Son of Mufasa
Chapter 1: Efia's last goodbye.
Khumba Reserve, Tanzania- 1994
Rain pattered rapidly over the windshield and the roof of the jeep. The ranger could hardly see ahead. He could see as far as the jeeps headlights. But it was pouring outside. And it was already dark. The windshield wipers swiped back and forth repeatedly.
They had been driving for an hour now. No more then a mile or so from the village. They should be coming upon the location Dr. Bradford had reported the poachers. The other ranger were already in route to the eastern part of the reserve. But so far, there's been no sign of the poachers.
There was then static over the radio.
"Tamani, come in."
The ranger in the passenger seat picked up the radio.
"This is Tamani," he said.
"What's you E.T.A on the poacher's location?"
"We're coming along the main road," Tamani said.
"We should be approaching the location now. E.T.A five minutes."
"Copy," the man said over the radio.
"We're not going to find anything in this storm," the ranger driving said, glancing out the driver side window.
He then glanced ahead through the rain splashed windshield, when he noticed two bright spots through the rain. He hunched forward squinting his eyes curiously.
"Wait." he said.
"I see something."
Tamani turned to him.
"What is it?" He asked curiously.
He then looked forward and saw the two lights peering through the rain ahead. The ranger drove over to the lights. He pulled the jeep over and in the jeep's headlights they saw a land cruiser parked along the side of the road. The passenger side door hanging open.
Tamani got out of the jeep, stepping out into the rain. He threw the hood of his rain coat over his head. He pulled out his flash light and flicked it on as he walked over to the land cruiser.
"Hello?" He said, peering into the windshield.
But there was no one inside the vehicle. He came around to the passenger side door and leaned into the back. He shined his light into the back seat and saw a small red and blue race car backpack. But there were no guns or animals parts.
This couldn't be a poacher's vehicle. So then who's vehicle was this?
Tamani heard the other ranger calling him.
"Tamani!"
Tamani came out of the land Cruiser. He glanced back and saw his fellow ranger, standing next to the body of an elephant. He came down into the grass and came up to the elephant. He shined his light down over the elephant's face and saw it's tusks had been hacked off.
Tamani cupped his hand over his mouth.
"Oh god." He said, glancing to the other ranger.
"Bloods still fresh," The ranger insisted.
"This was recent. They could still be nearby."
Tamani sighed and shook his head. He turned away from the elephant. When he then heard a sudden moaning sound through the rain. He then paused and heard it again.
"Listen." He said, glancing to the other ranger.
The man paused. They then heard a cry of pain. It sounded like a woman's voice.
"Someones here!" Tamani said.
He came around the elephant, shining his flashlight as he scanned along the grass. He then stopped. He saw something moving in the grass. He squinted his eyes. He squinted his eyes. He angled his flashlight and...
"Dr. Bradford!" he gasped.
Tamani and the other ranger ran up to Sarah. He shined his flashlight down over the doctor. She laid curled over the grass, pressing her arm over the bullet wound over stomach. Blood was gushing from her wound and from her mouth, staining her shirt.
"Dr. Bradford!" Tamani kneel down next to her.
He glanced down to her stomach. There was a pool of blood seeping from her hand. This was bad. Tamani glanced to the other ranger.
"She need medical attention!" He said.
"Can we move her?" The ranger asked.
Tamani shook his head.
"She's already lost too much blood," he said.
" She won't make the trip. We have to do it here!"
He glanced up to the ranger.
"Get the first aid, quickly!" he said.
The man nodded her head. He turned and made his way to the jeep. Tamani turned back to Sarah. He pulled out a small cloth from his pocket and applied pressure over the wound.
"Just hold on, Dr.," He said.
She glance up to her with half opened eyelids. Breathing heavily, she coughing as blood poured from her mouth.
"Jay," she whispered.
"Where's... Jay...?"
"Please, doctor," he advised.
"Try not to move."
Sarah continued whispering.
"Jay..." she said.
The ranger came up from behind with the first aid kit.
"Here!" He said, handing him the white box.
Tamani took the kit and opened it, setting it next to her.
"Just hold on, Dr." he said to her.
Suddenly, her breathing became fainter.
"Jay..." she whispered.
