Jana cringed. She may as well join the rest of the bridesmaids setting up the party. She could put that whole conversation with Anil aside for the sake of her friends. But she did need to finish the conversation—and soon.
She had no idea how she could pretend to be okay with the man now. Not when he clearly wanted something from her. Something that he knew Jana wouldn’t want to give.
Jana was curious what that was. Terrified, but curious.
Chapter 9
Daddy, when will we see gorillas?” Imani asked. They’d been driving through Serengeti National Park for close to an hour, and pretty much all they’d seen were wildebeests. Lots and lots of wildebeests.
“Sorry, sweets,” Anil said. “There aren’t any gorillas in Tanzania.” He frowned. “I guarantee we’ll see baboons, though. We will see baboons, won’t we, Joseph?”
Joseph, their incredibly cheerful and patient tour guide/driver for the day, nodded. “I guarantee it, my friend.” He said something in Swahili into his radio. Jana’s Swahili was terrible, but she was pretty sure he said, “Who has seen baboons? A little girl wants baboons.”
Despite the wildebeests, the incredibly bumpy road, Imani’s boredom, Mom’s lying, Kamila’s meddling, and of course, Anil’s presence, Jana was enjoying their first game drive. The scenery was breathtaking: Wide, open spaces as far as the eye could see, except for the many other tour vehicles around. Sturdy baobab and wispy acacia trees in the distance. Palms, shrubs, and more birds than Jana had seen in her life. Even without the primates (or any mammals other than wildebeests), the Serengeti wasspectacular.
The vehicle slowed after they came around a bend. Jana remembered from her safari as a teen that slowing like this meant that the driver thought something worth seeing was nearby.
And yes. It was most definitely worth seeing.
It was a pride of lions. Three full-grown female ones, and one smaller young one—a baby.
“Simba!” Imani yelled out.
Simbawas the Swahili word forlion, but Jana was pretty sure that Imani’s outburst was more due to watchingThe Lion Kingat least thirty-seven times in the last two months than the Swahili words they’d been practicing at home.
The lions were majestic, lounging among the tall grasses. They looked regal and…content. Satisfied. Like they were exactly where they belonged in the world.
“Those are three lady lions and one of their babies,” Joseph said.
“It’s like the hashtag Bridal Brigade, right, Imani?” Kamila asked. She was in the Toyota Land Cruiser with them, along with Mom, Nicole, and Asha. The rest of the Bridal Brigade was in another Land Cruiser behind them, along with Shelina’s kids. “All your aunties and you!”
“Where’s the daddy lion?” Imani asked.
Jana turned to answer Imani. “The male lions don’t live in the pack with the female lions.”
“Mommy Lion doesn’t like Daddy Lion. That’s why Daddy doesn’t live with us! That’s why Simba needs aunties!”
Jana blinked at her daughter, not knowing how to respond to that. Especially with Anil sitting right there.
“Your mommy and daddy like each other,” Anil said, patting his daughter’s arm reassuringly. “And you live with me every other week.”
“And I’m here,” Mom said. “And Kassim Uncle, too. There is nothing wrong with being a child of di—”
“Look! There’s another baby lion right over there!” Kamila broke in.
Clearly Jana needed to talk to her mother today. This charade had to end before Anil found out about Mom’s little lie.
***
The following evening, Jana was in her room getting ready for a mehndi and spa night in Kamila’s suite. When Jana got out of the shower, Mom was picking out jewelry in her room, and Imani was playing a game in the sitting room on her iPad with her big pink headphones on.
Finally, Jana could talk to her mother alone. Mom had been with the aunties all day.
“Mom, you can’t mentiondivorcein front of Anil. He doesn’t know about this little lie of yours.” Jana sat on Mom’s bed and started brushing her hair.
Mom waved her hand. “Beta, it’s not a lie. You were with him, and now you are not.”
“But we were nevermarried.”
