Lulu and the Wilderness

By Yosef Mehari

Zack and Sirak have been best friends since childhood and have known the Gashbarka wilderness all of their lives. As Gashbarkan farmers, they would roam with their herds in the wilderness every day. However, one day, these two young men unintentionally break one of the golden rules of the wilderness… Their innocent mistake tests their friendship, their bravery, their knowledge, and their loyalty. Also, because of their carelessness, these two young men bring danger to Lulu, Max, and the citizens of Gashbarka. Who is going to make it out safely from the wilderness?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Sep 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781647503932

Yosef Mehari

Yosef Mehari loves outdoors and wilderness. He has passion for preserving wilderness and natures.

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About the Author

Yosef Mehari loves outdoors and wilderness. He has passion for preserving wilderness and natures.

Copyright Information ©

Yosef Mehari 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Mehari, Yosef

Lulu and the Wilderness

ISBN 9781649793300 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781647503932 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022914454

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 33rd Floor, Suite 3302

New York, NY 10005

USA

[e-mail]

[phone]

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, ‘Glory to the Lord’. I would like to thank my beloved family, relatives, friends, and the Lady Fatima Church in White City, London. God bless each one of you!

Saving Our Wilderness!

The setting for this story is Gash-Barka, Eritrea. Gash-Barka is one of six regions of Eritrea, which is nestled in the southwest of the country. Once upon a time, the region of Gash-Barka used to be a dense wilderness and a habitat to a variety of wild and exotic creatures. Because of the three decades of war in Eritrea, the wilderness has suffered greatly and it was decimated. Subsequently, the majority of creatures and ancient trees were on the verge of becoming extinct in the wilderness.

However, the people and Eritrean Government have worked miracles in combating illegal lumbering and deforestation in order to preserve and to resurrect the wilderness of Gash-Barka to its original beauty. Every citizen of the world has a civic duty and moral obligation to safeguard our wilderness on this planet because saving our wilderness is saving our very existence on this earth.

Chapter 1

The Gash-Barkan wilderness has been primarily home to the animal kingdom for many centuries. Even though the human race is welcomed only to roam inside the wilderness from dawn to sunset, they are forbidden to stay beyond the sunset hour. Permission is required from the animal kingdom.

Comfortably, lying down and taking his afternoon nap under the welcome shade of the extended arms of a cedar tree, he was suddenly awakened by a strange sound, which was echoing from the horizon over the river.

He got up quickly and stretched his powerful torso, muttering of few words about the rudeness of the Gash-Barkan wilderness.

Zack, in a hoarse tone, said, Why can’t I get a decent nap every time I come to this place?

Audibly, he called, Hey, Sirak! Would you please come over here right now?

Are you all right, Zack? Sirak replied in a comical tone. What’s happening with you, bro? Are you having your usually bad dream, again?

In a commanding voice, Zack said, Don’t be silly, dude? Do you hear a weird sound that is echoing from over the horizon? Maybe it’s coming from the other bank of the river.

Sirak said, Zack, are you joking with me or what? Just to remind you that you’re inside Gash-Barka’s wilderness! There are thousands of weird sounds that echo every minute in this place. Don’t forget that Gash-Barka’s wilderness is a marvelous habitat for a variety of exotic and wild creatures.

Wait a minute! In a coarse voice, Zack replied. I thought your hearing was better than mine, dude!

Pausing for few seconds, Sirak said firmly, Whatever rocks your boat, dude! Instead of being sarcastic with me, Zack; next time, I would advise you to bring a cotton swab along with you so that way you could clean your outer ear canal very well.

Waving his powerful right hand in the air, Zack demanded, Stop there for a second, Sirak! This is the weird sound that I reckon that I was hearing earlier during my napping before I’ve called you.

Sirak replied in a rueful voice, I’m truly sorry, my friend! For a minute, I thought the strange sound was generated by those clown monkeys that are living in those giant trees on the bank of the river. Those clown monkeys always go to extreme lengths to try their best to scare us off. Sometimes, I reckon that they don’t want us to share the wilderness with them. Surely! I can’t really stand all those clown monkeys, Zack.

Removing a couple of annoying insects from his afro-hair, and he continued, Especially that big and scary looking one, he always throws a huge rock at me every time he sees me in their area. You wouldn’t believe what he did one day to me; I was extremely lucky that a big rock missed my head by an inch from cracking my scalp wide open.

Thanks to God that I’m still alive.

