Memories of Amboseli
Atlanta, United States
Just after a three-week trip to Africa, I boarded the plane late at night with luggage in hand, responding to the call to return home. The end of a vacation means having to head homeward; that's the rule. As soon as the line "Home is where the heart is" came to mind, for some reason, I stopped myself and said, "I know, I know!" But to tell the truth, at that moment, my heart seemed to be saying something else.
My mind was filled with the thought of the blue sky leaning against the horizon at the end of the vast plains of Maasai Mara, the twinkle of the evening star's light in the twilight glow. I also vividly remembered the solitary acacia tree standing far away, as if it were looking right at me. Just the thought of leaving them behind today made my heart feel heavy. I know others will see them too, but will anyone remember them the way I do? Perhaps they will—who knows?
Sitting in the small-walled seat next to me on the plane, my husband, Swapan, noticed my dimmed face. As the plane took off and I called the cabin crew to make my bed, he only asked, "Already?" Without answering, I turned my face away. I thought for a moment. It’s true, if I sleep at the start of a twenty-two-hour journey, I’ll have to stay awake later and listen to the snores of the other passengers!
It was 2 a.m. African time. Over the past three weeks, I had become accustomed to the rhythm of this time, so I could no longer stay awake. Along with that, the pain of departure was weighing heavily on my eyelids. The face of the moment when a vacation ends and I head home has remained the same since childhood. There's no change in it. Even though a high-power light would glow on my face a month before going on a trip, all the fuses blow when returning home. I love traveling so much! I still remember how, as a child, if a plan to go out on a Sunday afternoon was canceled, I'd cry rivers at home, and my family still remembers it to this day.
Anyway, as soon as the bed was made, I pulled the blanket over my face and lay down. From the other side, Swapan asked if I had fallen asleep. I said, "No." I realized that falling asleep like this wouldn’t be right. I was also quite hungry. If you fall asleep, flight attendants don’t wake you up for meals. What a hassle! So, I turned on my phone, reclined the seat a little, and sat up. These days, we have that one habit—staring at our phone screens at all times, appropriate or not. As soon as the phone unlocked, I started looking at the pictures from each day of the vacation.
Seeing the last few pictures on my phone, my mind began to wander through the jungle of Amboseli. I saw myself exploring with driver Charles and our guide Mui Pei. We were searching for the largest elephant in the jungle. The dawn light was just beginning to spread. The surroundings weren't yet completely clear, but the guide knew where the largest elephant could be found. Guide Mui Pei was urging driver Charles. Once the sun rises, the animals in the jungle will start their activities. We had to reach a special spot in the jungle before that. Charles straightened up in his seat and pressed hard on the accelerator. Our peacock-feathered safari vehicle then moved forward, creating a path through the wild bushes, raising clouds of dust in search of elephants.
Startled by the sound of the vehicle, birds, freshly awake from their slumber, flew off from various trees, chirping. A group of impalas, shocked, began to run. Two giraffes standing nearby took a few steps and realized there was nothing to fear. They resumed their leisurely walk. I quite enjoy observing the animals in the jungle and contemplating them in my own way. But now was not the time to stop. Our first task was to find the largest elephant. After about ten more minutes of travel, guide Mui Pei told us to stop the vehicle. Whispering, he said, "We've found it!" Our eager eyes searched in the soft light of dawn for the largest elephant in Amboseli's jungle.
Craig
Currently, the largest elephant in Amboseli with two huge tusks is Craig. On this same day last year, during our second trip to Africa, we saw Craig for the first time in Amboseli. Each of his tusks weighs approximately one hundred pounds or even a little more. Craig is now fifty-one years old. From last year’s experience, I learned he is calm, slow, and friendly. With the help of the guide, we got very close to him last year, and I will probably never forget that experience.
The most interesting thing is that when we went to see Craig last year, our driver at the time, Mui Pei, was our guide. We were relieved to have him as our guide again this time. Because Mui Pei is an experienced guide in this national park, renowned photographers take him as a companion to photograph elephants in this jungle.
Finally, our vehicle stopped at a safe distance in front of Craig. We stared in amazement at this massive creature with calm, serene eyes. Once, he stopped eating and looked at all of us. Then, reassured, he started eating the tree leaves again. The elephant's trunk works much like our hands. Watching them deftly pluck leaves or drink water with their trunks is truly remarkable.
For three consecutive days, we spent about four hours each morning around Craig. Not once did any of us feel afraid to stand before such a large animal and take pictures. My husband Swapan spent as much time in the jungle over two days, wholeheartedly taking pictures of Craig.
I've read a lot about elephants' memory. I learned that once they see someone, they remember them well. If you can make it onto their list of friends, that elephant will be the best friend on earth. The opposite is equally dangerous. Spending so many hours in front of Craig over two years, my self-confidence has increased. I started to think of myself as Craig's friend. Just a few feet away from where Craig was eating leaves, I sat on the ground with my legs stretched out and asked Swapan to take a picture of me. I kept changing poses one after another with joy.
Suddenly, I heard our guide shouting, "Get up, get up!" As I turned my head, I saw the massive mountain-like Craig walking toward us. At that moment, he was just three or four feet away from me. I almost jumped up from my seat. I was looking around, feeling as if everything was dark and cold water was dripping down my head. Before I could say anything, it seemed like someone was saying, "Sorry, sorry." Reaching out from the seat next to me, Swapan gently shook my shoulder and said, "What happened? Why did you jump up like that?"
I realized I had been dreaming for quite some time. And, just as I jumped up, thinking Craig had arrived, the juice I had brought spilled from the cabin crew's tray onto my head. The flight attendant, not understanding anything, kept saying "Sorry," and by then, I understood everything and was saying "Sorry" too.
I have to mention one thing—before the Africa trip, I read a lot about animals. I learned that elephants get angry at loud noises. So it’s very important to stay quiet in front of an elephant. Thankfully, I remembered that even in my dream—otherwise, only God knows what would have happened to the other passengers on the plane because of my scream!