Chapter 20.
1997.
It was a lovely summer’s day and before it got too hot why not spend a couple of hours fishing. David phoned Andy who had just come back from a game drive. “Andy do you want to get the boat and our fishing gear out?”
"Yeh sure;" Andy replied always keen to put a line into the water.
They had not been out together for quite a while and David wanted to get away from the lodge for a few hours. We went out on the river and passed several inlets and small tributaries that were ideal for fishing but were fully covered on the surface by lilies. A couple of cranes and exotic birds were walking on top.
After 15 minutes on the water we found a little island and let the boat coast onto a sand bank. Andy attached a wire trace and baited my hooks then he cast David’s line to about 50 meters from where we were sitting in the boat.
It wasn’t long before he got his first strike. “Hey look at the rod bend.” It was a Tiger fish. He knew because it has a strike of its own. No other fish in the Kafue was like it. The rod bent and the fish ran. He adjusted the drag on the Penn reel and let him run, then slowly lifting the rod he reeled in and then let him run again. The more he fought the happier David was. He did this a few times till David felt the tension on the line slacken. “Andy it’s time to reel him in. Grab the landing net he I don’t want this one to get away.” We landed him then Andy pulled the hook out with a pair of pliers and let it go.
Every now and then, the rod tip would shake and then bend as one would break the surface of the water and flip over and then David would fight him till he was tired enough for him to slowly real him in. Andy would hold the landing net so that he could scoop it out the water when David brought it to the side of the boat. When David landed it, he used the pliers to take the hook out of his mouth because he still valued the fingers on my hand.
Because this was a good size he said. “Let’s weigh it to see what sizes are coming out.” It was about 3 kilograms. David let Andy release it. “We can have another go at catching him some other time.”
They fished for about two hours taking it in turns to use the rod not because they didn’t have another one, when catching tigers you need both hands on the rod but David needed one to hold his glass.
Andy said. “Let’s take the boat back.”
As they glided through the water they could not help but appreciate the colors of different shades of red and gold that the sun created on the ripples of water and watch the corrugated backs of crocodiles gliding silently under overhanging trees.
When David got back he phoned South African Airlines and booked a flight to Johannesburg. The next day Andy drove him to Lusaka. He had booked a room at The Intercontinental Hotel for the night instead of doing the trip in the early hours of the morning the following day.
“Do you want to stay over the night and keep me company?”
“No Dave. I want to go to Patel’s and get some fishing gear and the other things we need for the lodge, then get back.”
David was a bit disappointed because he felt he really needed some company. In the evening after dinner he went into The Safari Bar which is situated on the ground floor of the hotel and he ordered himself a Johnny Walker Black. Before the waiter arrived a young black girl with the shortest of miniskirts came to where he was sitting and asked if he was lonely and needed company. He said no, he was quite alright by himself but then five minutes later another came and asked the same question and he gave the same answer and not wanting to demoralise these girls.
When his drink arrived he paid the waiter and went up to his room and watched satellite TV. He was disappointed to spend the night by myself but not that disappointed. He questioned himself as to why he even went into the bar when the room was so comfortable and stylishly furnished. It even had a bar fridge and mini bar that held whatever he needed.
Next morning after breakfast the hotel shuttle dropped him off at the airport. He was back in Johannesburg for a couple of days. He needed to check on the house to see if everything was okay. He had a company looking after the garden and another looking after the pool and was satisfied that they were doing what they were paid for. He had a few games of golf with his buddies and then would spend a few hours in the pub catching up on the local gossip and after having something to eat , go home. 433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOLGDxuDkt
One day he dropped in at the office to see the girls that worked for him when he had his assurance business. He wanted to see how they were doing and if they were being treated well, not that he could do anything if they weren’t. He felt he needed to keep in contact with them.
“David.” Carol said when she saw him walk through the door. She took him to his old office which she now occupied because she was promoted to manager which pleased him. 433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdJG3sjDRH
He sat in a chair opposite Carol. Stretching her long legs out, the outline of her figure showed under the thin silk caftan she was wearing.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlfR1vDD2w
"Having a busy day?"He asked.
“I’ll say Dave. Since they have taken over, our work load has doubled but our pay has stayed the same.”
“Is it that bad?”
“It’s not bad, more chaotic.” She leaned back in the chair her two hands on the back of her head.
“Have I caught you at the wrong time?”He asked feeling a little uncomfortable sitting on the other side of the desk.
“It’s always like this. How about yourself? Looks like you’ve been punishing yourself."
“Oh, I’m alright.”David replied but that wasn't the case. He was heart broken. Since the break-up he hadn't touched another woman.Not that he didn't have the chance. It was that he just didn't feel he could spend the time with somebody else when she was always in his mind. he longed to hold her, to kiss her.
“Are you and Kim still together?”
