Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting a new chapter, I have been away on holiday and things have been crazy so I have had no chance to write. Anyway enjoy the chapter and I look forward to your comments. Thanks miffygirl18 xx
Chapter 27 – The White Elephant:
By the watering hole, under a dark sky and a waning moon a lone elephant stood at the water's edge. He sucked up a load of water in his trunk but instead of putting it in his mouth to drink he simply let the water go. He did this motion for ages, miserably sucking up water and letting it go, sending ripples across the lonely watering hole.
All the other elephants were asleep in the jungle nearby and Tantor who usually accompanied the gorillas decided to keep away from them for the time being. Even though Terk and Gobu were absolutely relieved when he returned Keke to them, Tantor could tell by the look in Terk's eyes as he handed their daughter over that she blamed him for her disappearance.
Even though the girls did cruelly trick him, Terk was right in being furious with him. He was supposed to be their guardian for the day. He was utterly responsible for their wellbeing and safety and he failed miserably in the first fifteen minutes of babysitting them! "Well that is the last ever time I will EVER baby sit," he thought to himself as he sadly let go another trunkful of water, "Tantor's Tot Sitting Service is no more!"
"Good evening Mr Tantor!" a young happy voice suddenly piped up and Tantor looked down to see little Dembe, Jalika's son standing by his feet, looking up at him with an absolutely adorable smile.
"Oh… hello Dembe," Tantor did not try to hide the melancholia in his voice. He didn't have the heart nor the patience to pretend to be upbeat.
"I just came to get a drink of water and I saw you… are you alright Mr Tantor?" Dembe looked up at the older elephant, concerned at his sad expression.
"I'm fine Dembe," Tantor sighed heavily, staring at his sorry reflection in the dark rippling water.
"No you're not, you look sad. Very sad." Dembe tried to comfort Tantor by patting him with his little trunk which only just reached his knees. "What's wrong Mr Tantor?"
"Nothing kiddo I'm just tired. Just had a very long day today that's all but thanks Dembe." Tantor couldn't help but make a little smile at the sheer cuteness of this little elephant calf and wondered if he would ever have a son as considerate as Dembe. Then he shook his head at this stupid notion. How could he even consider having and raising a child if he couldn't even look after his best friends' kids for a day!
"Dembe! Dembe where are you?!" A female voice called out and a very worried Jalika quickly approached the pair. "What have I told you about playing at night! I woke up and you were gone! You need to stay with me at all times!"
"I just went to get a drink of water Mummy," Dembe mumbled as he looked guiltily down at the ground, "I was thirsty and then I saw Mr Tantor so I went to say hello. You told me it was polite to say hello to other elephants."
"Oh Tantor," Jalika looked up, finally noticing that he was there. "Yes sweetie you should say hello to other elephants but maybe not in the middle of the night eh? Sorry Tantor if my son was bothering you."
"Oh no not all Jalika," Tantor shook his head as she held her son's little trunk with hers.
"Kids!" Jalika gently smiled and rolled her eyes, "You need at least two eyes in the back in your head and one in your trunk with these rascals don't you! Always running off! Dembe is always keeping me on my toes, slippery as a snake this little one aren't you sweetie?"
Dembe vigorously nodded his head, almost proud of being a scamp! Tantor nodded too, he definitely understood about kids running off!
"So how's the babysitting business going?" Jalika asked kindly, "I heard that you babysat Tarzan and Terk's girls today. I was wondering if you would mind babysitting Dembe, just for an afternoon? The ladies and I are planning to go for a mud bath this week and it would be mighty nice to have a girls' only day out you know."
"Sorry Jalika… but the Tantor's Tot Sitting Service is no more," Tantor shook his head, barely able to look her in the eye. "I should go… I don't think I should be around children for a while. I don't trust myself around them… and you shouldn't either." Tantor slapped the water with his trunk in frustration and walked away, Jalika watching him with a very concerned gaze.
"Awww he looks so blue," she said out aloud, watching his slow and despondent gait.
