Short Story 3: Blissful
1058 Words
Blissful Requested By Jheraldine Barimbao
My day started early and filled with excitement. My parents had surprised my sister and me by telling us that we were heading to a game park. The game park was located a few hours away from our small town home, which made weekends extra awesome. You see game parks are mine and my sister’s obsession. Our family has been doing game park drives for as long as I can remember.
The drive to the game park is always the longest but once you reach the gates, the true excitement kicks in and your veins are filled with adrenalin. What animals will you spot today? Will you be lucky enough to come across a pride of lions or even a leopard? My family has never been lucky enough to see any of the big cats or buffalo or a rhino, so every time we come to the park it’s the first thing we pray to see.
The morning started off great. We paid our entry fee and then we were off.
We located a herd of buffalos then shortly after a bunch of impalas or as we call them “McDonald’s” of the bush, seeing as they are the fast food of the bush. After that we spotted rhinos and elephants. Three of the South African Big Five, it was beginning to look like today would be our day. As we drive along a vehicle from the front stops us and lets us know that there is a lioness in our vicinity. Oh, wow was the first thing that crossed my mind. As if on cue my adrenalin starts pumping through my veins. Our first lion, my sister and I beamed at each other our excitement palpable. We start looking out of our rolled up windows. We don’t need the animals jumping into the car, thank you.
To our disappointment the lioness seemed to have disappeared. My dad drove ahead and then did a u-turn to look around once more. You see my family doesn’t give up easily, so once more we looked and searched, to no avail we couldn’t find her. My dad prepared to turn around and just as he did she came walking out of the woods. We sat and watched in awe. I snapped as much pictures as I could. Finally our luck had changed. We went further down the road and turned right. As we turned right there was a tree and in the tree were three semi-cubs lying in the tree, chilling. Four down one to go, could today be the day we find every one of the Big Five?
Sadly as lunch time comes we have only spotted bucks and giraffes on the way to the picnic area. We park and head towards the benches and braaier or barbeque as the non-South Africans call it. We had to walk a few meters seeing as you can’t park closer because of the barricades. As we walk there is a sign warning us that we are entering the premises at our own risk and that we need to be aware of the wild animals. It was the first time that we braaied here so seeing the signs made me wary but I was seemingly the only one that was feeling paranoid. I guess that’s what comes with the territory of being an over thinker. The morning had been absolute bliss and as everyone was calm, I calmed down too. We ate, joked and spoke about the beauty of the park. It wasn’t until I heard the growl that I noticed something had made its way to us. The scent of our food must have drawn the creature from the nearby woods. I slowly turn in my seat to discover a cackle of hyenas. They snarl and before I can comprehend anything my dad barks out orders from behind me. “I’ll throw the meat and then we split up. Head to the…” He gets cut off by the animals approaching us. Head where I want to scream but the hyenas closing in have me swallowing my words. The meat rips through the air followed by the hyenas’ collective laughter. Ah, so it was the spotted hyena that we were facing, great to know. These doglike creatures are actually known for tiring their prey until it can’t get away then eat it alive. Yup, alive a way I didn’t want to go. All this went through my mind in less than a second my mom grabs my sister by the arm and yanks her away in a direction. I attempt to follow but a hyena blocks my way. I grab the last piece of meat on my plate and swing it in front of me. “Dad, you got to go.” I tell my dad or at least that’s what I thought. When I turn to see why it’s quiet I notice my dad had already left. Betrayal stung through me, had he just left me alone? As if on cue the hyenas’ laughter brings me back from my thoughts. At least my parents and my sister are almost to the car but I still need to draw the animals’ attention. I swing the meat once more then toss it with all my might into the bush behind me. Hopefully the downhill will catch them off guard and they’ll roll down. As soon as the meat soars the animals follow and I bolt for the dustbin. Gross as it might sound the dustbin had a cage around it to keep the monkeys out and hopefully it’ll keep the hyenas out as well.
I just get it open in time and slip in when a hyena pounces. I scream and I hear my mom’s voice. “Taylor. Taylor? Honey, are you still with us?” I blink slowly and I hear my family’s laughter. I smile shyly. “Sorry, I was miles away.” “We could tell. Let me guess inspiration pulled you away from us?” I nod smiling. My parents were very understanding of my writing career so when I blanked out creating stories they laughed it off and then asked questions. Although I guess this would be the first story I wouldn’t share with bliss because after all it was anything but blissful…
- Writer