"...Jay..."
Tamani glanced to the doctor.
"Dr. Bradford?" he exclaimed.
"Dr. Bradford!"
Sarah peered up at the falling rain as it pattered her face. Her bloodied hand dropped to the side. As she had exhaled her final breath.
Efia and her husband, Kamili pulled up to the hospital. She got out of the land cruiser and quickly ran up to the main entrance. When she got inside, there were three park rangers along with the colonial standing in the hallway. The colonial turned to Efia.
"Dr. Keita." he said, turning her.
"Where is she?!" she exclaimed.
The colonel turned back and pointed to the door down the hall.
"She's in there." He said, glancing back to her.
Efia rushed down the hall. She peered into the room and saw the doctor standing before one of the beds. Efia walked over to him.
"Doctor?" she asked.
The doctor glanced up to her, frowning. She then turned to the person laying in the bed. And saw Sarah, laying with the blanket up to her neck. Efia widened her eyes.
"Sarah." she said.
She came up next to the bed, gazing down over her friend. The doctor narrowed his head. The colonial and the other rangers walked into the room.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Keita," Tamani said.
"We did all we could for her. She bled out before we could get her here."
She glanced back to them.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Poachers," The colonel said.
"Tamani found her vehicle along the main road."
"She was shot." Tamani said.
"We think it was poachers. We also found one of the elephants there as well. Both it's tusks were missing."
Efia narrowed her head, her tears seeped down both sides her face. She then glanced up upon realizing.
"Jay!" she said.
She glanced up to the colonel and Tamani.
"Where's Jay?"
Tamani narrowed his eyes, seeming unsure.
"We didn't find anyone else." Tamani said.
He then glanced back to the other ranger, who came up passed the two men. He was carrying in his hands what looked to be a red and blue backpack with race cars on it.
"But we found this in the back of the land cruiser." The ranger said.
The ranger handed her the backpack. Efia stood up beside the bed and took it in he hands. She stared down at it, contemplating the reality of it. She then shook her hand. She then walked passed the three rangers and made her way to the door.
"Dr. Keita?" The colonial asked, curiously.
She came passed her husband, Kamili and her kids.
"Efia, where are you going?" He asked, curiously.
"I'm going to look for Jay." she said.
Kamili came up behind her, grabbing her wrist.
"Now, just wait a minute," she said, turning her to face him
"He could in danger!" she exclaimed.
"I know, I know," Kamili insisted.
"But we cant go out there in this storm."
The colonial came up from behind Kamili.
"Your husbands right, Dr. Keita," she said.
"You won't get far in this storm. The main roads are flooded. I'm sorry, but he'll have to wait till morning."
Efia narrowed her eyes. She glanced back out through the windows of the hospitals front doors. The rain was poring outside. The roads would be too muddy. She wouldn't make it far.
She frowned, hoping Jay was someplace safe.
"Mtoto, stay safe tonight." she said.
It's been several days, there's still no sign of Jay. We found tire tracks near the main road where they found Sarah and the elephant. We think it was the poachers's truck. They lead back to the watering hole. There we found five elephants near the watering hole. All of them were shot and were missing their tusks.
There's been no word yet on the poachers. But I'm still concerned for the elephants. The calf is only a day old. He still needs his mother's milk. Me and the other's at the office have been feeding him formula. So far, he's seems to be getting along nicely with the rest of the herd.
But for now, I've been more concern with finding Jay.
We've been searching the reserve for days now. But I'm confident we'll find him.
- Dr. Efia Keita.
Efia stood up in the jeep, scanning the plains through her binoculars. Jamani glanced up to the doctor.
"Dr. Keita, it's getting late," he insisted.
"We should be heading back to the village."
Efia glanced down to him.
"Not until we find Jay." she said.
She gazed back up through her binoculars. She scanned the long grass. She stopped. There was something moving through the grass. She lowered her binoculars, squinting her eyes curiously as she peered ahead. She raised her binoculars, peering ahead at the spot of the grass.
Only to see a lone spring buck raise it's head from the tall grass. Cocking it's head.
Efia sighed, lowering her binoculars. She peered ahead and saw the sun setting in the distance. They had been searching all day. But still. Nothing.
