Out of the Shadows

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 Paul shook both men’s hands. Simon gave them all a nodding bow.

For a moment Ben’s eyes met Leslie’s, and he looked like he wanted to say something. Finally, he copied Simon and simply nodded. “Leslie.” Then, without waiting for an acknowledgment, he turned and followed Simon to the Jeep.

CHAPTER FIVE

“LESLIE! LESLIE, HONEY, wake up!” Mama Joe knocked loudly before barging into the bedroom. “You need to get ready for a delivery.”

Leslie opened her eyes and blinked. It was still dark outside, but the light from the hallway allowed her to focus on Mama Joe’s face through the mosquito net. “Okay...okay...” She sat up in bed and swept her hands at the netting, trying to find the opening. “What time is it?”

“About six.” Leslie was surprised to see that the older woman was ready for work. “Get dressed and come have coffee and a bite, and I’ll fill you in.” Mama Joe closed the door as she left.

Leslie crawled out of bed and—after checking the floor for spiders—quickly got ready. She joined Mama Joe in the kitchen. True to her word, Mama Joe had a cup of coffee and toast with jam waiting. Gratefully, Leslie took a sip of the rich black coffee and sighed with pleasure. “Okay, what’s up?” she asked.

“Father Christopher just called.”

“Father Christopher?”

“Oh. Didn’t I mention? He’s a priest—a very old friend—who has a mission in the Lake Magadi region. He works with the Masai people.” Mama Joe paused for a second and took a sip of her own coffee. “A woman in their area just went into labor. She has already lost two infants at birth, and so Father Chris wants us to help with the delivery rather than relying on the village midwives.”

Leslie nodded. “That makes sense. Where’s Lake Magadi?”

“It’s not far. Only about seventy or eighty miles.”

Leslie sipped her coffee. If the woman was in early labor, they should have plenty of time to travel eighty miles. “Sure. When do we leave?”

“Er...well, that’s the thing. It won’t be us—it’ll be you.”

Leslie’s cup stopped halfway to her mouth. “What?”

“Honey, I’m leaving tomorrow. I’ve worked with you for two weeks now. You’ve delivered four babies during that time, and I know you can do this.” Mama Joe took a bite of toast, then added, “Besides, I haven’t started packing.”

“But...”

“It’ll be over before you know it. Just a quick flight down and—”

“Flight?” Leslie set her cup down with a start. “But if it’s only eighty miles...”

“The road in that direction is terrible, so driving is out. I’ve already talked to Ben. It’s all set. You need to meet him at the airstrip in about half an hour.”