Page 11 of Five Goodbyes

“Nope, but we do have delicious home-brewed coffee. The eggs and bread are also ready and waiting for you. Be sure to grab some fruit.” Mora says.

“Thank you. I need a gallon of coffee before food,” Jasmine says as she quickly makes her way to the pot.

“Some things never change,” Mora says with a laugh. I nod. Jasmine isn’t quite human before two cups of coffee. It’s better not to provoke her . . . I do it anyway.

After Jasmine’s first cup is gone, and she starts on her second, we dig into the wonderful breakfast with eggs produced right here in the community, and the bread freshly made. Mora and Philip tell us about the day's plans while we overindulge.

“We thought we'd take you on a guided tour to see the mountain gorillas,” Philip says. “It's an incredible experience you shouldn’t miss out on. Are you up for it today, or too jetlagged?”

Jasmine and I are immediately intrigued and excited. We discussed the possibility of seeing gorillas in their natural habitat on the flight but didn’t think it would be possible.

“Are you serious?” Jasmine asks, practically bouncing in her seat. “I could be half dead and still jump at this rare opportunity.”

Mora nods. “Good, you’ll love it. We've arranged for a guide to take us up the mountain. It's about a two hour hike, but well worth it.”

“It’s not just any guide. Mora saved a woman’s life a few months ago. That woman happened to be our guide’s sister. We don’t take advantage of it, but he told us any time we want to go see the gorillas he’ll drop everything and everyone else to take us,” Philip adds.

“Thank you so much,” I say.

We scarf down our food a bit faster, and finish just as our guide arrives. He’s a tall man with a kind smile and gentle voice. “Good morning. My name’s Patrick. If you’re friends of Ms. Mora’s, then you’re immediate friends of mine. Welcome to Congo. Are you ready to see the gorillas?”

We all nod eagerly as he hands us each a walking stick. “These will help you navigate the terrain,” he explains. “We'll be hiking through the forest, so it can be steep and slippery in places.”

As we set off, Patrick leads, pointing out various plants and animals along the way. He tells us about the history of the gorillas in the Congo, and the efforts being made to protect them from poaching and habitat destruction. The comment about poaching isn’t lost on me. Anyone paying attention to their surroundings will notice the six men on the trek with us. They’re holding rifles and focused on the surrounding area, looking for anything nefarious.

After about an hour and a half of hiking, Patrick stops and motions for us to be quiet. “We're getting close,” he whispers. “Stay behind me, and don't make any sudden movements.”

As we creep forward, we hear rustling in the bushes ahead. My heart starts pounding as we approach the edge of a clearing. And then we see them: a group of mountain gorillas, lounging in the sun.

“Look,” I whisper to Jasmine, who’s behind me. I pivot and create an opening for her.

They’re incredible creatures, massive and powerful, but with a gentleness in their eyes that’s almost human. We watch in awe as they groom each other. We laugh as what we’d consider a toddler, gets one of its little friends to go with it and start pestering one of the teenagers trying to take a nap. The two little ones act exactly like young siblings act with a big brother or sister. The older one finally has enough and starts to get physical with the little ones, until the mom comes over and puts an end to it.

Patrick motions for us to stay quiet and still as some of the gorillas make their way toward us. We sit here for what feels like hours as these magnificent creatures investigate us, making noises and movements toward our guide that are obviously welcoming to a human they’ve come to trust after years of contact. It’s nothing short of miraculous to watch these brilliant animals in their natural habitat. Jasmine and I both feel a deep sense of awe and gratitude, knowing that we’re witnessing something truly special, something that not many ever get to see in person.

“Don’t make eye contact,” Patrick softly whispers as one of the female gorillas comes over to Jasmine and me.

Doing as we’re told, both of us put our faces down as the female circles us. I hold my breath as the matriarch of the group lifts Jasmine’s hair between her fingers, smelling it, and deciding it worthy of not being ripped from Jazzy’s head. She then turns her attention to me, pulling my hat off and mimicking how I wear it by placing it on top of her own. I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. I’m in heaven.

The male, a monster in his physicality and presence of dominance, gives a quick grunt that brings the matriarch back to her senses, and has her walking back to the group. She forgets to let go of my hat and I realize the chances of getting it back are slim to none. Too bad, as it’s one of my favorites . . . but well worth the sacrifice and a story I’m going to love telling everyone about for the rest of my life. Heck, this might be the last story I tell on my deathbed. This is about the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me. I want a picture, dang it.

We’re in the middle of a dream, continuing to watch the majestic gorillas as they go about the later part of their day, completely at ease with our presence. I could stay here forever, and by the expression on Jasmine’s mesmerized face, it’s more than obvious she feels the same.

In a terrifying instant, though, everything changes. One of the gorillas lets out a loud alert call, and immediately the energy in our group shifts. We feel the tension and worry emanating from the animals.

Patrick begins shouting in his native language to the men with the long guns who are hiding in the brush while also urging us to move away from the gorillas as quickly and carefully as possible. Mora and Philip, who have been calm and collected up until this point, suddenly look panicked.

“What's happening?” I call, my heart pumping hard as fight or flight is in full force. The guides are too busy shouting to answer me.

We scramble to follow their instructions. As we move away from the gorillas I feel a deep sense of uncertainty. What if one of the gorillas attacks us? What if it’s the silverback? It certainly won’t be a fight I want to have because I know the outcome, and it isn’t one in my favor. I’ll do it though to save this woman I love. I’ll stand in front of that King Kong looking fool if it shows any intent of wanting to injure Jasmine.

I’m thrilled to see the guides are experienced in how they handle themselves and their group as a whole. While I can’t understand what they’re saying, they’re speaking enough for me to understand they know how to handle this situation very well. They communicate with the gorillas in a way that we might not be able to comprehend, but slowly and surely, the animals begin to calm down.

“They can sense something is wrong,” Mora says, her voice trembling. “I've never seen them react like this before.”

Philip nods in agreement. “They're such intelligent creatures. It's amazing how in tune they are with their surroundings.”

Then the mountain explodes in a fury of gorillas screaming and sprinting into the depths of the mountain. Their screams rip at our eardrums, and then a sound I know far too well follows, a gunshot followed by two more. There’s only one thing this can mean . . . poachers . . . evil bastards.

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