Rhino Charge Page 7

  “Mayur, can you hear me? Mayur.” Rose thought she heard a grunting sound. “It’s OK, Mayur. The car’s flipped over and you’re upside down, but you’re safe. I’ll get you out, but you have to stay still and do exactly as I tell you.”

  Rose felt some of the tension leave her body. Mayur was alive and conscious. She could hear his voice, but not make out the words. Sam jumped to his feet as the medic arrived and Wonda panted to a stop carrying a backboard.

  “He’s conscious and can feel his feet, although he says his arm throbs.” Sam looked at Wonda. “Do we only have one backboard?”

  “Yes,” the medic answered.

  Rose turned as the ‘Pink Ladies’ car stopped beside them. “Can we help?” the driver asked.

  “Do you carry a backboard?” asked Sam.

  She wrinkled her mouth. “No, but we have a length of timber to help us over rough terrain.”

  “That might do.”

  One of the pink-clad ladies pulled a four-foot length of wood, just wider than a car wheel, from the back of their car.

  Sam bounded around to the passenger side of the upside-down car and pulled at the door, which resisted but finally scraped along the ground.

  “George,” Sam instructed the other runner. “Bring that piece of wood here.” George knelt by the open passenger door and Sam did the same at the driver’s side. “Carefully push the plank through to me, underneath Mayur’s legs. Steady with the end.” Sam reached in and grabbed the end of the wood. “Hold it there, George. Thabiti, hold this end still.”

  Chloe arrived and pulled Rose to one side. “Headquarters are sending a vehicle, but it will take at least twenty minutes to reach us. Do you mind if I borrow the medic for a minute? It’s Jono. He’s in a real state. I don’t think he’s actually broken anything, but he is covered in cuts and bruises, and when I tried to help him stand, he collapsed.” Chloe escorted the medic to where Jono sat on the ground, curled into a ball.

  She returned and said, “I think we should go. There are teams arriving from both directions.”

  “Of course,” said Rose. She admonished herself. Come on, old girl. No point standing around here. It looks like Sam knows what he’s doing, and you’ve work to do. Rose and Chloe left as Sam, with Marina’s assistance, slid the backboard at an angle under Mayur’s head . Rose was not sure if Mayur was still conscious.

  “At least the engine stopped when the car did,” said Chloe. “A fire on top of the accident is the last thing we need.”

  “I think we can thank Sam’s quick thinking for that. I’m sure he hit the kill switch on the ignition the moment he reached the car.”

  Wonda had returned to the guard post, and her team offered the team of Car 14 refreshments. The spectators kept glancing across at the upside-down Car 27, but their attention was drawn back to another team negotiating the easier slope.

  Rose and Chloe, with Wonda’s assistance, checked three more teams through the guard post, including the Pink Ladies, before Frank Butler and a second Land Cruiser arrived from headquarters.

  “This is a most unfortunate business, Rose. Can you tell me what happened?” Rose described the events she had witnessed. As she finished, the Bandit Bush Hog team descended on the guard post. Jono limped in, supported by George. He was pale and covered in cuts and scrapes which Rose presumed were from hitting the ground, although she couldn’t remember seeing him in the path of the car.

  A dusty Sam, with grazed knees, carried one end of the backboard whilst Thabiti, who had blood seeping through his trousers, and Marina, with her black eye, struggled with the other end.

  “Can you put him straight into the back of the Land Cruiser?” Frank instructed. “It’ll transport him directly to the airstrip.”

  Rose watched as Mayur was driven away. The Amref plane would collect him and transport him to the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Mr Butler looked across at Jono, who was slumped in the corner of the guard post tent with his back to the group.

  Marina suggested, “I’ll ask Mama Rose and Chloe to keep an eye on him.”

  Thabiti trailed out of the tent behind Mr Butler and his teammates. What had caused the winch to break? He’d tested it with Mr Obado on a small slope outside Nanyuki and it had worked perfectly. So what had happened today?

  Had he forgotten to tighten something? His mind spun and he couldn’t think straight. All he could see was the car rolling over down the hill and Mayur hanging upside down in the driver’s seat. He felt his chin quiver.

