Short story  

The gathering

by Sunila Nanayakkara

August was coming to an end. I felt restless. I had felt the same restlessness over the past few years during the August-September period. I had to think and act fast before another 12 months rolled by. I travel alone. All of a sudden a bright idea dawned on me. Why don't we, my erstwhile travel companions and I combine our varied interests? Yes, it worked. A small group gathered and we set off. On the way we stopped at some sacred places.

Leaving Colombo at 6.30, we were able to reach Minneriya and the entrance to the park at 2.30, the best time to go on an evening safari. After the preliminaries of purchasing tickets we found a vehicle with some difficulty, because quite a large number of wildlife enthusiasts had hired the vehicles. We too found a jeep of some sort. The driver looked at us, a group of elderly females and fetched a stool from somewhere to help us to get onto the jeep. And soon we were on the wildlife safari. Through the dry zone jungle we drove many kilometres. The driver who was also our guide pointed out a few animals such as the spotted deer, macaque monkeys and the endangered red-lipped lizard. I was now feeling anxious. My objective of the safari was seeing the world-renowned spectacle known as the “Elephant Gathering”.

“So where are the elephants? We have now come three or four kilometres. We have not seen even a single”

“Wait.”Ajith, the driver said. With a broad smile he asked, “Madam how many elephants do you want to see?”

“Hundred”. He nodded.

Rain

“Ok. Give me a few more minutes. We have to go five or six kilometres from the gate to that place.”

On both sides of the rough road were bamboo trees which had large, pointed thorns. Even after the long drought, the trees and shrubs looked green. Some depressions on the road were half filled with muddy water. Ajith explained. “Last night it rained for about two hours, the first shower in five months!”

“Then they might not come to the tank for water.” I thought that we had been late this time too.

“No. with one shower they would not get water in the forest. So, they have to come in search of water to the tank. In fact they were there this morning.”

The jeep swayed and inclined 45 degrees as it moved over bumps and pot holes. We held onto the seats and the bar that ran around the jeep. The sun was behind a cloud cover, but shining mercilessly when the clouds passed away. Ajith was manoeuvring the jeep deftly as the terrain got difficult. Now we were emerging to a flat open area in the forest. A thin-bladed short grass covered the whole area beyond which was the jungle.

On the left an expanse of water came into sight. In its water, and on its bank, we spotted them, the elephants, miniature black spots. A number of safari jeeps were before us. In the stationary jeeps people were standing with their cameras and video equipment, waiting for their arrival. It was akin to a set in the shooting of a movie. All the eyes were directed in one direction, towards the jungle.

Elephants

Then they started coming, in pairs, in small groups of four or five and in bigger groups of a dozen or more. We tried to count; but gave up as herd after herd of elephants moved towards us. The biggest herd consisting of 20 or 30 babies were trying to keep pace with the senior members, moving in close proximity to them. The herds remained together, not straying off. Many were uprooting tufts of grass with their trunks and placing them in their mouths. Ajith said that they liked to consume the grass that grows here as it has a milky taste.

We saw a baby elephant from the herd that was just in front of us making a right about turn and running in the opposite direction. The rest of the herd too turned around and moved fast and caught up with the baby and surrounded it. All of them stood for some time in that position and gradually moved towards the earlier direction, having as it were, brought the baby under control! We also saw one or two with no companions. Ajith who knew about most of the elephants inhabiting this park said they are males that do not socialise with others. Now the herds were heading in the direction of the tank, to quench their thirst and to have a dip. Two of them continued to have the tussle they had started a short while ago. We watched them with interest; at one stage they coiled their trunks together, then walked back, remained quiet and again went at each other.

The sun had started to go down. A semi-darkness was spreading. Most of the jeeps commenced the return drive towards the entrance of the park. We too decided to leave the “Gathering” in the wilderness to roam through the jungle for food the whole night and rest during the hot day in the cool shelter of the wooded jungle.