"Come on," Tamani said.
"We should head back."
Efia sat back down in the jeep. She frowned and narrowed her head.
Efia was sitting in the living room. She leaned over, cupping her hands over her face, pondering. Sarah's funeral was this week. Her husband and the villagers were already preparing the ceremony. Some were questioning if they should make one for Jay as well.
She narrowed her head. People were already thinking that he was dead. A part of her wanted to believe it wasn't true. And he was somewhere safe, waiting for someone to find him. But they've already searched the entire reserve.
"Mama?"
Efia glanced up. She looked back and saw her daughter, Tabia, standing in the hallway.
"Hey, what are you doing up?" Efia asked.
"I can't sleep," she said.
"I'm worried about Jay."
Efia got up and walked over to her daughter.
"Hey, don't worry," she said as she kneel down to her.
"We'll find him."
"Do you think he's Okay?" Tabia asked.
Efia nodded her head, reassuring her daughter.
"Jay will be fine, honey," she said.
"I promise."
Tabia narrowed her head. She came up and hugged her mother, who held her back.
As Efia shuts the door to her daughter's bedroom, she heard a knock on the door. She came up to the front door and opened it. Standing outside, she saw the colonel.
"Colonel Koba?" she said.
"Dr. Keita," he said, nodding his head.
"Could I speak with you for a moment?" he asked.
Efia nodded her head.
"Of course." she said.
He came inside, shutting the door behind him.
"What is it?" she asked, curiously.
He then removed his red cap from his head. He glanced into her house and saw Kamili standing at their bedroom door. He then glanced back down to her and sighed.
"I'm sorry, Efia," he said.
"But we've had to call off the search."
Efia widened her eyes in shock. Kamili came up behind her.
"What?" she asked.
"It's been a week," he insisted.
"We haven't turned anything up. I'm sorry, doctor. But I think it's time to face reality. He's gone."
Efia felt her heat sank.
She narrowed her head. She turned away, walking into the kitchen.
"Thank you, colonel," Kamili said, nodding his head to him.
"We've appreciate all you've done."
The colonel nodded his head.
"Your welcome." he said, placing his cap over his head.
He then turned and walked back out the front door. Kamili turned back to Efia, who stood in the middle of the kitchen. She cupped her hand over her mouth. Her tears ran down down her cheeks as she began to sob.
Kamili walked up behind her, taking her by the shoulders.
"Efia," he said.
She turned to face him, burying her face into his chest as she cried. Kamili wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
Everyone was gathered along the hill outside the village, where an acacia tree stood over the very top. Sarah and Jay's graves were placed underneath the tree. Efia and her family stood at the fore front along with the others zoologists who worked on the reserve, listening to the prayers and chants of the villagers.
Efia glanced up at Sarah and Jay's graves, her eyes filled by her tears. She stared sullenly at the small cross which was marked with Sarah's name. Her colleague. Her friend who she had known all her life. Who she had grown up with.
But as she glanced to the one next to hers. The cross which bears Jay's name. Her son's name. The boy who born with his mother's bangs. Who shared the same love of animals.
Efia's heart felt as if it had shattered.
Efia had loved Jay as much as Sarah did. Since the day she first held him in her arms, she felt as if he was like her own son. She had watched him grow up along with Tabia and her children. How frantic he was about the stories Sarah had shared with him.
Efia remembered long ago. He had told Sarah that one day, he would be just like her one day.
But now he would never get that chance.
As the ceremony had ended, the villagers began making their way back to the village. Kamili was walking back down the hill with the kids. He then stopped and looked back up the hill at Efia, who was still standing over the top of the hill. She faced away from him, staring down at Sarah and Jay's grave.
He frowned, knowing she needed time. He looked back down at the kids.
"Come on." he said, hustling them along.
Efia kneel down to the two graves. She glanced up at Sarah's, placing the flower she held down over her grave.
"I'm sorry, Sarah," she said, narrowing her head.
"I tried. But I know he's with you now."
She then turned to Jay's grave.
"Goodbye, my little mtoto," she said, placing her hand over his grave.
"You both will always live in me."
Efia then stood up. Taking one last moment before she turned and made her way down the hill.
