Taming the lion

Chapter 20

Waking the next morning, I was exhausted; my body felt as though a Rhino had trampled it, and my head had the ache that normally only a night of scotch could bring.

Dragging myself from bed, I smiled when I smelt the now-familiar morning aroma of bacon and eggs wafting in through the open window my mother had taken over the park kitchen, and breakfast had become her favourite meal. My stomach rumbled most mornings happily. I avoided the hall, preferring to eat something small, but this morning, the idea of a large greasy meal was mouth-watering, 

Dressing quickly, I hurried out of the cabin and up to the Hall. This was where the guests would take all their meals and could gather for activities. It could be transformed many times throughout the day; right now, just the front of the hall closest to the industrial kitchen had several picnic tables set up with plates of bacon and eggs adorning them; most of the workers were already seated and eating. 

"How you feeling this morning."

Brax greeted me; he seemed a little wary, and that bothered me. I didn't want my closest friend nervous around me.

"I'm okay I answered him, smiling and hoping it came across as reassuring as I tried to make it.

Silence settled at the table, the uncomfortable kind we could not hope to work like this.

"So," I said to no one in particular.

" Last night was a little strange and uncomfortable but didn't worry, I'm fine, and we have so much work to do today. So let's focus on that, and whatever is going on with me, we can tackle later, ok."

Brax and Fernando nodded, looking relieved that I didn't want to re-live all that happened. It was my problem, and I would handle it, but it was too much to think about right now, and we had more important things to do.

"Jacey", my mum was calling me from the kitchen, "Are you ready to go."

We were heading into town today to purchase linens and other miscellaneous items for the guest cabin. I was really excited about it.

"Sure, mum, just give me a minute to go over some jobs with Brax, and I'll meet you in the car."

 The city of Irina was about a 2-hour drive from lion's haven. Most things we needed could be sourced from the local village or the smaller outlining towns around the area; being relatively close to the Ruaha national park, a few small villages sold things now that they wouldn't have years ago thanks to the growing tourist trade. For what we required today, though, a long journey was required, and Iringa was the closest thing to a major city we would get.

I was excited; this was the first time Mum and I were getting away from the sanctuary, and only the second time except to attend local animal auctions I had left the place at all.

Iringa was a beautiful but crowded town. We headed straight to the main market place although we passed plenty of smaller stands along the way selling all sorts of things from cards, wooden statues, idols and beaded items made by local craftsmen. Finally, I found the store I was looking for tucked in the corner of the square; It was a crafts store that sold beautiful embroidered blankets and odd trinkets and woven baskets. The blankets were what I had come all this way for one of the worker's wives had recommended them, and I thought they would brighten the rooms and maybe to raise extra funds, we could sell them and other craft items in a small gift shop. I had been thinking of opening one it would provide a job for the local women as well as give them some sense of being involved in the sanctuary, a lot of the people that lived in the area around lions haven were still wary of me and what the opening of a tourist attraction would mean to their isolated simple lives.