  Sam joined him. “Don’t go tormenting yourself. We have to work out what happened before we can even think about apportioning blame.” Sam placed an arm around him and manoeuvred him over to the crash site.

  Thabiti hung back as the team crowded around the car and Mr Butler began his investigation. After walking around the car, taking notes on a clipboard, he found the winch cable, followed it to its end, and picked up the D-Ring. “Who was in charge of this winch?”

  “I was.” Sam stepped forward. “That D-ring was attached to the winch strop which I had secured around two trees at the top of the slope.”

  “We’d better take a look up there then.” Mr Butler and Sam clambered up the slope followed by Marina and Thabiti. George remained with the car.

  Marina shivered despite the midday heat. “If Mama Rose hadn’t shouted, and George hadn’t quickly pulled me out of the way, I would have been squashed under the car.”

  “I was lucky not to be lashed by the winch cable as it spun past me. If the D-ring is still attached, it means the strop or the supporting trees broke,” murmured Thabiti.

  At the top of the slope they stood aside as Car 48 approached. “Is that your car?” a breathless runner in a yellow t-shirt asked as he peered down the slope.

  Thabiti shuffled backwards, looked back down the slope, and heard Marina answer, “Yes, it looks terrible from up here, doesn’t it? But don’t worry, there’s nobody in it now. We managed to get our driver out and he’s being flown to Nairobi. I’m afraid we don’t know how badly injured he is.”

  “Gosh, what happened?” the man asked.

  “I’m not exactly sure. That’s what Mr Butler is trying to find out. I think it was something to do with the winch.”

  “You can’t use these trees to secure your winch.” Thabiti looked up as Mr Butler turned away another yellow-shirted team member. “At least not until I’ve finished my accident assessment.”

  Car 48 found another anchor point and Marina and Thabiti dodged out of its way as it proceeded down the hill without incident.

  They approached Mr Butler who commented, “There’s nothing wrong with these trees. In fact, they make an excellent anchor point.”

  Thabiti wandered away, scuffing the ground. He glimpsed something yellow and spotted the winch strop dangling from a leleshwa bush. As he pulled it out, the cause of the accident was obvious. One of the loops at the end was broken and its protective nylon sleeve lay on the floor. “Over here,” he called unenthusiastically.

  Mr Butler examined the offending strop. “It’s clear that the stitching has given way.” He looked up. “Do we know when this was last tested?”

  Everyone looked at Thabiti.

  “Last week, in Nanyuki,” he muttered. He felt his throat constricting, but he added, “Mr Obado and I used it to practice winching the car.”

  “May I?” Sam stretched out his arm. He examined the broken loop and took photos with his phone.

  Mr Butler said, “I know Mr Obado, so I’ll speak to him about the accident and the winch strop. Now, I’d better be getting back, in case there are more crises. Would anyone like a lift to headquarters?”

  “I’ll stay with the car,” replied Sam.

  “So will I.” Thabiti felt an ache at the bottom of his stomach. He couldn’t face returning to headquarters just yet.

  “Someone really ought to be with Lavi and Kumar,” said Marina. Nobody responded. “Ok, I’ll go back. Can I h
ave a lift?” she asked Mr Butler. “And I think we should take Jono with us, and ask the medics at headquarters to check him over. He’s not in a good way.”

  Before he got into his car, Mr Butler turned to Thabiti and Sam. “There may be a formal investigation.” He looked directly at Thabiti. “I’m not sure if we have to report the incident to the police. It may depend on how badly injured your driver is.”

  Thabiti felt his heartbeat accelerate. Surely it was an accident. The winch strop had been fine when he last checked. He wasn’t to blame for what happened. He prayed Mayur would make a speedy recovery.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Pearl placed the blue yoga mat that her instructor had lent her on the grass at the back of the class. There were seven other participants, six women and a man, who were at least sixty and lived in the residential care annex attached to the hospital.

