Amie- Savage Safari by Lucinda E Clarke

Author:Lucinda E Clarke [Clarke, Lucinda E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Umhlanga Press
Published: 2019-02-25T22:00:00+00:00

32 SIMON MEETS LUCKY

The Boeing 747 jumbo jet touched down at Apatu airport and Simon grabbed his hand luggage. Long before they opened the doors, he stood in the aisle at the front of the queue ready to disembark. He was anxious to hook up with his team.

He rushed down the steps, dragging his cabin case behind him. He’d taken the time on the plane to make a list of the supplies he needed to pick up before heading into the bush.

He was surprised to be greeted by name. A young African was just airside and held out his hand.

“It is Mr Simon, yes?” he said.

“Excellent guess. It is indeed.”

“I am Lucky.”

Simon was about to agree it was lucky they’d made contact so quickly until he remembered that Lucky was the man’s name. They shook hands and hurried into the airport, where the fans did little to dissipate the heat. Simon sweated profusely in his winter clothes and couldn’t wait to change into something more suitable.

His companion steered him to the far end of the immigration counter, holding out his hand for Simon’s passport. He slapped it on the counter and spoke in rapid Togodian to the sleepy official on duty who rubbed his eyes, leaned forward, and studied the document. To Simon’s amusement he held it upside down before turning it the right way up. The immigration officer glanced at the picture, stared hard at the new arrival’s face, then nodded and stamped the document several times using a variety of stamps in different colours before leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes again.

Simon was relieved he hadn’t been asked questions, even though Sir Gerald had given him a basic background story. He hardly looked like a tourist in the clothes he was wearing, and wasn’t confident anybody would believe him. He had no hotel booked and no official safari planned either. There had been too little time to set up a proper cover for him.

He grabbed his passport and walked outside with Lucky to an old Toyota Corolla. Lucky bowed slightly as he held the passenger door open. He flung Simon’s case onto the back seat and climbed in behind the wheel.

Simon felt for his seat belt but there wasn’t one. The moment Lucky started the car, he was first thrown against the dashboard and then back in his seat as Lucky wrenched the gear stick from reverse into second gear.

Lucky smiled at him. “This one pedal, it does not work so well, so sometimes the car, it jumps.”

“Yes,” Simon said and pushed himself right back into his seat and held on to the broken roof handle. “You might need a new clutch?” he observed as Lucky attempted to grind the gear stick into third.

“Ah, but it is a good car. It can go many more miles yet. I have it long time.”

A bloody long time, Simon thought eying the stuffing leaking out of the front seats, the cracks in the dashboard from the sun’s heat

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