"But he looks brown to me Mummy," her son piped up and Jalika made a little smile.
"No no darling, it's means he is feeling sad…. come on let's go and cheer him up. Tantor! Wait!" Jalika called after him and soon caught up with him, Dembe following behind her. "Come on please, tell me what's wrong. A problem shared is a problem halved."
Tantor sighed deeply and heaved his shoulders. But then he felt a rush as Jalika sweetly stroked his cheek with her trunk and he felt himself ready to tell her his troubles.
"I was supposed to take the girls to the beach but they tricked me with a jungle rat and ran off! I looked everywhere but I couldn't find them! You should have seen Tarzan and Jane's faces when I told them that they were missing! Jane screamed and wailed like a mother elephant mourning over her dead calf! It was terrible, so terrible!"
"Were the girls found?" Jalika's eyes were wide with shock as the story was being told.
"Yes, Tarzan found them and rescued them from a ferocious leopard that was about to kill them! He told me to take Keke back to Terk and Gobu. The way he looked at me Jalika, he was soooo angry with me, Terk and Gobu were furious too. They hate me so much and I don't think I am their friend anymore!" Tantor broke down and wept bitterly.
"Oh Tantor," Jalika stroked the top of his head like a mother does when soothing an upset child, "Tarzan and Terk don't hate you. They were just out of their minds with worry about their children going missing and took that emotion out on you. What the girls did to you was inexcusable and I am sure that they will be punished for what they did and will apologise to you. Don't worry Tantor, things will calm down and smooth over soon enough."
"I don't think that will happen," Tantor sniffed up some tears and Jalika smiled tenderly.
"It will," she soothed, "we parents are crazy about our offspring, they are our worlds. I would die for my Dembe without hesitation. You will understand when you have your own."
"No I won't... I don't think I am fit to be a father."
"Oh Tantor, you would be a wonderful father!" Jalika instantly pooh-poohed his pessimistic statement. "I see you play with the gorilla and elephant children and they absolutely adore you, especially Dembe! You are hilarious, caring, kind and patient and you know how to talk to children. Not many adults know how to do that. If I had to pick a father for my next child I would absolutely pick you in a heart –" Jalika stopped short at this comment and blushed, she had said more than she had intended.
"You would?" Tantor looked up at her in surprise. He had a huge crush on Jalika the moment she had joined the herd but he didn't think she liked him in that way and never would. He had never been a hit with the ladies and always thought that he would be a bachelor elephant for the rest of his days. Their eyes met and the two felt a tender, sweet feeling transmitting between them, a little spark.
"Ummm Ja, Jalika, would, would you and Dembe like to go for a mud, mudbath with me some, sometime?" Tantor found himself blushing bright scarlet as he stammered out the words. He then shut his eyes and flinched as he waited for the inevitable rejection to come his way. Jalika was so beautiful, why would she be interested in a mess of an elephant like him?
"I would love that," Jalika replied, not only overjoyed at the offer of a date but also at the fact that he had included her son. All the other male elephants would not have given two hoots about Dembe. They were only interested in making their own offspring with her.
"Gosh! Geez!" Tantor could barely hide the sheer elation overflowing inside him, "Would tomorrow afternoon be alright with you two?"
"That's perfect," Jalika smiled, "Did you hear that sweetie? Tantor is taking us for a mud-bath tomorrow!"
"Oh Mummy!" Dembe ran around his mother's legs giddily with delight, "I love mud-baths! Thanks Mr Tantor!"
"I'll see you tomorrow," Jalika smiled at Tantor and Tantor smiled back. He felt his stomach flip as she stroked his cheek with her trunk goodnight.
"Goodnight Mr Tantor!" Dembe beamed up at him, "We've cheered him up haven't we Mummy!"
"Yes darling," Jalika smiled as she took her son's trunk with hers, "Night night Tantor."
"Goodnight… Jalika." Tantor couldn't help sighing as he watched mother and son walk away. Today was the worst day of his life but tonight was the best night of his life. He no longer felt like a white elephant, he felt on top of the world, the King of the Jungle!