Unconvinced! Zack replied suspiciously, Really! Was it that horrible?

With firm eyes, Sirak said, I kid you not, Zack!

Well, dude! Zack replied in an agitated voice, I’m quite sure if you would stop peeing on their trees, perhaps they would instantly stop throwing rocks at you. I would definitely guarantee you that they would start to like you more if you stopped with your immoral mannerism on their domain. I believe those clown monkeys are very protective of their habitat.

And you know what also, Sirak? By all means, I don’t certainly blame them at all. You must learn to respect them and their habitat as well!

Searching for his beef jerky in his brown sack bag, Zack continued, Of course! Sirak, it’s all about respecting Mother Nature; and don’t take it personally and have some sort of grudges with those clown monkeys, or any animals for that matter. It’s all about protecting the beauty of Mother Nature: nothing else.

With a mouthful of chocolate cookies, Sirak replied in an agitated voice, Truly! You are an amazing person, Zack! You sound as if I would pee on their trees just for the heck of it, or that I get pleasure in aggravating them in their habitat. For your information, I only do it when I have an emergency situation. It’s not like; I do it every single day with bad intentions.

Pondering on the action of the squirrel, which was running really fast and climbing the cedar tree seeking immediate shelter, he continued to say, Seriously, would you give me a break! You’re portraying me as a vile person who has no awareness and morality whatsoever to the animals’ habitats. I believe that you are too far away from the truth.

With glittering eyes, Zack replied firmly, It doesn’t matter, Sirak! No matter how you slice it or dice it, you’re still contaminating their habitat with your stinky urine. They are the ones who will have to deal with the foul smell of your toxic urine the following day. More or less, you should definitely feel guilty of your irresponsible actions: certainly not them. If I were you, please change the subject because you and I are not going to agree on the issue.

Sirak said in a calm voice, Anyway, Zack! Do you know the name of the monkey who looks big and scary? Despite his stuttering voice and ’bullying character, I believe that he is a brilliant and a noble monkey.

Zack replied confidently, Hey, Sirak! If I’m not mistaken, his first name is Zhurdu. Matter of fact, he’s on the most wanted list of animals by the Sheriffs’ Department. Couple of weeks ago, I heard from my neighbor’s conversations that he had thrown a huge rock and managed to do some damage to the sheriff’s wife’s head. I believe her husband’s name is Sheriff Fitsum. After the incident which happened before sunset, the sheriffs tried immediately to hunt him down for a couple of days in the wilderness, but he had successfully outsmarted them.

Momentarily pausing to gaze at the beauty of an impala deer while it was grazing, Zack responded in a comical voice, This must be really funny, Sirak. I reckon that the sheriffs with all their mighty guns, eventually found themselves in a predicament in the wilderness to be hunted down by Zhurdu.

Laughing, Zack said, Certainly! Sirak, I don’t know if it’s true or not but according to several rumors, the sheriffs were really scared; and consequently, they were on the run soon. I believe that they were so petrified that they left their guns and the walk-talkie radio in the wilderness.

Sirak replied in a childlike tone, What amazing story that it’s, Zack! Those sheriffs had suddenly changed from hunters to be hunted down by Zhurdu.

From a personal perspective! Zack replied. I have found that Zhurdu is more of a clever and scary monkey than a clown.

Pointing with his long and skinny index finger, Sirak said, By the way, Zack! The sound that’s coming from across the bank of the river is an unusual sound that I’ve never heard before. It doesn’t sound like a normal animal’s sound.

He continued to say, I don’t know where it is exactly coming from, Zack! I think it’s coming from near to the river bank. Does it sound like an animal sound to you?

Zack replied quietly, To me, it sounds like bird sounds. They do make a similar sound when they are doing their ritual dance in the trees. You know what Sirak? This is the seasonal month of gathering in which their ritual dances happen in those giant trees.

In a gentle tone, Sirak said, Yeah, I guess Zack! Perhaps it makes sense what you saying. This is the season of the bird’s migration to Gash-Barka’s wilderness. You’re probably right because every time a newcomer comes to the wilderness; they would generate a lot of weird sounds.

I think we need to check it out, Zack, he said.

Zack replied, All right! I’m for it, dude! Before we do that let’s round up all our, lambs, cattle, goats, and sheep.

With a faint smile, Sirak said, That’s a good idea, Zack!

In a startling voice, he said, Hey, Zack! I cannot find Lulu. I hope those predators Jumbu and Nihru with his cousin didn’t get her.

