Although she was stunned, Judy managed to interject herself into the conversation. “Leslie, I’m so sorry. How awful for you.” Tears formed in her eyes.
Leslie nodded to her and gave a little shrug. “Let’s not talk about it.” Abruptly, she stood up. “The kids wanted me to look at the puppies.”
Paul and Judy started to rise, too, but she motioned for them to stay seated. “No, please. It’s okay. Why don’t you go ahead and have dessert? I need a minute.” Without waiting for a reply, she let herself out.
* * *
ALONE IN THE WARM SUNSHINE, Leslie felt a sense of relief. She strolled through the lovely garden, absorbing the delicate scents. The peaceful space gave her an opportunity to calm her emotions. Determined to recover her enjoyment of the day, she followed the sound of children’s laughter to a shed near one corner of the walled compound. Inside she saw the two children sitting beside a large black dog. The dog was lying on her side, and Leslie counted eight puppies greedily nursing.
Beth jumped up and grabbed Leslie’s hand, drawing her into the shed. “Her name is Lady, and she’s really nice. You can pat her, but don’t bother the puppies while they’re eating.”
The dog looked up with friendly brown eyes, and her tail thumped slightly in welcome. Leslie smiled while holding out her hand for Lady to sniff. “Hello, there. What a lovely family you have.” The dog’s tail thumped again, and Leslie rubbed her behind the ears. Sitting down in the dirt beside the children, she asked, “Do the puppies have names?”
Johnny pointed to the largest puppy. “I call that one Horton, ’cause he eats the most.” He pointed out one of the others. “That one is Sam. His name is really Sam-I-Am, but we just call him Sam.”
Beth decided it was her turn and indicated a brown-spotted white fluff of fur. “This is Dora. She’s named after a character in one of my favorite books.”
The children introduced the remaining puppies to Leslie. After they finished eating, Leslie watched as the children gently picked up the small animals and stroked their coats. “Their eyes are just starting to open. Mom said it will take a couple of days, but then they can see,” Johnny explained.
Spending time with the children helped restore Leslie’s good mood, and soon she felt it was time to rejoin the others. She rose. “I probably need to see if your mom needs help cleaning the kitchen. Thank you for showing me the puppies.”
She was still smiling when she stepped outside and turned toward the house. She stopped short, however, when she became aware of a man standing only a few feet away. The bright sunlight momentarily blinded her, but what she could make out alarmed her. Her heart rate soared as her vision cleared. A Masai warrior in tribal clothing was staring at her.
He towered over her, and she guessed that he was well over six-and-a-half-feet tall. Red cloth, the exact color of blood, draped his body. The drape covered one shoulder, and the cloth formed a skirt that reached just below his knees. A wide collar made of tiny red, white, green and blue beads adorned his neck, and a kind of leather necklace, decorated with claws of some sort, reached past the middle of his chest. She blinked again when she saw the spear he carried in his right hand—it was even taller than the warrior. His expression was fierce, and he watched intently as she took an involuntary step back toward the shack.
A wave of fear nearly overwhelmed her. She swallowed hard and managed to squeak, “Jambo.”
The man’s eyes did not leave hers. “Jambo.” His voice was a deep growl.
A giggle from the shed reminded Leslie of the children, and she felt a moment of panic. Johnny and Beth! She had to get the man away from the children. Her eyes held his as she started to move slowly toward the house, and she was relieved when his attention remained on her rather than on the shed. Her limited Swahili had deserted her, so she spoke in English. “What do you want?”
He did not move but simply stared at her. She could read nothing in his coal-black eyes.
She tried again, grateful that her voice sounded stronger. “The preacher? Do you want to see the preacher?”
He shook his head slightly. “No.” She was struck again by the deep timbre of his voice. “No. I want to see the pilot.” His cadence was slow and the English was heavily accented.
Another giggle from the shed drew the attention of both Leslie and the warrior. Before Leslie could shout a warning, Johnny appeared at the door with Beth close behind him. As Leslie tried to gather breath for a scream that she hoped would be heard in the house, Johnny spoke. “Hey, Simon. Do you want to see our puppies?”
Pushing past her brother, Beth reached for the hand of the amazingly tall man. “We have eight puppies, and Johnny and I help take care of them.”
The Masai warrior grinned down at the little girl. As soon as she saw the change in his expression, Leslie felt a rush of relief so strong that she felt faint. The man’s face was split by a smile revealing large, astonishingly white teeth, with a gap in front almost wide enough to hold another tooth.
The deep voice responded to the child’s question. “I am sorry. I cannot stay now, Missy Beth. I must get Ben. I will see the small dogs another time.”
“That’s okay. Uncle Ben’s in the house.” Still holding the man’s hand, the little girl pulled him in that direction. “We just ate lunch. Did you eat? I bet Mom has some extra food if you’re hungry.”
“I’ll go tell Mom.” Johnny ran ahead, and within seconds he bounded up the front steps.
It took the better part of a minute for Leslie to control her breathing and follow the two children and the giant to the house. She was simultaneously relieved and acutely embarrassed. She’d read about the Masai tribesmen in preparation for their trip and knew they were friendly. But even though she’d seen pictures, this man’s appearance had been startling—and so fearsome that she had been terrified.
Leslie continued toward the house and watched as Ben and Paul met Simon on the front porch. Paul gave the warrior a hearty handshake, and his friendly smile met Simon’s gap-toothed grin. She noted that Ben and Simon did not shake hands; despite the distance, she discerned an obvious ease, even affection, between the two men. Paul asked a question in Swahili, and Simon nodded. A brief three-way conversation followed, and then the men turned in unison to look at Leslie.
Paul motioned for her to join them, and they stepped aside to allow her onto the porch. “Leslie, this is Simon Osagie. He works with Ben.”
Leslie held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Simon.”
“It is my pleasure, Miss Leslie.” Despite his thick accent, she had no trouble making out the words.
Ben watched her closely. “Simon thinks that he frightened you. He wants to apologize.” Normally, Ben would have been amused, but after his earlier behavior he was uncharacteristically reserved.
Leslie gave Simon a shy smile, then addressed him directly. “No. No. It’s fine. I was alarmed when I first saw you, but I see that was foolish.”
Ben tried to soothe her discomfort. “It can be pretty startling to see the Masai in full regalia. Simon usually wears T-shirts and Bermudas. He dresses this way for special occasions.”
Simon watched her for a moment and then looked back at Ben and said something. Ben shrugged in reply, and both men looked at Leslie. Simon’s expressive face showed curiosity, but she could not read Ben’s.
Mama Joe and Judy joined the group on the porch, and both women greeted the giant warrior with affection. Judy asked him into the house for coffee, but Simon shook his head and indicated Ben’s Jeep. Ben explained, “There was a wedding in Simon’s family. He came here to get a ride home and to remind me that I have to get ready to fly out tomorrow. We need to be on our way.” Both Mama Joe and Judy hugged the pilot, and