I kick off my shoes and change into shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt. Then I slide open the door to the outside lounge area and lie down on the lounge bed overlooking the savannah. I sink into the soft cushions, and every fiber in my body relaxes. What bliss to be away from the busy city life in Boston. I close my eyes and listen to the sounds from the savannah. Music to my ears.
I’m startled by a soft knock on the door. What time is it? I check my Rolex. 6.59 p.m. I must have dozed off. Dammit.
“Just a minute. I’ll be right there.”
I sit up and take a deep breath. The sun is starting to set, and stunning images show lions' silhouettes against the sky. I still feel a little groggy and not quite ready to hit the ground running. I stretch.
Why is she here? Oh, the meeting. Slowly, it all comes back to me. I asked her to be here. Oh well. Might as well get it done.
I get up and walk back into the lounge to let her in.
“Good evening, Mr. Durst. I’m here for the meeting,” Emma says and holds on tight to her laptop. Her one eye twitches on and off. She’s changed her outfit, and her hair is still a little damp after a shower. “Of course,” I say and run a hand through my hair.
“Come on in. Why don’t you go right out to the lounge area outside? The sunset is quite spectacular, and we might as well enjoy it while we work.”
Emma nods quietly and steps into my lodge, through the open space, and out on the patio. For a few seconds, she’s just standing there, taking in the magic scenery. Then she turns towards me, eyes wide open.
“My God, Mr. Durst. It’s like a painting!” It truly is. I’ve seen it many times, and still, I cannot fully grasp the magnitude of the African golden sky.
“I’m glad you like it. It means that you’re in for a treat tonight and many more nights to come.”
I invite her to have a seat. “May I offer you a drink?”
I know it’s not usual business practice to drink alcohol at a meeting, but there is nothing usual about this situation. It’s our first night here, and I could use an ice-cold drink.
“Sure, thank you,” Emma says. Do I detect a hint of nervousness in her voice? Probably. I wouldn’t be surprised. Most people her age wouldn’t have the guts to take on a project of this size, let alone leave the country with a complete stranger.
I pour us each a glass of scotch from the bar in the corner and take a good whiff. It smells like spicy wood. Not the most female drink, I know, but nevertheless exactly what I need right now. I take a sip and enjoy the burning sensation in my throat of the rich, red, amber liquid. By the time it reaches my stomach, there is nothing left than a good, nice, warm feeling.
“So Ms. Brown, let’s do this, shall we?” Emma empties her drink in one large sip and her face puckers up.
“Oooh, it’s…”
Laughter builds up in my stomach again, but I try to hold it back. “Would you like one more, Ms. Brown?”
Her eyes widen. “No, I’m good, thanks.”
She swallows a few times before she’s ready to continue. “Here, I brought my laptop. I’m ready to take notes.” She opens her laptop.
Step by step, we go through the plans for the coming weeks. I’m pleasantly surprised by her level of knowledge about the park.
“Have you seen all of it? It stretches over more than 12,000 square miles!” Emma’s eyes glow and she doesn’t wait for me to reply.
“It is a dream to be here. I am dying to see the Great Migration. Have you seen that, too? They say that more than a million wildebeest, zebra, and antelope make their way from the Ndutu region northward through the whole length of the Serengeti Plains to Kenya’s Masai Mara. They travel more than 500 miles together!” Emma pushes her laptop to a side and gesticulates as she speaks. I didn’t know that girls like her existed. She’s unlike anyone I have ever met. So curious, so unfiltered. Like an uncut diamond.
“I think I’ve covered most of the Serengeti, but sadly, I’ve yet to experience the Great Migration. My grandfather told me about it, though. He used to live here, and he witnessed it twice. He says there is nothing like it. It’s on my bucket list for sure.” I offer her another drink, but she kindly declines. I don’t mind another one. It’s been a long day, and we’re in for an early start in the morning.
“So, Ms. Brown,” I start, and unexpectedly, Emma stops me.
“Mr. Durst, please. If we’re about to spend the next many weeks together, I’d appreciate it if you call me by my name. Emma. When you say Ms. Brown it sounds like you’re talking to an old spinster!”
I chuckle. She’s right. Emma is so much easier.
“Alright, Emma it is. And,” I add, “the same thing goes for you. Please call me Blake from now on.”
I’m not sure I’ve ever had an employee call me by my first name before. At least not someone who isn’t at management level. But hey, there really is nothing usual about this arrangement.
“So Emma, now you know the drill for the coming weeks. As for our trip into the wilderness tomorrow, I have arranged for our local Masai guide to pick us up in the morning. He’ll be here at 5 a.m. He knows the Serengeti like his own pocket. There is no one better to help us spot wildlife and explain the ecosystem and animals in depth. But pack lightly, Ms. Brown. I mean, Emma. From here on, it is no luxury trip. Whatever we bring, we carry.”
Emma looks like I’ve just handed her the biggest Christmas present she’s ever seen.
“Is it just going to be the two of us and the guide?” she asks.
“No, Ms. Hanson will join us as well. Her job is to document the findings we make. And by the way, my personal advisor, Tony Ramón, will join us back here at the lodge on Thursday. He doesn’t have any business here, but I need to go over a few things with him. And since I am not about to meet him in Boston anytime soon, I’ve asked him to come here.”
Extravagant, I know. We could just do a video conference this one time. But he’s been acting all shitty lately. Completely demotivated. Somewhat aggressive at times, even. Maybe a trip to exotic Tanzania will do him good.
“That’s great! I look forward to meeting him,” Emma says while she’s trying to hide a yawn.
“Well, Emma, I think we covered what we needed for tonight. Let’s call it a night and take some time to relax before we go to sleep. I need us both to be fully rested in the morning.”
It’s been a long day already, and there is nothing I want more right now than to just lean back and enjoy the rest of the beautiful sunset.
“Alright, Blake. That’s great. I can’t think of a more beautiful setting to kick back and relax,” Emma says and sits back into the cushions. Wait what? Is she planning to stay?
Apparently, she is.
“Thank you for going over the plans with me,” she says and curls up in the chair. “And thank you for taking me here. I want you to know that I will do everything I can to live up to your trust. I think your mission to build a park is amazing. I can’t think of a better way to give back to the world. Thank you for trusting me with this. You can count on me to deliver the data and a full business plan for the project on time.”
She straightens her back as she speaks and does what she can to look businesslike. It would’ve worked had it not been for the fact that excitement beams from her entire body.