Bella couldn’t have been more grateful that elephants grew at a slower rate than cheetahs. What she wasn’t grateful for was that baby elephants were far more destructive than cheetah cubs. There had been so many occasions in which Nathan and Bella had to repair the barriers about Ithemba due to herds of elephants testing their strengths. Still, they weren’t quite prepared for the destruction that Kandula brought to Ithemba. The elephant calf was like a mini tornado, ripping through lesser fences, destroying toys, and she could be quite the vocal little one at times. One thing for sure, the elephant would win the hearts of many. She was just so cute, and with such a spunky personality. It reminded Bella a lot of their former cheetah cub Artemis, who was doing quite well in the wild, and even close to delivering a new litter of cubs. Who would’ve thought one of their very own cubs, bred in captivity, would turn out to be so successful? Ithemba certainly kept Bella busy, but she was proud of all the work they were accomplishing. Within weeks, the observation towers were up, different one varying in height. They’d been inspected and gotten the seal of approval by the insurance agencies. In the meanwhile, Ithemba had been approved for the adoption program that had been suggested by Isa. It was incredible how such a small idea had blossomed into something that could bring in so many opportunities to further their research. With all of the upgrades happening at Ithemba, it seemed as though a lot of money was going out, but at the same time, the potential for more money was rising.
In the upcoming year, they would have a legitimate intern program. It was exciting, yet scary. Still, the scariest part of it all was that a new school year would be starting for Bella. The very final semesters. She would miss being at home most of the week, but at least she’d thoroughly enjoyed the time spent at there.
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Bella couldn’t be happier when the winter break came around. For the rest of the world it was summer, but it was break-time nonetheless. She has two classes every Monday, but it meant that she was home 6 days of the week. As always, Ithemba welcomed her with opened arms. From the time she walked drove through the gates, her suitcases in the trunk of the car, she heard the squeaky trumpeting shout of Kandula. The little elephant seemed to have sensed that she was home; or perhaps Bella was just imagining things. What she didn’t imagine, however, was the little giggles as the girls frolicked in the grass with the kittens of Ithemba. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Just two little girls playing with actual domesticated kittens. There was a lot planned for this “summer” at Ithemba. The new elephant enclosure had to be built. One massive enough to contain Kandula comfortably as she grew. They would work steadfastly on their intern programme, so that it was up and running by next year. There were already quite a lot of students interested in studying at Ithemba. Perhaps Ollie’s influence had something to do with it. The “adoption” programme had yet to be official, but that was also in the works. It would be incredible for funding. Adoptive families would send money for research in exchange for updates on their animal, and visitation rights. Bella had to thank Isa’s teasing remark about adopting one of their first cheetah kittens for that. Per Belie’s suggestion, observation towers had already been set up, which meant that technically Nathan and Bella could start bringing in behavioral scientists and the like. However, they still had yet to complete the living quarters. It was incredible how big Ithema was getting. Honestly, Bella wondered if they could handle it, but first thing was first: greeting her family and spending her first day home with her husband and kids. “You gave you girls permission to turn 4?!” Bella asked. “I surely didn’t!”
They were too busy giggling to give her a proper answer for a moment. Eryn skipped alongside her while Mya held her hand and tried to keep up with her stride. “We can’t help it,” she said after a while.. “Yeah, we /had/ to turn four,” Eryn chimed in. “Oh… I didn’t know that. My apologies. In that case, you have my permission.” More giggles. Bella glanced at Nathan’s amused expression and winked at him. They continued walking across the grounds, all four of them. As it was Bella’s weekend at home, however, the girls were more attached to her. This time, Bella had made sure to come home a little earlier than usual so she could do the baking. While she baked, she discussed the possibility of throwing the girls a fifth birthday party the following year. After all, five years old was quite a milestone. They could invite the family, from all over the world. A celebratory excuse to get everyone together again. “Look, mummy. A big bird!” Eryn pointed overhead where a raptor circled the sky, in search of its prey. “Oh wow. That is quite a large bird, indeed. A falcon if I’m not mistaken.” Nathan shielded his eyes against the sun. “Certainly not a vulture,” he said. “We hope…” Bella chuckled. “Mummy, what’s a vulture?” asked Mya. It was probably the gazillionth question either one of the twins had asked that day. It was that age… the age of questions, curiosity about absolutely everything. “It’s a bird that eats animal carcases.” She’d chosen that difficult word intentionally. “Daddy can explain what a carcass is.” Both twins’ faces turned to Nathan, making Bella laugh more and Nathan give an ‘oh great’ look. These moments were so precious to Bella, as she knew she wasn’t always there to be a part of them. At least she was able to witness her twins turn four. It was a good day. Bella couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the sweet face of the baby elephant that Nathan and Ulwazi had rescued while Bella had been at school. The little one had been pulled out of the mud where she’d been stuck. She had so much personality, that Bella fell in love with her right away. Nathan had given Bella the honour of naming the infant calf, but unlike what Bella usually did - naming the baby elephants on sight - she took time to think about it. Her days had been so sad since Eli’s death. She’d been filled with, not just grief, but also with guilt. It had taken her so long to come to terms with the tragic truth that her baby brother was no longer existing on this earth. She’d felt close to the edge, slipping into the oblivion of depression, teetering on the whirlpool of mania. It was her little family that kept her grounded to her sanity. It was Mya’s loving hugs, Eryn’s excitable chatter, Nathan’s undying love, and of course now, another dream come true. She’d have the chance to work up close and personal with an elephant. A baby elephant! It brought so much opportunity for in depth research. First, the elephant’s name called for some research of its own. Something that would make Eli proud. Bella found the story of the infant prince Dutugamunu, Sri Lankan ruler during the second-century. At birth, the prince was gifted with an elephant who’d been discovered by a fisherman named Kandula. Named after the fisherman who found him, the elephant grew up beside the young prince.
Years later, Kandula was officially the royal mount. In the siege of Vijitanagara, although molten pitch had been poured on Kandula’s back, the elephant managed to break down a fortified gate. The elephant became even more renowned when King Dutugamunu defeated his South Indian rival, King Elara, by slaying him in battle while mounted on Kandula. It was this heroic battle that led to the unification of Sri Lanka, something rather important in history. Ithemba’s elephant deserved a name of such importance. “I have a name for our newest member,” Bella said with a wide smile as she walked into the home office where Nathan was focused on paperwork. She gently pushed back his chair and claimed his lap. “I’ve been doing my research and I found a name perfectly suited. Eli would be proud.” She smiled at Nathan. “Kandula.” Nathan looked at her questionably, making Bella chuckle. “I’ll explain on the way over there but… how about we go pay her a visit and see what she thinks of the name huh? We can take the girls to finally meet her.” |
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