Chapter 5
"Say cheese everybody."
"Cheese!" and "Make me!" were yelled out simultaneously. Kuki looked at the latest picture she had taken. "Wally, what were you doing with your mouth?" she laughed.
"Lemme see," Wallabee demanded hotly as he tried to grab the camera. Looking at it, he began pressing the buttons of the digital camera as he prepared to delete the image. But before he could confirm the command, Kuki had taken possession of the camera again. "No deleting! Who told you not to smile, *baka!"
"Really Wally, you're too rough. One of these days you'll send your poor girlfriend flying," Abby commented as she stretched her limbs.
"Never!" Wally responded as he instead tickled Kuki in retaliation. "I'd never hurt my girl," he said as she burst into laughter, all the while trying to free herself from his grasp and roaming hand. Nigel quickly dispossessed Kuki of the camera as she and her boyfriend fell to the ground, where they eventually made themselves comfortable on the grass.
The crew was at the Maasai Mara, having arrived not too long ago. The drive there had been very bumpy as they approached Narok, but fascinating nonetheless. Kuki was officially inaugurated photographer-in-chief, a post she was more than glad to hold. She took several pictures on the way to the Mara. When they got to the main gate of the reserve, they found many local women dressed in Maasai regalia who were selling all sorts of curios, sandals and *vikoi. Kuki bought herself a pair of brown leather sandals that had little blue and green beads which beautifully decorated the straps. The boys each bought a bracelet in the colours that appealed to them, while Abby bought quite a few long beaded necklaces, which she rotated several times around her wrists and forearms until they became loosely fitting bracelets.
Once they had unloaded the van of their luggage, one of the guides under the employ of Kuzuri Camp took them to an open space where there were a number of pitched tents, and pointed out the one that would be their residence for the next three days. It was big enough to comfortably accommodate their five sleeping bags. Nigel was sure he had heard the guide (who introduced himself as Tom) quietly say something about hormones, and hoping that all the kids would be doing in their tent is sleeping. Next, Tom took them around the camp, showing them where the facilities were, and where they would be having their meals.
That night, all the campers had dinner together around a bonfire. They got to know each other, danced and made merry. At about midnight Wally decided they should hit the sack for they would have to rise fairly early the next morning if they were to make it for the early game drive. Kuki and Nigel followed suit, leaving behind Hoagie and Abby.
The two sat together on one of the benches around the fire under the dark cloudless heavens that were peppered with a myriad of constellations. Most of the other campers had already gone to bed, the remaining few were telling stories as they enjoyed the warmth still emanating from the dying flames. The embers sent some sparks flying into the air where they mingled with the fireflies, although the latter outlasted the former in their display of lights. The grass rustled in the midnight breeze, and Hoagie pulled the blanket more tightly around them, causing him to bring Abby's body much closer to his. He had brought her to sit between his legs as he leaned against the backrest of the squeaking bench. She shifted her body slightly a few times before she snuggled comfortably into his chest. He rested his chin on her left shoulder while she rested her head against his right one. He caught a faint whiff of her fragrance, and ironically, the minuscule amount was enough to intoxicate him. The wind suddenly whistled in their ears, and Abby shivered as she bunched the blanket in her fists, bringing it tighter still around them.
"You wanna go inside?" Hoagie asked softly. "Wouldn't want you to catch a cold."
"Nah, I like it here," she replied.
"Ok," he whispered into her neck.
They continued to sit in silence, enjoying the natural sounds of the night such as the melody of chirping crickets and intermittent howls and roars of predators. After a while, Hoagie spoke quietly, "Abby?"
"Hmm?" she responded drowsily.
"Just in case you were wondering…I love you too." This was the first time the topic was being broached since prom night.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
After a moment's silence Abby asked, "But?"
"But I have a girlfriend." Hoagie felt her body tense ever so slightly.
"I'm the other woman," she said flatly.
"Not the other woman. The woman. The one I was always meant to be with, but couldn't be with sooner due to unforeseen circumstances."
Silence.
"If we're gonna do this, we've gotta do this right," she said, almost inaudibly.
xxx
Early the next morning, Wally roused his tent-mates with a loud, "Rise and shine everybody! It's game drive –"
Before he could complete his wake up call, Wallabee was stunned by the sudden impact of a well-aimed projectile against the side of his head that originated from Nigel's battle station. The latter had just thrown his pillow upon his rude awakening, and even with his weariness, Wally saw him clumsily looking around for something else to throw at him.
