Caron and I had spent our first night in the desert
Our tent had been positioned at the base of a bare hill
We had been warned about the lions
Which had dictated our reasoning
As Caron slept I sat outside with a rifle
Aware that a lion could attack without warning
But I saw no lions and watched the sunrise with a curiosity
How beautiful the desert was but it was often so deadly
I had planned our trip with little care
After reading that a group of Dutch explorers
Had taken a grand piano into an African desert
Over two hundred years previously
After a light breakfast we began our trek
Caron was carrying a sports bag
Containing her clothes and a book of prayers
I was carrying a much larger bag which contained a tent
And our provisions which I was hoping would last a week
We were dressed simply in chinos and a white tee shirt
Caron was wearing leather sandals and for agility I was wearing trainers
The first day passed with little incident although I was aware
That some of the many antelope were behaving in an alarmed manner
Which may have been down to us but might have been an indicator
That a pride of lions were nearby and waiting to attack
On our second night we set up just before dusk
Our tent had been positioned at the base of a bare hill
We had been warned about the lions
Which had dictated our reasoning
As Caron slept I sat outside with a rifle
Aware that a lion could attack without warning
There was no sunrise the following morning
The whole desert was bathed in a very pale half light
As Caron made coffee on the camp fire
I remarked that although we could see the sun
It seemed that it was trapped on the horizon unable to move
This was an accepted part of life in the desert and indicated that water was nearby
I had paddled for while and was washing my wretched tee shirt when I heard voices
In the distance I could see Caron chatting with three people
Two guys and a girl who I supposed to be their sister
To their right there was an older man sitting on a rock with a rifle between his knees
Like me he was aware of the cunning behaviours of desert lions
After I had put on a fresh tee shirt I walked into the main room
Which was simply furnished in a faintly colonial style
Caron was sitting on settee with the two brothers
Whilst their sister was preparing coffee nearby
I could not hear their conversation clearly
But it appeared to be about vacationing in the deserts of Africa
As I sat on a small wooden chair I noticed that my chinos were still damp
But nobody else noticed so I ignored the inconvenience
The older man handed me his handsome rifle and began chatting
He explained that he and his children visited the deserts of Africa every year
In memory of his late father who had vanished in 1955 whilst searching for lions
He asked of our purpose and I explained that it was in memory of the Dutch explorers
And so that we could meet people such as himself whose fathers had vanished in 1955
Caron and I spent out third night in the desert under the stars
Our tent had been positioned at the base of a bare hill
We had been warned about the lions
Which had dictated our reasoning
As Caron slept I sat outside with a rifle
Aware that a lion could attack without warning