stuck her khaki cap onto her head and smiled at them. “I was just telling the others we’re going for a short drive this evening. To the dam and back. We’ll go on a much longer one tomorrow.”
Billy noticed that Surina wasn’t standing with them. She was sitting on the steps of the rondavel she was sharing with Jabu.
“Come along, Surina,” called Bokkie. “Time to go.”
“Do I have to? Can’t I just stay here and, um, hang out? We’ve been driving all day.”
Bokkie frowned at her. “It’s just a short drive. That’s why you’re here, you know. To see animals.”
Surina sighed and raised her eyebrows. She stood up reluctantly and walked over.
Thandi gave her an encouraging smile. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,” she said.
Bokkie’s nose gave a firm twitch. She continued, “When you get back, we will have a braai. Schalk will be here by then. But first, the moment you have all been waiting for. Cellphones, please.”
Surina groaned. “Do we have to?” she asked.
“Absolutely,” said Thandi. “There’s no place for cellphones on the Land Rover. Anway, we’ve got a two-way radio if we need it. See, I am also going to hand mine over to Bokkie.”
Billy took his out of his pocket and hesitated. He was thinking about what Uncle Raymond had said about taking pictures. “Um, I don’t have a camera, so I use my phone. Now what’ll I do?”
“Exactly!” said Surina.
“Bokkie and I discussed that,” said Thandi, “and luckily, Jabu has brought a very good camera with her. She will take whatever photos you guys want and then send them to your phones.”
Jabu patted the camera slung around her neck. “I promise it takes amazing pictures.”
She and Billy handed their cellphones to Bokkie, who popped them into her briefcase. Then she turned to Vusi, who opened his hands and shrugged in a gesture that said he didn’t have one.
Surina’s jaw dropped. “You don’t have a cellphone?” she said as if Vusi had just announced he was from the planet Jupiter.
“Don’t need one,” said Vusi with a shrug.
“Well, I do,” said Surina, turning to Bokkie. “I’ve got to keep in touch with my family, or they will be worried about me.”
Bokkie shook her head. “No cellphones, and that’s it. You don’t need any distractions this weekend, my girl, so just hand it over, please. Your parents have my contact details if they need to be in touch.”
Surina handed it over with another dramatic sigh.
They climbed onto the Land Rover. Surina sat next to Thandi in the front. Billy and Vusi sat in the row behind them. Jabu clambered up the short ladder at the back and sat in the last row of seats.
As they set off from the camp, Jabu asked Thandi where the dead rhino had been found.
“Not all that far from here,” Thandi told her. “But don’t worry, the poachers will be long gone by now. Once they’ve got a horn, they get out fast.”
“Oh no, I’m not worried,” said Jabu. “I’m writing about this weekend for my blog, and I just want some details to add to my story. That’s why I always carry my camera,” she added, leaning on the seat behind the two boys.
She has a blog, thought Billy. “Um, you seem to know a lot about the bush,” he remarked.
“Yeah, you’re a walking bushveld encyclopaedia,” grinned Vusi.
Jabu adjusted her glasses. “Well, one day, I want to be a photojournalist and write articles about conservation. That’s why I started my blog. I get quite a few hits, actually.”
Oh terrific, thought Billy. A real boffin. I bet the bursary’s already hers.
“That’s very interesting, Jabu. If you want to ask me anything while we are on the drive, just go ahead,” Thandi said. “How about you, Vusi? Have you spent much time in the bush?”
Vusi said, “Yeah, plenty. My dad’s a ranger like you. He works at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in KZN.”
Oh, double terrific, thought Billy.
“Really?” said Jabu, looking at Vusi with new eyes. “It must be interesting living there.”
Vusi said, “Well, I’m at boarding school most of the time, but I get to spend holidays at the reserve.”
Billy envied him. It must be great even if you only saw your father during school holidays. Billy had only the faintest memories of his pa.
“So when you’re there for holidays, do you go out with your dad tracking animals?” he asked.
“Yep,” said Vusi. “He’s one of their best trackers, and he’s taught me a lot. I think that’s how I managed to get so far in the quiz. I’m not someone who spends my life with my nose in books like some people I could mention.” He tipped his head in Jabu’s direction. She ignored him.
Billy looked up at a lilac-breasted roller sitting on a branch. Its turquoise head, lilac breast and blue wings shone in the late-afternoon sun. He smiled to himself. He’d seen photographs before, but it was great seeing this beautiful bird live for the first time.
“And you, Surina?” asked Thandi. “Why did you enter the competition?”
Surina flicked a strand of her long dark hair over her shoulder and shrugged. “I don’t know. My biology teacher, Mrs Singh, chose me because I usually get the highest marks.”
“And that’s the only reason?” said Vusi.
Surina shrugged. Vusi, Jabu and Billy glanced at each other. Jabu shook her head in amazement.
“Duck!” yelled Thandi as she drove under a thorn tree, its branches hanging low over the road.
“Duck? I don’t see a duck,” Vusi said, and Billy laughed.
Surina turned around and gave them a look that said she thought they were imbeciles.
“Oops, Miss Bollywood didn’t find that amusing,” said Vusi.
Surina spun around again. “Just how old are you?”
Vusi just laughed. He glanced at Billy.
“I’m sixteen. But I don’t know about my buddy here. The one who looks a bit like Johnny Depp,” he said, nudging Billy in the ribs.
Before Billy could make a comment, Thandi said, “Okay, let’s keep it down. If you want to see any animals, that is.”
Billy sat up straight. Time to concentrate. He stared into the long yellow grass.
Vusi asked Thandi, “Do you get
