Page 47 of Walk on the Wilder Side

Ndungu looked up, his mouth pulling back into a cringe while he looked at me. “It was in my hand when we went in. I must have dropped it. Does anyone else have a working phone on them?”

We all shook our heads.

I pinched my temples. “For crying out loud, from this day forward, we vow to keep a Sat phone strapped to one of us at all times when we’re on our Wilder widow adventures. We seriously have no way to call for help?”

Sylvie pulled her phone out and looked at it. “No luck. I’ve been using mine for photos, but no reception out here. Zero bars.”

“None of our phones from the States are gonna have reception out here,” Marge answered.

“So, we can’t call for help?” Doris whimpered.

Before we could panic anymore, Ndungu lifted his hands. “It’s okay. There is a tribe not far from here. We can walk there and wait for help to come. There are protocols in place for this. When we don’t arrive back to camp, and they don’t hear from us, they will send out search parties. Protocol states we take shelter at one of the tribe camps, so they will search there first. We will likely spend the night out here, but they’ll find us come morning.”

Doris’s eyes widened. “We’re spending the night out here? Didn’t you tell usnotto be out here at night?”

“We’ll be safe at a camp. It’s only a two hour walk that way.” Ndungu pointed to the east. “If we hurry, we’ll make it there before dark.”

“Holy cripes. We’re gonna stay out in the bush! Yes!” Marge cheered.

I turned to her. “If you keep celebrating the fact we’re stranded in the African wilderness, I’m going to give you another black eye.”

She smirked. “I think it’s gonna be cool. We’ll be roughing it like we’re on a real safari and not the fancy resort kind you picked. It’ll be fun, ladies.”

Doris picked herself up out of the dirt. “It will be safe there?”

“Yes. Very,” Ndungu assured us. “We have longstanding relationships with these tribes. They will take us in and give us food and shelter while we wait. You have nothing to worry about.”

Marge leveled him with a stern stare. “They aren’t cannibals, are they? I’ve seen enough movies to know where this could end up. And tasty as I bet they’d be, I don’t want to be serving up my limbs for supper.”

He chuckled. “There are no cannibal tribes in this area. You’re safe.”

Marge gave him another look. “As long as you’re sure.”

“I’m sure. And anywhere out there is a hell of a lot safer than we are near that hippo. I can assure you of that. So, we need to move. Now.”

The water behind us splashed, and the big hippo emerged, its eyes fixated on us.

“You know what, as long as it’s far away from that hippo, I’m in.” Sylvie jumped up and hurried over to Ndungu. “Lead the way.”

With a heavy sigh, I wrung out my shirt then stumbled over to Ndungu. “Alright. Let’s go.”

We followed behind him, dragging our water-logged bodies away from the dangers of the river behind us. One foot in front of the other, we started our trek across the African plains toward the camp Ndungu continued telling us about. We had made it almost an hour into our exhausting journey when we saw a herd of elephants and rhinos up ahead.

“Can we stop for a second and rest our feet and watch the elephants?” Doris placed her hand on her knees, bending over while she caught her breath. “I’m exhausted.”

“We can break for ten,” Ndungu said. “We don’t want to get caught out here after sunset, and we have about an hour left.” He pointed to the sky. “Sunset is in an hour and a half. So, take a quick break, but then we move.”

“My whole body hurts,” Sylvie said as she walked us toward a soft grassy spot. “I would kill for a hot bath and a soft bed.”

“Same,” I agreed. “I’m getting us all massages when we get back.”

“Ah, quit your griping,” Marge gruffed. “Just try to enjoy this incredible experience. We’re on a safari in Africa, ladies!”

“We’re stranded in the wilderness, Marge. Don’t try to sugarcoat it,” I fired back.

“Fine. You pansies can grump all you want, but I think this is awesome. And I want to reiterate one more time that this isn’tmywish causing us to come face to face with death ... it’s yours, Alice. So don’t be bitching to me about the situation we’re in.” She grinned her messed-up smile, and I flipped her the bird.

“I’m pooped!” Doris hurried over to the grass, then plopped down on a soft spot. “Ah, this is so nice.”

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