It wasn’t really the anniversary that Nathan and Bella expected. The mood in Ithemba was at quite a low as Nathan returned, from a routine check of the surrounding lands, with injured cubs and a report of Artemis and a couple of other cubs being dead. By gunshot. Who would do such a thing to such beautiful creatures?
Bella was appalled, angry and saddened at the same time. Artemis was more than a mere cheetah. She’d been raised from infancy by the Ithemba team. She was part of the family and now she was gone. Her life taken so senselessly. Something had to be done about it. They’d been rumours of poachers nearby, but as Nathan had said, it definitely wasn’t the work of a poacher. A farmer perhaps. Or someone hunting for sport. Instead of celebrating their anniversary, Nathan and Bella ended up nursing Artemis’ cubs and trying to keep their emotions in check. Bella could tell that Nathan was fuming, but he hid it well, especially when they returned to their home later that evening. They would have to break the news to the girls, but for now, they chose not to. How would they explain that there were bad people in the world who killed good creatures for no reason at all? The lesson would have to wait. If Artemis were still domesticated or living within Ithemba's walls, Bella would have buried the big cat. But, sadly, they had to leave nature to deal with her. Those vultures had probably feasted on her anyway. Instead, Bella put up a framed picture or Artemis and a couple of her unnamed cubs, in the corridor of Ithemba's administrative office with a note below it. Rest in Peace Artemis, once our little huntress.
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Ralphie was 1 year old today. It was amazing to see how he’d gone from a helpless infant to one trying to find his independence. Bella was grateful that she’d taken the past year to really spend time with her youngest. She’d cherished every moment rather than rushing off to be with the animals as she felt at times. Sometimes it was hard to organise moments in the day where all the staff could be on one place at one time, but somehow Bella and Nathan managed to put together a small party for Ralphie. The kids at Ithemba were loved by all the staff, so no one objected when they were invited to Bella and Nathan’s place to celebrate the first birthday of their youngest ‘family’ member.
It was rather simple, but it was amazing just how happy Ralphie was. Especially when he got to smash his little hands into his first ever birthday cake. Bella took tons of pictures and sent them to her family around the world. She was grateful for this moment and looking forward to many more happy moments. “Go on a date with me? ...just the two of us.” Bella wrapped her arms around Nathan from behind as he washed the dishes. Her lips came to softly graze the side of his neck. The smile on his face was enough to let her know of his answer, but she still gave him the best puppy eyes she could muster.
Obviously, going out to a fancy restaurant wasn’t such a simple task because of where they lived. The closest ‘civilized’ town was about three hours away. Going on a date in town required ending a working day early, making sure the kids had a babysitter for the entire evening and some of the night, and of course driving for quite a while. Still, Bella just felt like it had been so long since she and Nathan had gotten away, all by themselves. It wasn’t a special occasion or anything, but suddenly an idea jumped into her head. “Maybe we can even spend the night in town? Rent a room at a local inn?” Was she sounding desperate? Maybe so, but as much as she loved her children and the animals and staff at Ithemba, she longed to be with just her husband. It was important that they took care of their marriage as well. “What do you say?” She wasn’t ashamed to beg this time. “I’ll even wear a dress and heels.” She chuckled. She was awaiting his answer, but before he could even respond, a loud wail came from the nursery. Raphael was awake and he wasn’t very happy about it. Bella gave Nathan a look. “We won’t have to deal with that for a day,” she added to her case. She chuckled. “Think about it,” she said as she walked away to take care of Ralphie. A smile touched her lips because she already knew that Nathan would say yes. They were going on a date! Never in her life did Bella think she’d be “that woman”. The one whose kids were her life. Sure, it was safe to say that Ithemba was also her life, but forefront and centre were the three little munchkins she’d given birth to. Mya and Eryn weren’t so little any more though. They were two separate individuals, with fully functional, opinionated minds of their own. Little humans that didn’t always think the way mummy and daddy did. Then there was Ralphie, their baby boy. He was growing up so quickly that Bella was afraid that if only she blinked, he’d no longer be a baby.
It was a pretty relaxed day at Ithemba. After all the work they’d done lately to prepare it for next year’s grand opening as an official educational programme, they deserved a break. Belie was in Johannesburg with Athena, doing some shopping. While she and her daughter had quality time, Bella and Nathan took the opportunity for Dwyer quality time. They headed to the little playground that Nathan and Ulwazi had built just for the kids. It stood on the opposite side from the animals, now enclosed where there were “dormitories” being built for future students. It was hard to believe that this place would soon be more than just theirs. The kids loved nothing more than playing on the swings and being outside in nature. They didn’t need fancy gifts or long trips. They were happy. “I think we’re doing a pretty good job,” Bella told Nathan. She nodded towards the kids. Wasn’t it every parent’s dream to raise happy little humans? So far, they’d succeeded and Bella wanted to make sure that no matter what, her family would come first. |
Isabella Kaylee DwyerWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2017
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