"What the crud?"
"Shut up!"
The commotion was enough to wake the others, except Abby who remained spread eagle in her sleeping bag. Kuki and Hoagie sat up in their bags and watched the ensuing battle. Wally, after regaining his senses, had swung his own pillow hard, hitting Nigel at point blank range. The Briton fell backwards, where he showed his acrobatic prowess for he managed to twist his body before he could hit the ground, so that he could plant his palms firmly on the ground and thus suspend himself above the still sleeping Abby. "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed with a sigh as he thought of how he could have very easily broken a few of her bones.
"Stop it, Wally," Kuki commanded.
But he just ignored her. He quickly picked up her pillow and flung it at Nigel as he got to his feet. They continued their pillow fight before Kuki intervened.
"Dammit, Wally," she half yelled as she pulled him by the vest and kissed him hard on the lips. He became limp in her arms, and as he was beginning to really get into it, she suddenly withdrew from him, leaving him breathless and glazy eyed. An opening! Nigel threw his pillow straight at Wally.
"Stop it!" Kuki's voice was vile as her eyes shot daggers at Nigel.
"Yes, ma'am," he whispered contritely.
"Gee, you guys sure are cranky in the morning," was all Hoagie could say, before looking at Abby and wondering if she had died in the night.
xxx
The following days the crew went for a number of game drives. Wally was so excited when they saw three lionesses hunting down a wildebeest. He just could not stop talking about. Luckily, Kuki had recorded the hunt on her camera. He soon took it from her so that he could record every slight movement - the crocodiles on the banks, the hippos in the river, the vultures shredding a carcass, the cheetah cubs learning to pounce - everything.
xxx
Even though it is a widely accepted fact that time flies when having fun, the crew still could not believe that they were already in the final week of their holiday. They had arrived at the south coast the previous week, where Abby's parents had rented a cottage for the duration of their stay. In that time they had all got quite a tan. However, Abby was the least tanned, for Hoagie had often rubbed sunscreen on her. Not that she was complaining – the ocean, sunshine and Hoagies' hands were all the R&R she needed. They rarely swam in the pool, instead opting to spend entire days at the beach, and would walk to the reef in the mid morning during the low tide.
Wally had been making fun of his girlfriend for the past few days, for she had nearly had a heart attack when a little white crab had scurried over her leg while she was basking on the sand. It didn't help that the two beach boys playing in the water with an octopus had seen her reaction. They laughed and tried to scare her with their eight-armed playmate.
On a lazy afternoon, Nigel had called Hoagie aside. "I hope you know what you're doing, my friend," he asked, concern shown on his face as he nodded towards Abby, who was lying on a sunbed under the shade of a makeshift thatch roofed shelter. It was her special vantage point where she would watch the deep blue sea, its waves crashing over the reef. But right then she was following the apparent slow progress of huge oil ships disappear over the horizon, as well as the locals carrying tourists in their white sailboats.
"I don't wanna play games. I'll do what I have to," Hoagie replied as he looked at the African American of his dreams.
"Alrighty then," Nigel said with an audible sigh as he patted his friend on the back.
xxx
"See you in six months, darling," Mrs. Lincoln said as she hugged and kissed Abby. "Concentrate on your studies, OK?"
"Why mother, whatever do you mean?" Abby asked in the sweetest possible voice. "See you soon, Jamie. Take good care of yourself and Mama," she directed her brother, as she hugged him.
"Bye, sis. Try not to miss me too much," Jamie said with a smile.
Once everyone had exchanged their goodbyes, the crew went to check in their luggage. Much later, a voice over the speaker announced it was time to board the plane. The five friends exited the airport terminal as they walked down the passenger boarding bridge.
"So, you ready to go home?" Hoagie asked Abby as he draped his arm over her shoulder.
"Oh, hell yeah!" she replied enthusiastically. "I'm coming home, I'm coming home. Tell the world that I'm coming…home," she sang as she spread her arms.
Hoagie smiled sweetly down at her as he drew her closer to him, rubbing her arm up and down to rid her of the chill.
xxx
A/N:
*Baka is Japanese for fool/idiot
*Vikoi (kikoi-singular) are beautiful, colourful rectangular cotton cloths that are commonly found/used in East Africa and can be worn on the waist, as a shawl, etc.