February 8th, 2020
“The elephants seemed to be smiling, but I couldn’t tell for sure in the encroaching darkness. As their footsteps receded, I wondered, would I ever encounter a family of elephants while drinking a cup of coffee again?
”
February 8th, 2020
I was lying on an African plain near the lonely tree. The Masai Mara tree, also known as the desert date, appears every so often in the vast savannah, and as I relaxed beneath its shade, I began to set out a picnic. It was the perfect place to drink a cuppa of Maharajah Coffee, while watching the sunset in the Kenyan Motherland. To make a cup, I would be using freshly ground coffee beans from my own farm, and a solar panel adapter to boil water. As I sipped my pour over coffee, all around me, I felt the Earth move. Despite my hearing problem, I could sense vibrations in the African plains: hyenas laughing, birds chirping, the hoofbeats of gazelle & antelope running, a lion roaring to his pride. For some reason, these vibrations did not make me feel afraid, but carried with them a sense of peace. This moment was like any other: a reminder that we must embrace the unknown.
Later that night I felt the earth tremble. This trembling was like an earthquake and when I turned around, three feet away, an alpha male elephant stood with his family. Surprisingly, my heart was calm, my spirit in awe. I slowly reached for my camera, but I couldn’t bring myself to take a picture. The alpha elephant was gigantic, his tusks enormous, perfectly aligned. I moved carefully, easing myself onto my Masai tribe blanket. A baby elephant with tusks just starting to grow played in the dust. I could have watched the family of elephants forever, but after ten minutes, they began to walk away. The elephants seemed to be smiling, but I couldn’t tell for sure in the encroaching darkness. As their footsteps receded, I wondered, would I ever encounter a family of elephants while drinking a cup of coffee again?