Please Sirak, don’t worry! in a compassionate tone, Zack replied. Lulu is a very smart cow and everyone likes her, even those lions and hyena as well.

Sirak replied sharply, I don’t think it matters if a cow is beautiful or not when it comes to the hyena Jumbu and the lions. I believe that they would see Lulu as a delicate sirloin steak to satisfy their massive appetite.

Zack responded motionlessly, You know what, Sirak! I find it very confusing the relationship that Jumbu the hyena and the lions, Ermu and Nirhu, have. Once I heard that my deceased grandpa say, ‘That a lion and hyena don’t get along or mingle with each other in the animal kingdom’. The male lion or female lioness would immediately fight any hyena if it gets close to the pride’s domain. In the animal kingdoms, those predators are very competitive hunters. So, according to my grandpa, they’re sworn opponents of each other.

After listening patiently, Sirak responded finally, Zack! I’m definitely confused about what you’re saying about Jumbu and the lions. Everybody knows in this town that they have been good friends for ages.

Pausing for a while to remove a skinny worm from his right big toe where it had taken shelter inside his sandal from predators; he continued to say, I’m perplexed definitely by what your grandpa has previously told you that hyena and lions are lifetime sworn enemies to each other in the jungle.

Zack, could you please tell me how do they end up being as good buddies as they are today?

Gulping a chunk of beef jerky, Zack replied with a mouthful of food, Unfortunately bro! This question that you have asked about those carnivores has become a mystery to everyone in this town. Sadly, we would never know how those predators have become good friends instead of being sworn enemies as their predecessors were to each other in the wilderness.

Instantly removing the lonely and tiresome colorful butterfly that has landed on his small shoulder for a rest, Sirak said, Zack! It’s very weird to see that Nihru and his cousin take an order from the Jumbu. It was in the early morning when I saw that Jumbu was giving an order to Nihru and his cousin. I was completely bewildered by how Nihru and his cousin were taking orders from Jumbu. It was Nihru who was very obedient when he was taking orders from their boss than Ermu was.

He continued to say, Apparently, Jumbu was very upset that Ermu was not attentively listening to his instructions. Matter of fact! Jumbu was telling Ermu that he always questions his orders.

In an amused and mimicking tone, Sirak said, As I recall that day, ’Jumbu was saying that he was elected Chairman of Animal Kingdom, not you. If it wasn’t for Nihru’s intervention between them, I think Jumbu would have lost his temper with Ermu.

He asked gently, Hey, Zack! Do you know that Jumbu has a very bad temper?

Continuously sneezing due to an allergy to daisies flowers, Zack responded in a firm voice, I thought the black rhinos are the ones with a bad temper in the animal kingdom. I don’t think hyenas are known for their bad temper. I believe that they are likely known for their weird laughter than a bad temper.

Zack, I’m not a qualified zoologist to tell you which animal in the kingdom has the worst temper, Sirak replied in a gentle voice. "I don’t think it’s very wise to make a generalized statement about animal behaviors.

If you believe that black rhinos are known in the animal kingdom for their bad tempers that is your opinion. But I must ask you to refrain from making a stereotype or biased statements about black rhino or any animals for that matter."

In a guttural voice and firm eye contact, Zack replied, Sirak cuts all these philosophical talks with me because I’m not interested in it and never will be. Please, spare me! Actually! I’m not in the mood for your nonsense about your philosophy of animal behaviors. Are you telling me that Jumbu and lions didn’t notice your presence when you’re spying on them in the early morning?

Do not be silly, Zack? Sirak replied in a soothing tone.

In a hoarse tone, Zack responded, Sirak, are you joking with me? Better yet, are you insulting my intelligence? Are you, bro?

Calm down, my friend! Sirak replied with a fearful eye. If Jumbu and the lions had seen me, for sure I would have been their choice of menu for early breakfast without a hesitation. Especially Nihru and his cousin have a massive appetite; they are always looking around for a good meal during the dawn hours.

Which animal in the animal kingdom consumes a lot of meal, Zack?

With stern warning body language, Zack replied, Sirak! This is my last warning to you. Cut all these questions and philosophical statements about the animal kingdom. I’ve told you numerous times that I’m not an academic person but simply a young farmer.

Acknowledging the harsh warning, Sirak responded, All right, Zack! Don’t get all upset for anything. Have you heard the saying ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste’?