  Their instructor, Ajay, was an Indian man, which had surprised Pearl. She had expected a lycra-clad forty-something mzungu with long hair tied back in a ponytail.

  Ajay welcomed the group. He put his hands together, bowed, and said, “Namaste”. The elderly women chorused “Namaste” and bowed as one, smiling back. Pearl felt her skin tighten and she looked away. These grey-haired ladies had a crush on their instructor. She returned her focus to the front and found Ajay staring expectantly at her. She sighed, bowed and mumbled, “Namaste”.

  Maybe she had made a mistake returning to the class this afternoon, but after yesterday’s session she had felt calmer, and she’d had the best night’s sleep in ages. Her jumbled thoughts had returned this morning, but they were less persistent than normal.

  Ajay played soothing music from his phone and instructed, “Down Dog”. Pearl lowered her hands to the floor and pushed her bum up and backwards, straightening her legs. The lady in front farted, and Pearl collapsed onto her hands and knees giggling.

  “Again,” Ajay instructed the class. She felt his presence. “Push down into your heels, Pearl. Well done.”

  When it came to the balance routine, the group was all over the place. The man found a wall and rested one hand against it for stability. Most of the women were like Pearl, swaying precariously on one leg until they dropped their foot to the floor to steady themselves. An ancient-looking lady at the front balanced serenely on one leg, whilst her other foot rested on her knee, mimicking a flamingo. Well, if she can do it, so can I, thought Pearl. She raised her left leg.

  She managed to rest her foot above her ankle. She brought her hands together and focused on the peak of Mount Kenya, just visible through a break in the cloud. “Good, Pearl. Squeeze your core muscles and ground yourself through your right leg.”

  She enjoyed the meditation section at the end of the class and allowed her mind to drift as her muscles relaxed.

  Ajay approached her as she rolled up her mat. “Well done. You’re learning quickly.” He handed her a leaflet. “I’m running a retreat at a new lodge in Borana next month. It’s a small, select group and, as well as yoga, there is a spa, bush walks and plenty of time to relax.”

  “Thanks,” she responded automatically. A yoga retreat. She could barely think of a worse way to spend her time, all those hippy types.

  “It’s a young crowd and no hippy types.” Had he read her mind? She was still standing in a daze when a voice called her name.

  “Pearl.” She turned and found Mr Kariuki watching her. Well, he couldn’t actually see her, but it was rather spooky. “Join me.” He patted the empty space beside him on the bench. “Give me your hand.”

  Gingerly, she allowed him to take her hand and turn it over. He ran a finger over her wrist and palm. “Ah, your spirit is strengthening and your demons retreating. You will continue with this yoga?”

  “I’m not sure,” she responded. She wasn’t going to commit to anything in front of this old man.

  “You will,” he nodded. “As your body strengthens so will your mind, and you’ll embrace the power and energy you will begin to feel. But what then?”

  “Yoga’s enough at the moment.” Pearl extracted her hand.

  “You should consider Ju-jitsu. Not the pure Japanese martial art, but a slightly different version called Zujitsu which was developed by a brother of colour in America. It blends self-defence with street-fighting moves and incorporates dance and fighting rhythms.” He took her hand again and placed her palm against his. “You have the warrior spirit. I feel it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  At six o’clock, after a tiring day, Rose returned to the Rhino Charge Headquarters. It was alive and buzzing as supporters and spectators congratulated, or commiserated, with competitors. Cars in various states of disrepair were parked in parc fermé.

  Rose thought she spotted the doorless blue side of Car 27. Thabiti and Sam had helped retrieve it when a recovery vehicle arrived at the guard post, and accompanied it back to base.

  “I need a shower and some peace and quiet,” Rose told Chloe.

  “Good idea,” said Chloe, but as they passed the bar tent, a member of a celebrating team grabbed Chloe by the waist, spun her around, and thrust a glass of champagne into her hand. Chloe laughed, waved at Rose, and joined the group.

  Rose was relieved to finally be by herself. She appreciated Chloe’s company, but knew the girl needed some fun and a reprieve from her own troubles. She was worried about Chloe’s home life. Dan was away a lot, but things seemed worse when he was home.

