The Avoidable Orphan: a Child of Africa Story

By T.M. Clark

Recently widowed Rodger de Jonge is losing his bond with his daughters. He's a man of the African bush, and coping with 'girlie feelings' was always Helene's department, not his. When an orphaned baby elephant is found, Rodger sees an opportunity that might help him reconnect with his children. But interfering with the orphan goes against his usual conservation methods. It will require a new approach to save both the baby and his family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wilde Press
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9780645919202

Book preview

The Avoidable Orphan

THE AVOIDABLE ORPHAN

A CHILD OF AFRICA STORY

T.M. CLARK

Wilde Press

First Australian Publication 2015

THE AVOIDABLE ORPHAN

Copyright © 2015 by T.M. Clark

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilisation of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission of the publisher. For permissions, contact: [e-mail]

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by Wilde Press

Edited by Creating Ink

Cover designed by Mecha

Cataloguing-in-Publication details are available from the National Library of Australia www.librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au

First ebook © Published 2015   ISBN 978-0-6459192-0-2

First Paperback Edition 2023 ISBN 978-0-6459192-1-9

GENERAL FICTION

This is a work of fiction. All the characters in this book have no existence outside the author's imagination. They have no relations whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author. All the incidents are pure invention.

This book is written in English as used in Britain and Australia. It has not been Americanised.

CONTENTS

1. The Orphan

2. The Indaba

3. Another Night

4. The Visitors

5. It Takes More Than Blood

6. The Grove

7. The Gifts

Glossary

Child of Africa

Also by T.M. Clark

About the Author

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

DEDICATION

For my Shaun, as always.

Thank you to:

Dave & Pat Tarr for your baby elephant that inspired part of this story.

Michael North Imagery for the stunning cover photo. More of his beautiful images can be found on his Facebook page

Find out about T.M. Clark’s other books at tmclark.com.au

This novella was originally published as part of the Christmas Assortment Box.

CHAPTER 1

THE ORPHAN

‘I’ll get that,’ Rodger de Jonger said, putting down his white linen napkin next to his plate and pushing his chair away from the table where he’d sat with his two daughters. He walked from the dining room and down the passage to where the telephone hung on the wall. He lifted the black handset as it rang its last long sound, two shorts and two longs, his call sign on the party line.

‘Hello,’ he said into the receiver.

‘Rodger, it’s Leslie. How are you doing?’

‘Nice to hear from you,’ he said, hearing a faint click on the line. Old Mrs Humphries had picked up and was listening in as she always did, especially to late night calls.

Rodger ran a hand through his hair. If Helene had been here, she would have told Mrs Humphries to get off the line, that the call had nothing to do with her. But she wasn’t here, hadn’t been for months. He’d never hear his wife tell the old duck off again.

‘I’m good thanks,’ he said to Leslie. Managing. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’

His friend Stephen had been the head ranger at Chizarira until Independence. It had been one of the first to negotiate with the local chief to build a safari lodge on the bank of Kariba—near Binga. Stephen had moved there with his wife, Leslie, and toddler Peta. Ten years ago, they had welcomed Joss into their world at almost the same time that Helene had given birth to Courtney, their youngest daughter. The women had already been friends, and after that, their friendship had strengthened—all the way to the end.

‘I’m sorry for calling so late, but I need your help,’ Leslie said, pulling him away from the pain raging in his chest.

‘What happened?’ Rodger asked.

‘Joss brought home a baby elephant, and Stephen’s still in Durban for that travel expo.’

‘A baby jumbo?’ Rodger turned his back and leaned against the wall, twisting the cord around his finger, then unwinding it again. ‘Why am I not surprised?’

‘You know your daughters would’ve done the same.’

‘I know. Peas in a pod, those kids. How small are we talking?’

‘Small. About a metre at its shoulder. It’s taking calf formula from the bottle I used to nurse the Kudu calf a few months back.’

‘Where’s its mother?’ Rodger asked.

‘No idea. There’ve been so many fires in the Chizarira and Chete areas recently. There was also a shootout up in the hills a few days ago. They could’ve been separated by either.’

Rodger looked at the ceiling. There had been reports of poachers at Chizarira the day before yesterday. It was possible they might have moved west into the Chete Safari area. The problem with uncontrolled fires burning into the national park, and into the safari areas, was as bad as always. It was so dry, the small amount of rain they’d received had not broken the drought, and the veld went up in flames at any spark.

‘Bongani said he was hunting with Joss up in the forest area near the Chete border when they saw a bateleur eagle circling, so they went to investigate and found the baby lying there. He was still in the TTL—’

The Tribal Trust Lands, good thing they were within those boundaries and not in the park. ‘How can I help?’ Rodger asked as he sat on the chair in the passageway ... Helene’s favourite chair, complete with her patchwork cushion that said "home sweet home. She was the one who had liked to yabba-yabba on the phone for hours, not him. He hadn’t had the heart to move it though. It still belonged in her" house. This