The Laughing Stalker

Peering through the windows, I took a deep breath and admired the early morning dawn as I stretched and drove the last bit of laziness that enveloped my body. It was 5.30 am and the weather was slightly chilly inviting me for an early morning run. I picked up my new Nike sneakers that had foot enhancements for extra cushioning on hard surfaces. Dusting my shoes and ensuring there were no scorpions lurking inside, I donned them on and tied my lace semi-tight.

I ventured out of my cabin and excitedly gazed at the Manyara Lake that bordered my cabin. I stretched my calf and hamstring muscles, crooning as I felt a warm sensation creeping through my inner thigh. As I was getting ready to start my run, I recounted the series of events that happened over the past week and everything now seemed weird. I was in a totally different place. Pursuing my PhD in Ornithology at the University of Nebraska, I was offered a summer fellowship to research East African birds. I had taken the United Airlines; flight U-247, to Dar Es Salam, Tanzania. The flight had been smooth and the food they had offered me was very tasty.

Placing my right foot on the first streak of grass that surrounded the cabin pathway, I began my jog. The first few steps were more like the trotting of a horse and I relaxed as the blood bathed my muscles and warmed them. I scanned the Ngorogoro crater to my east and wondered what made the mighty volcanic mountain, once taller than the Kilimanjaro, buckle into a caldera (crater). Soon, I began running rhythmically and hit the zone, feeling as though I could now run into eternity. Ornithology had been my passion since I was a kid and I distinctly remembered how I used to admire the bald eagle and the grey-necked vulture. The Serengeti plains that surrounded the towering crater were supposedly inhabited by 75,000 animal species and rich flora.

No sooner I ran half a mile than I was already into the jungle. Unlike jogging trails in the United States, there were no well-defined routes for runners and I followed what was flattened by the local folklore in the dense foliage. The humid weather made me sweat and my t-shirt was already wet. Since it was a Sunday, I had decided to complete 5 miles. Emerging out from a clearing, I gazed at the meadows that seemed to go forever westward, and I was able to make out a pack of zebras grazing on the dry grass. One mile completed and it appeared as though I was cut away from civilization. Everything appeared huge in Africa, right from the little grass to the mighty trees. The acacia tree trunks seemed to run a mile wide.

I looked at my watch and I had been running for 15 minutes at a fairly constant pace and I tried not to think about the possibility of encountering wild animals. It wasn’t uncommon for lions and cheetahs to inhabit the surrounding areas during night. I had taken care to learn that dawn provided the best transition period, as the nocturnal animals would have retreated and the day animals wouldn’t have risen. I was startled as a reedbuck dived into the bushes and disappeared. Running in the wild seemed so easy and much different from a treadmill as I wasn’t aware of any body pains being totally absorbed by what nature had to offer me.

I hoped to run for another half an hour and wanted to complete a circle to my cabin, my compass useful in keeping me in the right direction. I saw a few warthogs, wildebeest, and buffaloes and wondered whether snakes offered themselves into the open similar to these herbivores.

My dreamy and pensive mood was suddenly distracted as I heard a crack a few feet behind me. Not wanting to break my jog, I turned back and peered over a shrub and failed to notice any beast. Convincing myself it was the work of a gazelle or a rabbit, I continued with my canter. I tried carefully listening to the noises on my sides and again I heard a similar cracking. This time, I completely spun around and began running backwards hoping to spot the animal. Suddenly, monkeys screamed and birds flew away as though a disturbance occurred in the jungle. My heart skipped a beat and I increased my pace fearing it might be the work of a cheetah.

I had completed nearly three fourths of the circle and the possibility of turning back was out of question. Somehow, my sixth sense convinced me that I was being shadowed. A stalker? Definitely not in the jungle and I didn’t carry cash while I ran. I was fairly sure that the Ngorogoro region didn’t have any primitive tribal people who practiced cannibalism. Nevertheless, my face started sweating more and my heart pounded louder.

The ground sloped upwards and I looked back to see if I could spot the prey. I slowly observed something spotted in yellow making its way up the ravine and the gap was closing faster. I was close to fainting but kept my guts alive and somehow wanted to sprint through the rest of the distance. Suddenly, a mad laughter thundered in the jungle and the place seemed to shake with mad fury. I grabbed a broken branch for protection and stopped as I found myself getting breathless.

And slowly it emerged from behind the baobob tree and I distinctly made out the feature of the carnivore. Brown in color and covered with spots, the sleek beast taller than the jackal and smaller than a cheetah was unmistakably a spotted hyena. I tightened my grip on the branch as I didn’t have any other means of self-defense. By then my fear had slowly transformed into anger as the hyena approached me barring its fangs. I could smell its feral breath and I couldn’t guess how long it had been stalking me. I remembered learning about hyena; how they stalk on their prey for miles until the victim gets tired and the hyena slowly pounces on them ripping them alive

The hyena making up its mind to attack me poised back and leaped ahead with full force. Being trained on taekwondo, I had the reflex to step aside and transfer my weight completely onto my branch and the hyena. The hyena missed me and crashed into the nearby rock. I couldn’t wait any longer and ran. The hyena chased me and caught me within seconds and sunk its teeth into my calves. A searing pain shot within and I screamed. Summoning courage, I tried disfiguring the hyena’s face but it had me under control.

I prayed to every Lord I knew and wished that my best friend was a Lion. I saw blood all over me as the hyena was ripping me apart. I slowly began losing consciousness and the pain ebbed me. I felt free and light and there was nothing but silence.

A jingle erupted my consciousness and I wondered if I had taken birth into another body. I realized that nothing was wrong with my calves and my clothing was different. Well!!! It was 6.00 am indeed but I wasn’t in Dar Es Salam, but safe under the refuge of my pillows in Washington DC. I was staring at the alarm as I shut it silent.