Anniversary

‘Pinch, punch, first of the month’

‘Ow, get off dad’

‘C’mon lazy bones, up you get. It’s holiday time!’

‘Is this the day we’re going to the airplane station daddy’ said Polly, wide awake after her sister’s loud complaint.

‘It’s called an airport smelly’ said Katey, still grumpy and rubbing her arm.

‘It doesn’t matter what it’s called, we’re going anyway. Up you get. We’ll have breakfast at the airplane station Pol.’

‘Airport’ shouted Katey, but it was too late, excited dad was halfway down the stairs. He would annoy her all day in this mood.

Grandaddy. Born on 1st June 1940. Met his end 1st June 2025. Strange symmetry everyone thought. Not as strange as the end itself though. Tipped out of a boat by a hippopotamus. Even that wasn’t as odd as it seemed. Katy had looked it up and over five hundred people are killed by hippos in Africa. Every year!

It was sad, But not as sad as it might have been because they had never seen Grandaddy. Except on Facetime. Even dad hadn’t seen him for years. He had gone weird and lived in the bush somewhere. He took people fishing, which was why he was in the boat.

Pol was crashing around checking her rucksack so Katy gave up and got out of bed.

They were going to the place where the hippo had tipped out Grandaddy. Exactly one year ago tomorrow. A funny kind of holiday Katy thought. She was pretty sure that mum thought so too, but she had gone along with it for dad. He wanted to go where it had happened and had chosen this day. He had promised that it would be fun as well as sad. They would see other animals but probably avoid hippos. Yeah, good idea thought Katy.

Everyone was very sleepy when they got to Port Elizabeth and it was still two hours drive into the bush. They all fell asleep in the car. Even dad, who must have been a bit nervous, Katy thought.

Eventually they were unpacking their things in what everyone called a lodge but was actually quite swanky.

‘I’ve asked Thabo to take me now. You can all get some sleep,’ said dad.

‘What? It’s after 11. Wouldn’t it be better to go tomorrow.’

‘But it was today.’

Mum looked so tired.

‘I’ll come with you dad.’

She said it quietly because Pol was asleep.

‘Thanks love, but you need some sleep.’

‘I’m fine. I want to. I can sleep anytime.’

She saw mum pull a face, but something was agreed.

In the jeep she wrapped herself in a blanket and nodded off. The next thing she knew her dad was nudging her and she was given a huge torch to carry.

Thabo was carrying a gun she noticed.

They only went a few yards and their torches were reflecting back off the water. Strange sounds were all around them. Birds and chirping insects mostly.

‘It was here sir.’

Dad didn’t say anything and Katy thought it best to be quiet. She moved her torch just a little bit and it reflected off something else. A pair of eyes out in the water.

‘Are you ok dad?’

He reached down and took her hand.

‘Thanks for coming with me Katy’