“Unlike the other hotels in the area, this property has no fence around it,” the hostess said. “The patrols are to keep you safe from all wildlife.”
“Wildlife!” Shelina exclaimed. “Big animals just wander around? Like…freely?”
“It’s perfectly safe. Nothing to worry about. Emanuel here will show you to your tents.”
They were taken to a path behind the building that led to the tents. “Mommy, Daddy, look!” Imani squealed. Their daughter had seen her first dik-dik.
The small animal was so much cuter in person than the pictures the Bridal Brigade had been sending each other. About the size of a golden retriever, the antelope had enormous eyes with thick black lashes, tiny little horns, and a sweet little heart-shaped nose.
Imani chased it as it bolted off the path.
“What is that?” Imani asked.
Emanuel, the porter, explained to Imani that they were called dik-diks, then told her about all the animals they could expect to see on the hotel grounds, including vervet monkeys, superb starlings, and others.
“Mommy, Mommy, he said sometimes elephants come, too! And that thing is called a dick!”
Jana snickered, because apparently being in the Bridal Brigade had given her the brain of a thirteen-year-old boy. Anil turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Which only made Jana laugh harder.
The tents were lovely but small. Made of heavy canvas walls with thatched roofs, they each had a covered veranda with two safari chairs in front. The tents all faced the same direction, with sweeping views of Tarangire National Park in front of them. After Emanuel showed them how to use the monkey lock, Jana looked around the room she’d be sharing with her mother. Facing the tent opening there was a large four-poster bed with a mosquito net draped over it, plus a small dresser and a chest at the edge of the bed. In the back was a bathroom with a solar shower, a composting toilet, and a small wash basin. It was just the right balance of luxury while feeling like they were a part of the park.
“These tents are amazing,” Jana said as she put her bag on the chest.
Mom frowned. “They’re so small. Oh. They brought Imani’s bag here.”
As far as Jana knew, Anil’s tent was a few down. “I’ll bring it to Anil.”
She found Anil and Imani sitting on the little veranda in front of their tent. Imani’s feet dangled off the safari chair, not reaching the floor, but she looked so grown-up sitting there talking to her daddy.
“Mommy! Did you see? They brought me a bed!” She pointed inside. Jana peeked into Anil’s tent, which was pretty much the same as hers, except the large bed was pushed against the side of the canvas so there was room for a small cot next to it.
“Daddy says we’re going to watch the sun in the morning.”
He nodded. “The sunrise over the park must be incredible. Imani and I have decided to wake up early to watch it from bed.”
“Daddy’s going to set an alarm. Did you know that monkeys can use zippers here?” She frowned. “They’re smart. Zippers are hard.”
Jana laughed. “I have your bag. Want me to help you get ready for dinner?” She looked at Anil, fully expecting him to say that he was capable of getting Imani cleaned and changed for dinner. And Jana knew he was capable. That’s not why she asked.
But he didn’t object. He just smiled and stood, taking the bag from Jana’s hand. “That works. I’ll unpack her things while you two pick something out. C’mon.”
Together they went into the tiny tent and got their daughter ready for dinner.
Dinner was served in an open-walled thatched-roofed room, with white tablecloth–covered tables and dark furniture. The food was delicious—maybe even better than the other hotels. Jana even had seconds of the ndizi na nyama. After dinner, everyone went to the lounge to talk and play cards. Jana was delighted to learn that there was no karaoke machine here—she had no interest in singing again. But she wasn’t really a card player, either, so she sat back while the others played. She and Yuriko talked about houseplants for a bit after Jana admired the large ZZ plant arrangement in the lounge. It seemed Yuri had a somewhat secret houseplant Instagram account. Jana wondered if that had anything to do with her dungeon, but she didn’t have the nerve to ask.
Soon, Imani was yawning, so Anil took her to bed. Jana offered to come help get her ready, but he said Jana could stay and enjoy herself. Jana almost insisted—she wasn’t used to being around Imani and not being the one to take her to bed—but she just smiled and said good night to them both.
She was learning to get used to all sorts of new things in Tanzania. Like sayinggood nightandsleep wellto Anil Malek…and meaning it. And also, feeling a genuine sense of loss when he wasn’t with her.
That was new, but somehow, it didn’t feel strange.
Chapter 18
Jana had the guard walk her to her own tent soon after Imani went to bed, since she would rather read than watch others play cards. She changed into sweats to sleep in and had just brushed her teeth when her phone buzzed with a message.
Anil:Imani’s not feeling well. She’s asking for you.
Jana’s fists clenched. She knew everything had been going too well. She closed her eyes a moment, then slipped on her sandals and opened the monkey lock. The armed guard was a few yards away. “Excuse me! I need to go to another tent!”
