They had been trekking through the bush most of the day, when they arrived at a huge stand of trees. The rock outcroppings loomed overhead. Sean veered off to the right and Aaron moved diagonally away from Sean. Constant vigil, and alertness, had saved their hides on more than one occasion and had become a part of their daily habits. They circled around to check that nothing had been disturbed. The baboon barked, almost an acknowledgement, from the trees, and exposed rock. Dassies scampered over the rocks, then stopped and turned to look at the interlopers.
Sean froze. Off to his right he detected a motion. A small motion. He looked to the right past where he thought the movement was and then scanned to the left carefully, looking INTO the bush and not AT it. Another flicker and the image came into view. A rooikat (caracal) was watching him suspiciously.
rooikat2
Sean relaxed, smiled, and turned back to the entrance of the cave entrance hidden by gnarled trees and brush. He had noticed this rooikat over the past four or so months and felt glad that it was still hanging around. The rooikat blinked a few times and then moved a little deeper into the undergrowth, stopping to look back at Sean as if to say; “Okay, so you came back.”
Overhead, perched on the top branch of a tall tree a black eagle watched with staring eyes, occasionally blinking that typical raptor blink that tells one nothing. Sean sighed. He was in familiar territory, a place he had discovered many years back. Memories of when he brought Aaron to the place flooded in on his troubled mind;
Aaron had gotten to know Sean quite well, probably better than anyone else. Sean had always been a very private, independent child preferring to be out in the bush of Africa, instead of hanging out with the other children of the area. Emily, the senior house maid, always thought that he was just a bit too antisocial. Every time that she looked at the wiry child an image of a leopard seemed to come to mind. He always looked like he was about to bolt away, or would have that predatory look about him, ready to pounce on anything that was even vaguely untoward. She had been around the homestead shortly before his was born, and had taken extra pains in looking after the boy. She had grown to love him very much, but she could never be sure how he felt about her, or anyone else for that matter.
After he had finished his schooling he spent a few months at the homestead, but it was as if he was never there. When he was there it looked like his mind was definitely elsewhere. He had always regretted not keeping up with photography, as all he had left from those days was a picture of a homestead similar to the one he grew up in, except, it did not have all the thatched ramadas that was strewn around the house he grew up in. The homestead was nestled away close to a kopje (hill) and surrounded by massive Acacia trees. 30 or so meters down from the homestead was a small lake/drinking hole that The Old Man had made with the view to being able to watch Africa at it’s best. Sean smiled at the memory …
“You need to work out what you want to do with your life, Sean.” his father had said on many an occasion, especially over the long Tamboti dining table. Sean grew up in an upper middle class home. The whole setting had a strong colonial setting to it. Sean’s father’s father had built the place. They never had the lack of anything, and there were rumours about the “Old Man” having made his riches on the diamond fields of Kimberley. The Old Man never spoke about it, other than always saying; “You must pay attention, Seanie. You make your own future by observing opportunities.”
It was on one of these occasions that The Old Man had Sean at the watering hole when he was introduced to Aaron. Aaron was a stocky young ‘Ndebele, with a bantam cock attitude; fiesty and “full of beans”. They looked at each other and knew that they would be friends. After many months of spending weeks out in the bush just camping and trekking around, Sean made Aaron swear on the life of his mother that what he was about to show him had to remain their secret. Aaron was aghast at the concept of swearing on his mother’s life, since the family unit in Africa is very strong. To make an oath that is that strong must mean that there is something very special and important. He looked Sean over carefully, and then finally agreed. They went back to the homestead and gathered up supplies, including rifles, water canteens, rope, lanterns, etc.
The two young men packed up their supplies onto a donkey and then they walked out into the bush. The air of mystery surrounding them did not seem that unusual since they had been seen leaving the homestead regularly, and then returning in a week or so. Emily looked out from under one of the thatched ramadas, shook her head as she saw them moving across the veldt, then smiled and went on about her duties.
Sean had been hunting quite often with his great grand father and had learned how to be an effective hunter by the time he was twelve. It was only once he had turned 15 that The Old Man allowed him to shoot his first antelope, ” … for the pot only!” Sean stopped them near this huge rock outcropping, and then sat watching carefully. Aaron stopped next to him, and then turned to him;
“Seanie, you always stop and look at places before we go there. What is it you look for? What is it you see?” There was a sardonic grin on Aaron’s face, but along with that he seemed quite genuinely interested. Sean looked deep into Aaron’s unfathomable eyes, searching.
“Aaron, on your mother’s life, hey? You swore an oath. On your mother’s life!” Sean’s voice was quiet, yet held a steeliness to it that shook Aaron.
“We are here, ‘nKosi?” It was the first time that Aaron had used the traditional African term of honour to Sean. Sean did not let it go unnoticed.
“We are brothers now, Aaron.” Sean lowered his head and cast his eyes down to the ground. “My brother, let me show you what I have found.” When Sean looked up Aaron’s face was surprised, and a broad grin broke out on his moon face.
Aaron followed Sean up a very dim game path. Dassies scampered away across the rocks, birds flew up out of the trees. The Soetdoring tree’s thorns tore at their clothing and skin, and suddenly they were standing in front of some dense growth, under a huge tree in the lee of the kopje. Sean turned to him, his eyes aglow with excitement. Aaron looked about him in bewilderment.
“Sean, stop messing around, man! How can this place be so special? It looks like any part of Africa, man!” Aaron’s face showed his disappointment and frustration. With that Sean stepped back, against the rough rock, moved sideways and disappeared right before Aaron’s eyes!
“Yoh mah weh! Seanie? Are you a Sangoma (witch doctor)?” Aaron’s face showed his dismay, and a small amount of fear.
“Just do what I did Aaron.” came Sean’s voice from deep in the thicket. There was a slight echo quality to his voice. Aaron grimaced and then reluctantly did exactly what Sean did. The leaves brushed against his clothes and face, and he felt the rock wall disappear behind him. He turned abruptly, and there stood Sean in a cave, and he had just lit a lantern.
“Sean, you are too clever, Gamshish (man of money)!” His relief was intense, and then he looked about in wonder. The cave looked clean, swept in fact. It went back into the hill, and curved a little to the right.. The boys were elated; Sean for being able to surprise Aaron, and Aaron because he felt vindicated in trusting this tough young white man.