Whatever, Sirak! Wiping the mists away from his muscular face, Zack retorted, It’s a good thing that you’re my best friend because if you were another person you wouldn’t dare to speak to me like this in the wilderness.

Sirak said in a very low soft tone, Zack, my buddy! I really hate it when you’re all sensitive like a feather. Have I told you that it doesn’t go with your character? Anyway, it’s all good bro.

Do you think that the lions have already got my Lulu? I reckon that Nihru is the more cruel lion than Ermu.

A frustrated mosquito landed quietly on his left forearm as Zack replied in an annoying tone, Really! I don’t think so, Sirak! Apparently to me, they are both same, and also both of them wouldn’t have mercy on their preys.

He asked intently, Are you certain that Nihru is meaner than Ermu?

Using his wood stick to scratch his massive muscular back, he said, You know what, Sirak! I’m very curious if you could differentiate the characteristic traits of those two lions. I must applaud you for your braveness in getting close to those lions, which are the most powerful animals in the universe. Surprisingly, I’ve never thought that you could muster the bravery within you to make a final determination that one of them is nicer than the other.

Quenching his thirst with pasteurized whole milk, Sirak responded, Frankly, Zack! In the past, I saw both lions from a remote distance in mists of action when they were hunting their prey that was when I made observations on their characters. Definitely from a remote distance, perhaps I could be wrong on my observations, but it’s Ermu who is much nicer than Nihru.

Scanning around the perimeters with his hawkish eyes, Zack said, Honestly, Sirak! I think both of them are scary wild animals to me. Several days ago, at Mona’s Café, I heard the elders were having a friendly conversation about Ermu because he has been guilty of stealing goats and sheep in the east part of the province. According to them, he’s been the number one enemy of the farmers in the Eastern Province of Gash Barka.

Matter of fact! One of the farmers has placed a huge reward for anyone who captures Ermu.

Sirak asked in a curious tone, Dead or Alive, bro!

Honestly! I don’t know, and I don’t give a hoot about it, Zack replied.

Sirak asked unexpectedly, Do you know how much the reward is on Ermu?

Zack said in an agitated tone, Sorry, bro! But I don’t know and I’m not interested in it. What is the reason that you’re asking about the reward? Are you planning to be on a mission to hunt down, Ermu?

Sirak replied in a comical tone, Yeah, right! I forget to laugh at your silly words, Zack! By the way, if you are trying to be comedian boy, it doesn’t suit you very well.

Ha ha ha! Zack responded audibly.

Removing a stubborn colony of ants from his brownish sac bag, who were fiercely determined to take away his chocolate cookies, Sirak asked, What’s so funny, Zack? Could you please be kind enough to share your ridiculous laugh with me?

Laughing, Zack retorted, Sorry, Sirak! Instead of being a hunter, you would be definitely the hunted one.

You know what else, Zack? I think Ermu is a much better sprinter and clever than Nihru, Sirak said.

Zack responded cautiously, Please be free to explain to me how you know all about the intricate characteristics of those lions?

In an exciting tone, Sirak retorted, Believe it or not, Zack! I might not be a brave person as you are, but my vision is like a great American eagle. I have an excellent vision.

You must be joking, Sirak! with amusement, Zack responded. Could you please explain to me why you always fall down when you are walking on the road, in your barn, and in the wilderness if you’re claiming that you have a superior vision similar to the eagle who is the king of the sky?

While checking his surroundings with frightened eyes, Sirak replied, Sadly! You have mistaken me for someone else.

Whatever! Zack replied in a resigned tone. I’m just repeating what you have said earlier, that you have a perfect vision like an eagle.

Sirak said, Frankly, Zack! On a serious note, I don’t have a slight interest in finding out who is the best runner between Nihru and Ermu.

Shifting his hiking maple wood stick from the left hand to the other hand, Sirak said, I just pray to God that I wouldn’t be in a situation where Ermu has to show me his brilliant athletic and acrobatic ability on the fields.

With a chew stick inside his gap teeth, Zack replied, Sirak, I’m pretty sure you can outrun Ermu if both of you met on the open field.

Sirak replied with fearful eyes, Zack! I can only say, ‘O, my gosh’!

Hey, Sirak! Zack responded in a humorous tone, If it would ever happen that you and Ermu met on the field coincidentally, I would encourage you to scream out loud for your father’s help.

Sirak replied, You know what, Zack! Just by mentioning these two big carnivorous cats, I feel already that my bladder has discharged some water on my jeans.

"Seriously, I feel sorry