Kala was surrounded by girls she didn't know, nor did she care to know them. The instructor, an elderly woman petite in size, got everyone's attention. "Ladies, may I have your attention please? I have been informed that we have a bit of an unexpected celebrity in our midst." The instructor looked straight at Kala. "Could I have Kala Porter come up please?" Kala sunk down into her seat, making a sad attempt to disappear. "And do not try to hide, I know exactly who you are."
Kala reluctantly got up and moved to the front of the room. In the process she heard many murmurs, many not knowing who she was or why she was so important. Upon reaching the front, Kala turned to the instructor. "If I may ask, how do you know me?"
"I knew your grandparents and worked with your mother in etiquette. You look just like Jane did at your age. I'm sure your classmates have some questions, and honestly I'd like to hear some answers as well." They turned to the roar of murmurs.
One girl rose above the rest, "What kind of name is 'Kala'?"
"It's African. I'm named after my adoptive Grandmother."
"Why African?"
"It's where my father was raised. My mother went to Africa to research the gorillas and sort of ran into my father, Tarzan."
"The Tarzan? The ape man? That's who your father is? So, what are you doing in England?"
"My mother thought it would be in my best interest to go through finishing school and I agreed with her. So, she found a way to bring my family to England. For the time being, of course"
"Who's your mother?"
"Jane Porter, duh." another girl interrupted. "Don't you keep up with the news? The world famous ape man and the girl who discovered him in the African jungle. I'm surprised that it wasn't world news that she was pregnant."
"Why should we care about headlines from almost 20 years ago? Especially those concerning what was thought to be legends."
"Obviously not much of a legend now, is it? We've got the living proof right in front of us."
"Really, my parents don't care for a whole lot of outsiders coming to Africa, especially reporters. Many people that do come, come to either see if the stories are true or to mess with the animals. My father is very protective because many of the animals are our friends."
"So you're friends with savage beasts?"
"Woah, woah, wait a minute. Those animals are no different than you and me just with fur or a trunk, or a tail. If anyone's the savage, it's humans. Animals don't fight each other for no reason, or steal from each other. They don't kill other animals just for the hides or to say they did."
"Excellent point Miss Porter," the instructor intervened. While the other girls were some what appalled, the instructor was impressed at Kala's knowledge of English culture. "Perhaps we humans can learn a thing or two from your animal friends. Now why don't you go take a seat and we can continue on to the lesson for the day."
After her first day of school, Kala had surprised many with her knowledge of etiquette. Jane was pleasantly surprised by this, but was intrigued by how Kala's classmates had questioned her like a new scientific theory. As days passed, Kala's classmates had seemed to come up with more and more questions, until she had heard the one that topped them all. "Could we ever meet your family?"
"Tell you what, I will go home and see what my family says to a small party this weekend. It will be my birthday anyway."
"That would be brilliant, Kala."
"That would be a great idea," Jane analyzed. "Perhaps getting to know you and hearing more about your home would help rid you of ridiculous questions all the time. What do you say, Dear?"
"I have no problem with it. I'd like to meet your new friends. It would be a nice change from our rebel upstairs." Tarzan said facially gesturing upstairs. "Jonathan, wouldn't you like to meet your sister's friends?" Tarzan called.
"Do I have to wear the suit?"
"Are you in England?"
"Yes."
"There's your answer."
The weekend came relatively quickly. Tarzan spent the morning talking Jonathan into wearing his suit and coming downstairs. People started arriving at the party at around noon. Jane attempted to uphold the reputation of the Porter Picnics of the past by providing tea and snacks galore. Once everyone got some refreshments, they formed a circle and started asking questions.
"Well, I suppose something that everyone wants to hear. What's it like in Africa?"
Jane was first to speak, "I think Tarzan would be best to answer that. I mean, I've been in the jungle for 20 years, but I always had Tarzan to protect me. Tarzan never had someone to protect him besides the gorillas. Personally, I've been chased by monkeys on a couple of occasions. Not to mention rhinos, and leopards."
Tarzan stepped in, "It's not always easy, but it's life. Especially being 'Lord of the Jungle', I'm put into danger all the time. At the same time, I would think jungle life is easier for me compared to Jane. I grew up in the jungle. She had to adapt."
"What's the most dangerous animal you've fought?"
Tarzan had to give that one some thought. "Probably Sabor, the leopard. She was the same leopard that killed my parents."
The next question was rather backward and directed at Jane. "Was it a tough decision to come back to England?"
"Not for me," Jane explained, "Yes, I had a family. But I saw that, with Kala turning 18 and all, it would be in her best interest to come here. There were somethings that she wanted to learn that I couldn't teach her. At least, not anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"Even Tarzan had noticed, not even a year in, that I was changing. I was adapting to the jungle, and it's ways. By gaining the ways of the jungle, I was also losing all that I had learned of etiquette, from England. I was losing all of the refined detail that England had taught me. In fact, that was extremely obvious when my friends from here had come to visit. I greatly thought of that when I made my decision, but I decided that Kala needed to learn this first hand, just in case she ever would need it for some occasion."
"So, why not just send her up here and stay in Africa?"
"Kala had spent her entire life in the jungle. Just sending her up here, would be like throwing her to the leopards and expecting her to fend for herself. Yes I taught her some basics, but I wasn't about to expect her to know it all."
"Some basics? She knows the answer to every question, in class. Not to mention that she is incredibly well spoken for a jungle child."
"Okay, maybe I went a little over board. But if I may recall, when I first found Tarzan, he couldn't speak a word of English. Even now, after years of teaching, he still has a few issues. I knew, whenever I had a daughter, that I would want her to be a proper lady, not a miniature Tarzan, no offense. A son like that, I could tolerate, even appreciate, but not a daughter."
"Why would you appreciate that?"
"Because Tarzan was never in a society to be corrupted like politicians or spies or treasure hunters. He is pure hearted and built to survive. I wouldn't want my son to be any other way. Now, if I could get him to wear a suit without a fuss." Everyone sort of giggled. Jane turned her attention to Kala, who was sitting quietly off to the side. "So, how does it feel to be 18?"
"No different, I suppose. I don't see what all the big fuss is about."
"The fuss is that you are now, legally, an adult. Everything you do now counts for something. Every job you have, every law you break. Not that you ever would. In the jungle, it doesn't mean much at all. But in society, it means everything."