where he had grabbed them for support, leaving behind bloody fingerprints. Left by any other person, these signs would be normal. But Theo, my graceful, delicate Theo, could move through the bush in a way that left no hint of his passing. He could be harder to track than a leopard. Seeing these otherwise obvious signs told me more about the gravity of his condition than I could bear. My eyes began filling with tears as I feared the worst. By the amount of blood he’d left behind, he could already be dead.
I found him sitting under a shepherd’s tree, slumped over, so still that I nearly missed him altogether in the deepening darkness. My stomach turned inside out; I couldn’t breathe. I fell to my knees beside him and gently took his face in my hands, barely able to see him through my tears.
“Theo?” His eyes were shut, but he was breathing shallowly. “He’s alive,” I told Sam. I took out my flashlight and clicked it on, searching for the wound, gasping when I found it. He had been shot just above his left hip, and again in his right rib cage. How he was still hanging on, I had no idea.
“Help me,” I said to Sam. “We have to carry him back to the truck. There’s a medical kit inside.”
“Are you sure we should move him?” Sam looked deeply shaken, standing over us with his hands clenched into fists and his eyes wide.
“We don’t have a choice.”
Sam carefully lifted Theo into his arms. The Bushman groaned but didn’t open his eyes. I hovered anxiously at Sam’s elbow.
“Hurry,” I said. “Don’t jostle him too much.”
“Trying,” Sam grunted. “He’s heavier than he looks.”
I hurried back to the Cruiser, leading the way with the flashlight. Once there, I pulled down the canvas roofing and laid it on the ground. Sam set Theo down gingerly as I rummaged for the medical kit. To my dismay, I found the boxes of supplies had been torn apart by wild animals. The food had all been damaged or taken, likely by jackals and hyenas. I found the med kit and went back to Theo, but the contents of the little box were woefully inadequate to treat Theo’s wounds. I stared at the small bandages and bottles, wondering where to start and if it would make any difference at all.
“I can get Avani,” said Sam. “She might know what to do.”
I nodded numbly. “Bring them all here. We should stay together.”
After he left, I sat beside Theo and buried my face in my hands.
“Tu!um-sa.”
My head shot up. “Theo!”
His eyes were open and he managed a weak smile. “Are you well?”
“Am
I
well? Theo, you’ve been shot!”
“Ah, just so.” He shut his eyes briefly, and I could see a tremor of pain beneath his gentle smile.
“Does it hurt a lot?” I asked quietly. “Theo, what happened?”
He sighed, his smile flickering out. “We split up . . . tried to lose them on foot . . . Too late for me now. Your father did not know they had got me, or he would never have . . .”
“Theo! Stay with me!” He was slipping back into unconsciousness. I dribbled some of my water into his mouth, which roused him again.
“Stop it, girl!” he said. “Don’t waste your water on me!”
“You’re going to be fine,” I said. “We’ll get you out of here and to a doctor.”
“Make me a promise, Tu!um-sa.”
“Theo—”
“Promise you will bury me here in the Kalahari, yes? In the towns, the sky is small. How can I see God through such a small sky?”
“Stop talking like that. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Out of earth we come, into earth we go,” he murmured dreamily. “You cannot stop the sun from setting. Now hold my hand, child. I must tell you . . .”
I took his hand in both of mine and willed my strength into him, blinking hard to keep my tears from falling. He looked at me and smiled, and for a moment my heart lifted as I saw his eyes fill with his usual mischief and joy. The skin of his face, golden brown and lined with years of laughter, crinkled
I found him sitting under a shepherd’s tree, slumped over, so still that I nearly missed him altogether in the deepening darkness. My stomach turned inside out; I couldn’t breathe. I fell to my knees beside him and gently took his face in my hands, barely able to see him through my tears.
“Theo?” His eyes were shut, but he was breathing shallowly. “He’s alive,” I told Sam. I took out my flashlight and clicked it on, searching for the wound, gasping when I found it. He had been shot just above his left hip, and again in his right rib cage. How he was still hanging on, I had no idea.
“Help me,” I said to Sam. “We have to carry him back to the truck. There’s a medical kit inside.”
“Are you sure we should move him?” Sam looked deeply shaken, standing over us with his hands clenched into fists and his eyes wide.
“We don’t have a choice.”
Sam carefully lifted Theo into his arms. The Bushman groaned but didn’t open his eyes. I hovered anxiously at Sam’s elbow.
“Hurry,” I said. “Don’t jostle him too much.”
“Trying,” Sam grunted. “He’s heavier than he looks.”
I hurried back to the Cruiser, leading the way with the flashlight. Once there, I pulled down the canvas roofing and laid it on the ground. Sam set Theo down gingerly as I rummaged for the medical kit. To my dismay, I found the boxes of supplies had been torn apart by wild animals. The food had all been damaged or taken, likely by jackals and hyenas. I found the med kit and went back to Theo, but the contents of the little box were woefully inadequate to treat Theo’s wounds. I stared at the small bandages and bottles, wondering where to start and if it would make any difference at all.
“I can get Avani,” said Sam. “She might know what to do.”
I nodded numbly. “Bring them all here. We should stay together.”
After he left, I sat beside Theo and buried my face in my hands.
“Tu!um-sa.”
My head shot up. “Theo!”
His eyes were open and he managed a weak smile. “Are you well?”
“Am
I
well? Theo, you’ve been shot!”
“Ah, just so.” He shut his eyes briefly, and I could see a tremor of pain beneath his gentle smile.
“Does it hurt a lot?” I asked quietly. “Theo, what happened?”
He sighed, his smile flickering out. “We split up . . . tried to lose them on foot . . . Too late for me now. Your father did not know they had got me, or he would never have . . .”
“Theo! Stay with me!” He was slipping back into unconsciousness. I dribbled some of my water into his mouth, which roused him again.
“Stop it, girl!” he said. “Don’t waste your water on me!”
“You’re going to be fine,” I said. “We’ll get you out of here and to a doctor.”
“Make me a promise, Tu!um-sa.”
“Theo—”
“Promise you will bury me here in the Kalahari, yes? In the towns, the sky is small. How can I see God through such a small sky?”
“Stop talking like that. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Out of earth we come, into earth we go,” he murmured dreamily. “You cannot stop the sun from setting. Now hold my hand, child. I must tell you . . .”
I took his hand in both of mine and willed my strength into him, blinking hard to keep my tears from falling. He looked at me and smiled, and for a moment my heart lifted as I saw his eyes fill with his usual mischief and joy. The skin of his face, golden brown and lined with years of laughter, crinkled
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