The Last Elephant Keeper

Part 63

The sound of thunder and lightning echoed through the mountains, adding to the sense of despair and hopelessness, as streams of water begin to flow through the mountain pass.

Despite Khumo's attempts to pull Flash away, the young elephant remains fiercely protective of his mother as the storm worsens and floodwaters start to rise. Whisper and Thunder try to reason with Flash, but he is too consumed by his desire to care for Blaze. As the bodies of Abel, Pete, and Dave are slowly washed away by the floodwater, Khumo continues to plead with Flash, but he refuses to listen. Khumo can feel a sense of despair creeping in as she wonders if she has failed in her duties, and that there's little chance in convincing Flash otherwise.

The nearby lightning strikes made Khumo worried about the risk of electrocution if they stayed there any longer. Despite her attempts to persuade Flash, he stubbornly refuses to leave his mother's side. It was only when Hope intervened and forcefully dragged Flash away that they were able to find a way out of the flooding.

The strong current of the stream made it impossible for Khumo to move on her own, but Whisper came to the rescue and offered her back for Khumo to sit on, allowing them to move through the mountain pass more quickly. As they moved on, Khumo couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt and self-loathing for not being able to persuade Flash to leave his mother's side earlier.

Khumo's keen eye spots a path leading to a less turbulent section of the river, and she urges the elephants to take it, steering clear of the overpowering current of the main tributary. Flash keeps turning back, desperate for a last glimpse of Blaze before she slips from view. But the current proves too strong, and Blaze's lifeless body is carried downstream, leaving a trail of blood in the water, a scent of death that the elephants feel most deeply. They are aware of the loss of their kin, but they have no choice but to keep moving forward.

Khumo dismounts from Whisper and leads the group through the pounding rain and floodwaters. Her feet sink deep into the mud as she guides them to a cavern large enough to accommodate the elephants. The group finally finds some respite from the excruciating ordeal, settling in for some much-needed rest.

Khumo notices that the elephants seem listless, lacking their usual vigour. Flash, who was once so full of life, now sits numbly, likely replaying the memory of his mother's death over and over in his mind.

Khumo recognizes the need for the elephants to have their own space and time to process the trauma of their recent experience, so she chooses to let them be, huddling in the cavern as the relentless rain continues to lash down around them. There is little to be said or done in such a dire moment, so the group rests in silence, the only sound the sound of raindrops pounding against the rocky walls of the cave.

As Khumo rests, her thoughts turn inward, contemplating her own journey and the hardships she has endured. She gazes at the cavern walls, smoothed by the tumultuous climate, and wonders if her memories of loss will ever be softened by the gentle erosion of time. Is it possible for the raw pain of witnessing someone lose their mother to ever fade, or will it remain a constant, searing reminder of the fragility of life?

Despite the constant drumming of the rain, Khumo can hear the soft rustling of the elephants' trunks as they seek comfort in each other's company. She watches them in silence, marveling at the strength of their familial bonds and how maybe she doesn't belong with them, after having failed to realise that Abel would have been after them, she has left Flash orphaned.

Khumo tends to thelight bullet graze on her arm with the limited medical supplies she had savedfrom their long journey. With nothing else to do but wait, her mind begins towander. She imagines a world where she is back home, away from the forebodingheat of the African sun and the constant threat of danger. A world whererelationships are not forged from trauma and loss.