the plane and gathered their luggage, they could tell they weren't in the US anymore. Strange, unheard dialects were spoken all around them, and not too surprisingly, an overwhelming majority of the people at the airport were Black. Some more darker than others.
Ahsoka definitely stood out like a sore thumb with her bright orange skin. Some glanced at the group in curiosity, but none paid too much attention as they tried to figure out where the exit was.
Lux just stopped everyone. "Before we go any further, let's look for signs. Assuming someone was charged to pick us up, they'll probably be holding an English sign with our family name on it."
Mina caught sight of what they were looking for. "Like that guy standing over there ?" She pointed. "It looks like our name."
As they approached the man, they could see the sign more clearly. Bonteri was definitely written on it. The man seemed to be in his 50s, smiling incessantly, having a white beard around his face.
Lux began the chatter. "Um, hello ? You're here to pick us up, are you ? We are the Bonteris. I'm Lux, this is my wife Ahsoka, my son Daniel. There is my daughter Mina, and her husband Travis."
The man seemed overly excited. "You are the Bonteris ? How nice to meet you all ! My name is Raoul Maboula ! I was asked to bring you to the Mara Engai Wildlife Lodge. Please, follow me."
As they exited the airport, the first thing everyone noticed was the change in temperature. It was much warmer out here than in New York. Raoul brought them to his truck, a Pinzgauer All-Terrain Vehicle. Once the luggage was loaded up in the rear compartment, they began their trek towards the lodge.
"We had no idea who to expect, so they sent me to look out for you. Many of the tourists prefer myself over the other Safari guides as I am the most fluent in English. I learned a lot of it while watching many movies from USA." Raoul explained.
Given the time 8 hour time difference between the US and Kenya, it was already nighttime when they drove into a deserted road. Everyone looked around, hoping to see some form of wildlife during their first ride.
It was quite dark, which unnerved Ahsoka a bit. "You know, I'm almost expecting some Werelions out here… Gives me the creeps !"
Lux raised an eyebrow. "Werelion ? WERELION ?"
Raoul decided to have a bit of fun with his charges. "There, Lion !" He pointed to the left. "There, Hyena !" He pointed to the right. "There, Lodge !" He pointed to the front.
Lux blinked in confusion. "Why are you talking that way ?"
Raoul looked innocently at Lux. "I thought you wanted to."
Lux shook his head. "No, I don't want to."
Raoul grinned at him. "Suit yourself, I'm easy !"
Mina giggled from her seat at the back. "Ha ha ha ! I know that scene… Mr. Maboula, not a word, please. Anyone else know ?"
Travis scratched his head. "My mind draws a blank." He turned to Daniel. "Any idea, Dan ?"
Daniel looked so lost. "Not a clue, Trav !"
Raoul chuckled from his seat. "Come now, my friends. It is from Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein."
Ahsoka face-palmed. "How did I miss that ? We have the DVD at home. Heh… Frau Blucher, the Candle bit, Abby Normal… Igor's hump, his eyes… Ha ha ha ha ! Those were some of the funniest parts !"
"Don't forget the "What knockers !" bit." Mina added.
Raoul patted Lux's back. "My friends, I believe we'll enjoy ourselves quite a lot ! We can guess quotes from various movies as we travel to various locations !"
An hour and many laughs later, they finally arrived at the Mara Engai Wildlife Lodge.
Raoul helped the group unload their luggage and brought them to their designated suites. Not only were there some really good-looking beds, there was also a nice view of the ravine forest and the Maasai Mara.
As they looked around the room, Ahsoka's attention was taken by a particular painting on the wall. "Hey everyone, check this out !" The others gathered around her. "Doesn't that painting remind you of Frau Blucher ?"
After having said the name, zebras were heard neighing in the distance. Mina ran off to look outside. "Ok… I'm not seeing any zebras out there… But I sure heard them !"
Lux took a closer look at the painting. "You really think it looks like Frau Blucher ?" The neighing of the zebras is heard again.
Travis was reminded of the scene in the movie. "Perhaps the lodge owners are playing a joke on us ?"
"Give me a sec, I'll see…" Daniel poked his head out the door. "Ahem… BLUCHER !" As the unseen zebras neighed again, Daniel just grinned like an idiot. "Probably a coincidence."
Ahsoka pointed to the beds. "We haven't slept that well on the plane, everyone. We'll need our rest if we want to be up bright and early and not miss our Safari tours."
Lux looked forward to what delicacies they'd enjoy during their stay. "Not to mention the breakfast, 'Soka ! No doubt we'll be served something typical of the region."
Fatigue crept on everyone and they fell in a deep sleep. They knew they'd witness some fascinating behaviour from all animals, be it grazers or predators.
So the group have finally reached the Lodge. Since Raoul enjoys quoting movies, you'll be treated to a lot of classic quotes from various comedies over the next couple of chapters. Have you all enjoyed the references to Revenge of the Nerds and Young Frankenstein ? There will be more of those as well. We'll begin to see the Bonteris witnessing a lot of predation from lions, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs and more !
And with this comes a sadder note. I have recently made a very tough decision : I won't be returning to writing after this story. Despite the fact that I had a lot of fun over the stories, I feel that I've spent my imagination as much as possible. Another factor is that it has become more and more tedious to write these stories, including this one. That's why I am giving all my strength to make this one especially memorable. It has been a wonderful 3 years writing on this site, but I believe the time has come for me to move on… hopefully to even better things. My stories will remain on the site for everyone to enjoy. Thank you all for the continuous support. Feel free to leave a review.
