A Rugged Ranger Remembers

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LION STORY

Today is 13th May 2009 and is exactly 23 months since Norman’s allergic reaction in Japan.  I first saw him 4 weeks after the incident and he only managed to say one single word that day – it was “Water”.  Today in speech therapy he managed an entire story.  It took him 45 minutes but each word is faithfully recorded just as he told it.  This is his first story :-

I worked at Sabi Sabi in a private game reserve.  We had not seen lions in twenty one days – long time!!  We saw tracks and I told my tracker Richard Ndubane.  I said to him, “we are going to find these lions today.”  I tracked these lions with Richard until I came upon the Saluti Railway Line.  When I was on top of the line I pointed out to Richard the way the lions went.  I could see the tracks.  As soon as I pointed towards the way they went I saw a lioness jump out of a termite mound.  She was charging me from one hundred and fifty meters away.  She zig-zagged through the bush.   I knew this was a serious charge.  I cocked my rifle and my tracker said,”shoot her, shoot her,” in his own language.  She meant business and she stopped about one and a half meters from me.  My tracker was screaming, “Shoot her!” and my guests could see me.  Anyway, I thought to myself – if she touched the gun I would have to shoot her.  I stood my ground.  I shouted my lungs out and said “F*%# O**” and she backed away.  I took one step back and she charged again.  I felt the railway stones hit me on my legs.  She looked back at her cubs and I took another step back.  She growled at me again.  I took another step back and by this time the adrenalin was pumping inside me.  I managed to back my way out and she went back to her cubs.  I then lit up a cigarette.  I battle to light it because of the adrenalin.  When I got back to my guests I said, “You see the lions?”.  They were all Italian and not the bravest people on earth.  I said to them “Lets go and see these lions.”  They said,”No, No!! We want to see other lions.”  I think they shat themselves and  they didn’t want to go to those lions – they wanted to see other less aggressive lions.

The End.

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