“Want to go get some barbecue to celebrate tonight?”
“Sure. If I make it through this rehearsal without getting crushed to my death by this camel deciding I’m a comfortable spot to sit.” The words are harsh but I keep petting him gently.
The trainer finishes up his break, making the chances of me being crushed by a camel decrease by quite a bit.
Until Hurricane Eve comes back through. Just as Beau hands the reins back to the very well-rested trainer, she joins our little group, bringing chaos wherever she goes.
“Sonia, you wanted to get on the camel, right?”
Before I met him, maybe. “I don’t have the most experience with riding, like no horses or donkeys or ponies even. Maybe it’s not the best idea.”
“It’ll be all right,” the trainer says. “Ramses doesn’t go very fast and I’ll be close by.”
“During the parade, I’ll be on the horse next to you as a wise man,” Beau says.
Well, I am trying a lot of new things lately. “Yeah, all right. I’m game if Ramses is.”
Eve claps her hands to celebrate, but I can tell her mind is already on the next task to complete. If she and Priya ever meet and collaborate on a sale, the world is screwed. Or just rich people who’ll be separated from their money. But who cares about them? “Excellent. Let’s get you fitted in a robe.”
“Am I a wise man now?” I ask to her already retreating back.
“Let’s get you comfortable on Ramses,” the trainer says when it’s clear Eve isn’t going to answer.
“Okay, Ramses. You heard I respect you. Now get me through this with no embarrassment, and I’ll give you...” I turn to the trainer. “Wait, what do camels eat?”
“We have oats for him.”
I nod and turn back to the majestic spitter in front of me. “Oats. We have lots and lots of oats and they’re all yours if we do this well.
“I’m Sonia, by the way.” I extend my hand to the man I hope can control his animal.
“Carl.” He shakes my hand and, probably knowing that I’m stalling, motions for me to get on Ramses.
I make one last-ditch effort to procrastinate by looking at Beau, but he’s settled on some hay to watch the show.
“Does Ramseslikepeople riding him?” I ask Carl the camel wrangler as I approach Ramses.
“Depends on the day.”
I snap my head around to see if he’s joking, but he’s playing it straight so I can’t tell. Instead, Carl says something to Ramses that makes him get down on the ground, which does feel like a good start to the adventure. I get into the camel saddle and the second my butt touches it, Ramses gets up. Slowly, thankfully, one limb languidly getting off the floor at a time.
“What do I do now?” I steadfastly don’t look down at the ground. Because then I would realize how high up I am and I don’t need that particular piece of information at this point in time.
“Just hang on.” Carl leads me around the barn.
I start the ride clutching the saddle but loosen up as it goes on. Ramses is being a relatively well-behaved stubborn camel and I don’t have to worry about him spitting at me from this angle.
“Look, Beau, I’m doing it! I’m pretty much a natural born rider, I think,” I say as we pass Beau the first time.
“You look great. You too, Ramses.”
“Maybe I should look into getting some sort of riding animal when I get back to New York,” I say on my second time around.
“Think of all the cute riding clothes I could get! And accessories!” I say as I get around the third time.
But Beau isn’t where I left him that third time. He’s not anywhere around the bale of hay, actually. I look around, employing some of that natural curiosity us Guptas get. Which other people have the gall to call nosiness.
Unfortunately, stealth and ninja-like reflexes are not traits the Guptas are blessed with, and Ramses shifts his feet the more that I twist on top of him. But it’s worth the momentary lack of balance when I spot Beau near the entrance to the barn. I contort myself even more, like I’m trying out for Cirque du Soleil, to get a better view of who he’s talking to.
