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Stranded in the wild.
"If only you could pass that to inflate the flat tire, we would be good to go", murmured Asili jokingly when his best friend Sigh had let go of the ammonia gas that had made his stomach rumble all this while. The trio were on their way to an introduction ceremony that they had eagerly wanted to attend, since it was a joyous time for their dear female friend who had done all to see them equally enjoy campus; they had, literally become more than friends. Now, deep inside the National Park through which the Highway passed, Asili and his best friend Sigh were stranded at around 10:00am and every sign to a passing car, was like a signal to hit the gas petal, Vroom, they sped away!
Mean while, Zillah the bride was restless as she raced to and fro eagerly waiting for her two beloved friends; Asili and Sigh, who had literally covered all her introduction ceremony expenses. She had called on all their known phones but given the fact that they had been stranded in jungle of the vast National Park that covered an area of 100,000 Square mile and telecommunication mast were not erected in this Park for safety of the wildlife, she couldn't reach them. Zillah's groom to be could not be at ease either as he had come to know these two gentlemen at personal level, and he had also become their closely bonded friend. 6 hours in the wild, and both of them panting heavily from the scorching summer heat that seemed to have extracted all the oil from their bodies through their skin pores. They could not turn on the car's engine for air conditioning since this would drain their fuel tank and they couldn't operate air conditioning on battery as this would also drain the battery. 8 hours in the wild, they were only left with hope as thirst had become part of them because they had cleared everything drinkable inside their car. Exhausted and thirsty by the killer heat, Sigh, later on confessed to have drunk his pee because of the heat that was melting life out of his skin. Asili's wife, Liza, who happened to have stayed behind to nurse Asili's mother, received several missed calls from Zillah, the family friend with several voice messages saying, "they are not yet here." Liza could not delay as she immediately called her sister in law who was to relieve her to hurry to the hospital from food store as she(Liza) darted out of the hospital at a sprinter speed to their home that was a stone throw away. Liza had never driven out of their big compound that was used by her husband to train her on how to drive defensively. She mounted their brand new Range Rover Sport SVR that had been modified with high beam flood lights on the four corners of the equally modified roof top carrier. The flood lights had inbuilt power supply that would support it for 42 hours without recharge if engine is off. Asili had hurriedly gone in his Camry because he connected to this journey from his busy work schedule that's why he didn't prepare for the long journey at hand and he did not check the air pressure of the tires including the spare tire that was more deflated than the tire that made them stranded since it had a blow-out. Like Vin Disel in the fast and furious, Liza pressed on the gas pedal maintaining a speed of 240km/hr. It wasn't Liza driving, it was her confidence and desire to rescue the father of her two beautiful twin daughters and her only first born son; Asili together with her beloved brother Sigh. A journey of 3 hours at a normal high way speed of 140km/hr driving at twice the speed constantly, she covered the 420km distance in just 1hour, 30 minutes. She had packed enough water and food and carried additional spare parts if need be. The sun setting so fast, and dusk covering the whole horizon on the jungle, Asili and Sigh hearing pack of wolves hauling, resigned to their fate and gave up their hope. No sooner had they given up, than the sound of a familiar heavy vehicle vrooomed with high beam head lamp penetrating a distance of over 5km. Out of words, the two jumped out as Liza parked the car in an emergency, - their hopes were restored(just like Asili and Sigh, most people give up in the evening of their problems). Asili rushing to hug his wife like an arrow shot by a master archer with Sigh trailing behind him, "this is why I married you, Liz! You are my sunshine," Asili said while wiping his teary eyes, giving Liza a superglue hug and Sigh wrapped his hands around them and told his sister, "thank you Liza!" By this time, it had become dark and Liza had switched on the four flood lights that flashed out darkness for 5km all round, keeping them safe from the beast of the night.

© Geoffrey K