Dad's lu

“Wake up honey. A long journey is awaiting”. My mum says in a soothing voice while knocking at the door. Usually I am a heavy sleeper but this time my eyes were wide open the whole night. I had been waiting for this special moment.

“Dad, have you replaced the car’s window?” Carla demands. Carla’s my big sister. My dad’s favorite. “No. I’ll get it fixed this coming Sunday. Dad replies.

“What? You must be kidding. You mean we’re travelling through the whole park with an open window? She says with a slight tremor in her voice. “What are you afraid might enter? Baboons?” I comment. “You zip your mouth. You are the one who broke it” my dad says angrily. I blush and wish I had said nothing.

“Relax dear, we’re gonna be alright” my mum pats Carla on her back.

We’re in the park; the sky is cloudy.  I’m seated at the side window I broke myself. The first animals we see are gazelles grazing in lush vegetation.

A few steps from us, there are lions. I can smell their breath. We’re all excited everyone taking photos when out of the blue the car comes to a halt. We all stare at dad. He restarts the engine but it can’t. The lion heads towards us. It shakes its mane and roars. The windows rattle and the car vibrates. The lion starts scratching at my sister’s door. “Dad, we’re all gonna die” she screams at my dad. My mum begins pounding dad with her fists, while dad is fumbling with the keys.  “get us out of here” mum wailed.

“Surely it’s gonna come to my open window” my heart beats faster at the thought of it. I decide to get out of the car. I run as fast as I could, but alas, I stumble over a rock and fall on my flat face. 

Too late, the lion is already there, I can tell what it has eaten for dinner, and I’m gonna be its dessert. My palms down, I crawl back at the lion’s roar, it opens its jaws……

All of a sudden, a large stone hits the jaw of the lion. It roared so loud that the land shaked and turned to see where the stone came from.

Dad is holding one larger stone on his head waiting for the target. The lion furiously ran towards him. It jumps at him with its open jaw; he takes a stance and fiercely throws the stone at it. The lion winces and thunders and gets up at an incredible speed. It leaps on him; dad fights off its jaw by holding its neck, one of its claws tears his shirt.

“Daaaad, daaad, daaad….” My sister is screaming, “Please help, heeelp” mum is sobbing. We’re in the middle of the park, there is only us. I am hypnotized by the scene. My mum screams and I hear my name and I get back to my senses. “Get in the car”. She shrieks.

The lions’ jaw is an inch my dad’s head when abruptly a thunderbolt strikes right at the battleground. The lion is confused and in a blink of an eye, dad is already in the car, tries the engine. It cranks at first, and the second time it rumbles and like an arrow, off we go…!

We have survived. I’m waiting for a scolding but instead my dad asks “are you alright son?” “Yes dad” i reply. “Thank you. I love you dad”.  “I love you too son”. “Is everybody ok”. “Yes” we all say like in a choir.