I was sitting on the fallen tree log near the Stravondale farm which had so many trees, and the birds sang beautiful songs that led me to my every day dream. The dream that always ran in my mind was to live like Tarzan — I’ve been watching the movie since I was a child. Tarzan’s lifestyle made me wish to live in the jungle with wild animals, of which I thought was the best life ever because he had no one to control him or underestimate him.

The movement of the sun made me stand from where I was sitting and I started following the Nakayombo road that was covered by the beautiful shade from the trees around it. I didn’t worry about the distance I covered because the cool weather and songs of the birds made me forget about everything I had left behind.

I came back to my senses when I hit my toe in front of a log that was aligned across the Kafue river in the Jungle of Itimpi. I crossed the river and entered the land that seemed to be heaven to me, it’s the China Harvest, the farm where they grow wheat and rice. The crops were just a half meter tall so they displayed their best green colour to my eyes. I was in the middle of the farm and I could not see where the fields ended, the land was evergreen. This did not please me so much because I couldn’t see any animals or hear the sound of any birds, it just reminded me of my love story with Beauty Nelson.

I decided to continue with my journey and stopped only when I found a place that would satisfy my desire, the jungle.

When I walked a few kilometres away from the China Harvest I entered the very beautiful jungle that overtook my thoughts. I started hearing beautiful songs from the birds that perched on the branches of cute flowering plants. It was like a dream come true; I enjoyed the songs and the cool wind that blew from east to west, I started looking for animals to befriend, but the most beautiful ones I saw all ran away in fear.

I was standing in the middle of beautiful flowers when I saw a pure white rabbit running so fast towards me, I was so overjoyed that I finally found an animal friend. I thought it would jump into my arms so I knelt down quickly and opened my arms wide; to my surprise it jumped as high as it could and passed me.

When I looked back to where it came from, a very fierce looking animal jumped in front of me; it was the worst looking animal I’ve ever seen. When I looked into its eyes they were burning like fire I once saw such fire in a science fiction movie. It’s claw marks on the ground were filled with the colourless liquid that came from its mouth. From this I knew that it was very hungry — I almost died in fear. It almost took my leg when I sneaked and ran for my precious life, I ran as fast as I could but it was not enough.

I reached an empty space; it was like a football pitch of the wild dogs and hyenas in the centre of the jungle. When I reached the middle of the pitch I was surrounded by wild dogs and hyenas, they were all hungry and fierce. My legs were trembling, I couldn’t stand so I lay on the ground helplessly.

As soon as they approached me, six big lions came from the tall trees that surrounded the area, they were so hungry to the extent of not considering how many wild dogs and hyenas there were. The lions came with great speed and started chasing the dogs and hyenas, they made sure that they all disappeared completely before they ate their meal.

This was my chance to escape, I made sure that I ran as fast as possible and never looked back. I don’t even know what the lions did when they saw that there was no one to eat; all I know is that the hungry lions saved my life. Ever since then, I’ve never wished to go to the forest with or without company.

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