That was the wrong thing to ask him at that moment.“No. He stood up. I must go Carol.” Then he walked out, a tear ran down his cheek.
As he was walking out the door he heard Carol calling. “David, DAVID.” He looked back and saw her in the doorway. He waved good bye.
He was missing Kim and he couldn’t stay in Johannesburg, he had to get back to the lodge. He was totally confused. One day he wanted to be at the lodge and the next in Johannesburg.Since the break-up he hadn't been back to Cape Town.
The next day after Andy picked David up at the airport in Lusaka. They had been on the road for about an hour when he said. ”A young native guy was fishing off the bank the other day when a crocodile grabbed him."
“My God you are pulling my leg.” David said."What happened?"
“No; genuine, it came out the water so fast and grabbed the kid, the other kids just saw him taken under the water. Thank goodness it was further down the river and out the view of the guests.”
“Was he one of our guys?”
“No. He came from the first compound as you go out the gate. Dave, you should have heard the noise. It was awful we could hear the cries and the noise at the lodge. Even the guests came running out their rooms to see what was going on."433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlC19itWKD
"So what did you tell them? Because you didn't know why they were screaming." 433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFbmp6Arys
"I couldn't tell them anything. I drove to the place the noise was coming from wanting to find out what it was all about. When I got there, there was blood floating on the water, like Blood River would have looked like when the Boers fought Shaka's Impies."433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAWqUQXWdN
"What did they tell you?" David asked.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sMWZygirl
"One of the guys that were there told me what had happened and then said about ten of the guys went out after it in canoes..."he paused... "They took their spears and and went looking for it.”
“How did they know where the croc was?”
"I think they followed the blood trail."
“When they came back one of them told me that they found it on an island. They circled and killed it with their spears.”
“And then. What happened?” Dave asked.
"I saw them bring the croc back. They had it tide between two canoes. Hey! It was a big bugger. When they got onto the bank they turned it on its back. Then one of the guys cut open its stomach. They were being really careful when they did that. I think they thought the guy would still be alive but that wasn’t the case. Hey Dave! It was gruesome. When the slit was long enough to open it up, the guy who was cutting it open put his hand inside to feel for the body. He pulled out a leg, then an arm, then another arm. By that time his family were there. The mother was jumping up and down and screaming and crying and his wife was doing the same. Hey, that’s when I left. I didn’t want to be there when they brought out his head.” Andy said cringing. “I was close to vomiting when he pulled out the first arm.”
"Dave it was too gruesome.” He said shaking his head. “That poor youngster had no chance. Those that were fishing with him said that it happened so fast that they couldn’t even help him.”
They were driving along and every now and then they would have to slow down to a stop because there was an animal either standing in or crossing the road. One time David nearly went flying through the windscreen. Andy hit the brakes so hard the Land Rover slid sideways to a stop. He was lucky to avoid hitting a heard of impala as they came running out the bush and over the road. 433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tqYy4sKXP
That made David sit up and take notice of what was going on around him. Later he saw it from a distance. He told Andy to slow down because there was something crossing the road. At the time they couldn’t see what it was. Then Andy said in a loud voice almost shouting. “IT’S A PYTHON!”
Dave had never seen a snake that huge. Not even in a zoo. Andy stopped just in front of it and we watched him slide into the bush. He was a beauty; they didn’t think it had eaten for a while. Its belly didn’t look swollen and he was moving at a speed that wasn’t normal. They waited until it was off the road and couldn’t see it, then they drove on. That’s when he knew that they were in Africa, real Africa. They drove into the gate just as the sun was setting.
After he had unpacked he went into the lodge to let everybody know that he was back. Simon was glad to see him because he could take a couple of days off.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw30PlHARxA
“Copper had returned a couple of times but only for a few hours and then he would leave. He once asked me if the Belgium lady had not left a telephone number or if we had an address for her. I said to him that I was sorry but I couldn’t help him. Then he walked back into the pub a bit disappointed.” Simon said.
“He must have been disappointed when you told him that you didn’t have a number or address.” David said.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnTGPKaz5U
“Once he asked if you have her address but that angered him a bit.”
“Why do you think that?” David asked.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eQKQk3RLX
"Because."Simon said.“Copper turned around and asked why the hell would you have her address when she didn’t want anything to do with you when she was here?”
David laughed out aloud and Simon couldn’t help but laugh with him. Then David went to the kitchen and greeted the staff.
“Patrick, muli bwanji.” (Patrick, how are you)
“Moni, ababmbo.” He replied. (Hello, sir)
“How are things in the kitchen Patrick? Is everything okay and the staff are they behaving themselves?”
“Indi, abambo.” He replied with a smile. (Yes, sir) Patrick replied with a smile.
“Okay Patrick; keep up the good work my friend.” David said and walked out of the kitchen and into the bar to get himself a drink.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
