The Last Elephant Keeper

Part 52

Abel felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Losing his brother had been a devastating blow that had left him reeling. They had been close, as close as brothers could be, and Abel had never really recovered from his death. And then, just a few months later, he had lost the love of his life. It had been a sudden and unexpected heart attack that had taken her from him, and he had been shattered by the loss.

Abel had always been a proud and stubborn man, and he had never been one to show his emotions. But losing his brother who he clashed with and his unrequited love had emotional imploded him, and he was struggling to keep it all together. He knew that he was acting irrationally, but he couldn't help it. He was consumed by a sense of grief and anger that he couldn't shake, and it was driving him to do things that he knew were wrong.

Abel knew that he had become increasingly erratic, but he couldn't help it. He felt like he was losing his grip on reality, Khumo's storming of his palace had worsened an already deteriorating situation. The memory of his brother's death haunted him, and the loss of his long-time love only added to his pain. He had tried to move on, but he couldn't escape the feeling that he was meant to be with her.

They soon got close, but far to close for Pete, and Dave's liking, "You might scare off the elephants.", Pete quipped.

Pete suggested that they prepare some food to eat and take their minds off things. Maybe catch some rest too. Dave agreed and prepped some supplies from the back of the bakkie. As they cooked, they could hear Abel still muttering to himself in the background, but they tried their best to ignore it.

After a few minutes of cooking, Dave brought over some plates of food and they sat down to eat. The food was simple but it was enough to fill their stomachs. As they ate, they talked about their plans for the future and what they would do with their share of the money once they completed this job.

Abel sat far couldn't sleep. He lay there in his tent, staring at the ceiling, haunted by memories of his brother and his lost love. He knew he had to push those thoughts aside if he was going to succeed in his mission, but it was easier said than done.

The group awoke late the next day, as rain soon came down in sheets, pummelling the ground and obscuring their view. Abel, Pete, and Dave struggled to stay on their feet as their bakkie trudged forward, their eyes searching for any sign of Khumo and her group. The thunder and lightning made it nearly impossible to hear anything over the sound of the rain. Abel had a grim expression on his face, determined to catch Khumo and her elephants. They soon packed up everything, and rushed off to find Khumo.

Khumo urged the elephants forward, her heart racing with fear and adrenaline. She knew they had to find shelter from the storm, or they would be in grave danger. As they ran, she spotted a cave in the distance and directed the elephants towards it. As they huddled under a makeshift shelter, watching the storm rage outside, Pete and Dave couldn't help but marvel at Khumo's ability to control the elephants. "Did you see that?" Pete whispered to Dave. "How did she do that? She just called out to them, and they followed her into that cave like it was nothing."

Dave shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know, man. She's something else. I've never seen anything like it."

The two men fell into a thoughtful silence, watching Khumo as she tended to the elephants. They couldn't help but wonder what made her so special. Was it her strength? Her determination? Or was it something else entirely?

"She's different," Pete said finally. "You can see it in the way she carries herself. She's not like other people."

Dave nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. It's like she's got this aura around her, this energy that draws people in. And the animals, too."

The two men continued to watch Khumo in silence, their minds racing with questions and speculation. How had she gained the trust of these massive creatures so quickly? What was her secret? And, more importantly, how were they going to catch the animals, with limited weapons.