  And poor Kumar. Rose wondered if he or Lavanya had accompanied Mayur in the plane to Nairobi. She’d find out after she’d taken a shower.

  “Rose.” She turned to see Tanya West hurrying towards her. “Rose, we’ve a small problem.” Rose waited for her to explain. “One of the teams brought back a baby oryx.”

  “Did they? But what about its mother? Where is she?” Rose asked.

  “They said she wasn’t around. I do hope they didn’t scare her away.”

  Reluctantly, Rose retraced her steps, past the lively bar, to the registration tent. At the back, curled up in a cardboard box, was the rich chestnut-brown coated baby oryx. Thankfully, it lacked the long straight ridged horns that an adult developed. As Rose knelt down, it lifted its head, showing forlorn sunken eyes. She gently pulled the skin on the animal’s neck, which remained sticking out rather than springing back into place.

  “How is the wee thing?” Wendy Butler leaned over the box.

  “Frightened and dehydrated. It can’t stay here with all this noise.”

  Wendy sighed. “I agree. When I get a chance, I’ll call around the lodges and see if one of them will take it. But they probably won’t collect it until tomorrow, as all the vehicles will be out with guests on evening game drives.”

  Rose hesitated. She didn’t want the responsibility of a baby oryx at the moment, although she was happy to provide any care and medical attention it needed.

  Perhaps Wendy correctly interpreted her silence. “We’ll keep it in our tent overnight until someone comes for it. Tell me what we need to do.”

  “If you have a spare blanket, put it in the box to help keep it warm. Now, I wonder if there is anyone at the Charge with a baby, who would be willing to give us a spare baby bottle with a teat. I really need to get it to drink some water and electrolytes in the next few hours.”

  Wendy became business-like. “You’ve had a long day out at your guard post and you must be feeling pretty grubby. Why don’t you have a shower, and I’ll get someone to take the oryx to our tent? And I’ll ask around for a baby bottle so you can feed it back at our camp, where it will be quieter.”

  Rose reached the officials camp without further interruptions. “Can you prepare water for a shower?” she asked the stained white-shirted member of camp staff. Water was already being heated in a large oil drum over a wood fire. He tipped some hot water into a white container, carried it over to one of the canvas-clad shower cubicles, and hoisted it aloft.

  A pipe dropped down from the container with a shower head attached to its e
nd. Rose entered the cubicle and when she was ready, she reached up, turned a lever in the pipe, and water sprayed out. She relaxed as water ran over her wrinkled body and she felt some of the day’s tension wash away.

  She dressed in a pair of jeans, a clean striped shirt, and draped a fleece jacket around her shoulders.

  “Mama Rose, Memsahib Wendy brought the baby animal and ask me to give you this.” The man handed her a small plastic baby bottle. “It in that tent.” He pointed across at another green canvas tent whose front flap was tied open.

  Rose returned to her own tent, opened a bottle of water, and poured some into the baby bottle. In a side pocket of her canvas bag she found a clear plastic bag with various packets inside, including a natural-flavoured rehydration sachet containing electrolytes and glucose. She tipped the powder into the bottle, screwed on the teat top, and shook it to mix the solution. Now all she had to do was persuade the young oryx to drink it.

  Rose peered inside Wendy and Frank’s tent. The oryx had been placed in the front corner and was partially covered by a red and green shuka blanket. It appeared calmer and its eyes, although still sunken, did not flash in fear.

  “There we go, that’s better isn’t it? It’s much quieter here.” Rose’s voice was soft and soothing.

  She slowly lowered herself and sat down next to the oryx’s box. She gently prodded the animal’s lips with the teat and although they wrinkled, its mouth didn’t open. “Come on, open wide. You need to drink this.”

  She leaned forward and massaged the oryx’s lips with her index finger. They wrinkled again and she reached into the corner of its mouth and inserted the teat. Its head recoiled, but then leant toward her. Rose tried again and this time the small antelope sucked at the teat. It began to drink.

  “There’s a good little thing,” Rose cooed.