Cry In Africa

By MR Gooding

Boseli stands 10 feet tall and weighs about 12,000 pounds. He is an African elephant and the largest land animal in the world, but today he is just another expectant father pacing nervously back and forth swinging his trunk and looking worried.

"Brother, why do you pace?" Boseli's younger sibling, Ambos, questioned his more experienced brother.

"For the last time, I am not pacing, Ambos!" Boseli's deep voice trumpeted.

"Forgive me brother, you are right," Ambos admitted, "You are stomping." He smiled at Boseli to ease the tension.

"Boseli," his brother turned serious, "You know this nervous pacing and intense trunk swinging will not hasten the birth of your calf. Let us go for a walk and leave the females to their duties." Boseli knew young Ambos was right. "All right Ambos," he sighed heavily. "I need to bathe with the wet dirt to cool myself and it may occupy my thoughts." The two brothers wandered off to bathe in the mud hole but Boseli kept his ears open for the mother's cry of relief.

There were plenty of elephants already at the mud hole when the two brothers arrived. "Hey, Boseli! One elephant tooted, "my female's calf is a healthy 250 pound male! He's almost two hours old! Boseli waved his trunk, "Congratulations, you and Nami must be very proud!" My Savannah is still with the matriarch and she won't let me near her yet!" Boseli said with disappointment.

The matriarch was the leader of the herd of females. It was her responsibility to teach the other females about survival and to care for the young as a group for safety. Not even Boseli could disregard her guiding principles.

Boseli slid down the sloped embankment and into the soothing sludge. Ambos started in after him when he heard Savannah's proud call. Boseli turned to Ambos. He had heard her as well. Boseli reached his long muddy trunk upward to Ambos and he pulled his big brother up the slippery mud embankment.

Together, they charged back to where the matriarch and other females were gathered. They stopped suddenly when they glimpsed a large shadow nuzzling a smaller one. Slowly they came closer to the two plump figures and ambos, respecting his brother and his place in the herd, stopped and nudged Boseli forward. "She's exhausted, Bosei," the matriarch said firmly, "don't be long." She patted his shoulder with her trunk to show her approval and headed for the relaxing mud hole.

Savannah waved her trunk to her mate. "Come see our calf, Boseli," she whispered. "It will be as many as five years before we can have another. "He is going to need a name you know." She reached out her trunk and affectionately ran it up and down Boseli's. He winked at her and lowered his voice, "I know that his mother must have spent the entire 11 months of pregnancy thinking of one for him." "Well, she said with a playful smile, "I was thinking of a strong warrior name like 'Chad'. What do you think, Boseli?" Staring down at his new calf sprawled on the ground he didn't look like any warrior Boseli had ever seen. Still, he knew that when a name was given, usually, sometimes without knowing it, you would live up to your name. Boseli wanted his young male to be strong and perhaps become leader of the bachelor herd someday like himself. "I think you have chosen the perfect name for our offspring," he nodded. "I will announce his name to the others immediately while you get your much needed rest." Boseli stroked little Chad with his trunk.

Savannah laughed softly, "Our little Chad will bring us much amusement in about four months when he tries to control all of those 40,000 muscles that make up his trunk." "He will indeed," Boseli chuckled. Goodnight Savannah." "Goodnight Boseli."

MR Gooding
http://www.royalribbon.blogspot.com