Arusha's Story
Arusha remembered when she was taken away. Arusha was tiny, only four-years-old and nervous around the grown-ups. Before they took her, she remembered how the adults seemed so big; each would block out the bright, blazing sunshine as they passed, leaving her momentarily in quenching shade.
Thoughts of that brief moment of cold reminded Arusha of the broad tree-lined lake they all shared, an exquisite place of respite from the heat and dust of the day. Thickets of brittle scrub, trees and brush shielded those languishing in the shallow pool from direct sunlight, each branch alive with bouncing birds and buzzing insects.
Yellowing grass parched crisp by the heat, scratched at her sensitive tummy and felt lovely as Arusha had played around the lake in the shade.
When the memory came, Arusha trembled again, almost overwhelmed with fear, her breath short, shallow and sudden, her heart racing, just as it did all those weeks ago at the lake, she thought.
The grown-ups, one by one, had all gone. Each fell, splattering into the water, crumpling quickly like parched brush in a wildfire after each terrifyingly loud "pop".
Over and over, each "pop" startled her with a jolt. Arusha, confused, watched on with wide eyes, and nostrils flared in fear as each grown-up seemed to fold into the water and vanish. Gone.
Fear iced over her heart, and so she ran and ran. The "pops" finally faded behind in the dust of her wake. The next thing she remembered was the man wearing a wide-brimmed hat. he found Arusha lying deathly still and dying of thirst under an ebony tree, loose brush scraped over herself to hide from the sun – and those terrible "pops".
Dampened with layers of wet cloth, The Man in the Hat hauled her onto a low flat-backed truck. The loud, unyielding and smelly thing bumped along dizzyingly. The warm breeze it created distracted her for a time, offering respite from the terrible memories and the pain of straps cutting uncomfortably into her tummy and shoulders. Billows of dust dirtied her face and filled her eyes.
Like a scudding thundercloud on the Savannah, the despair she remembered had swirled inside her, making her sick. The bumps and jerks of the truck as it trundled over the rutted and scorched earth didn't help, but finally, the dust and dirt-filled journey ended.
At first, the people's strange language, a high-pitched, staccato, filled her with more anxiety and despair. Arusha realised, today, thinking about it again, she had learned to treasure it.
Oh, how things changed. Arusha remembered the first sweet taste of their water and the Man in the Hat washing dust from her eyes. Then sweet water cascading over her, and she relished the feel of the liquid on her thick, dusty grey-coloured skin.
Oh! And how much she liked the taste of bananas, their unimaginably smooth sweetness filling her senses and then the wonderful tickles under her chin.
There were others there, too, at the refuge. All were just like her; small alone, and terrified and each had looked at her with eyes darkened with horrors, doubts, and fear. Arusha realised she must have had the same haunted visage.
The Man in the Hat stood back and turned to shut the gate into the corral. Arusha wheeled away, trotted towards the other Rhinos, and realised she was among friends and safe for the first time in her short life.
(A Short Story by Doug Harman. Inspired by the BBC Radio 4 programme, Exploring Animal Traits - Solo Species: Arusha, the Black Rhino's Story.)
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[WEVERSE] 240224 슝이🌹 update
"It was really cold yesterday, but today it’s warm again. What are Blinks doing? haha 🥰"
cr. xx_turtle_
👤 : I was watching Apartment 404!
🐰 : I wasn't able to watch it yesterday ㅜ I'll have to watch it later in the evening 🥹 Did JendeukJenduek??
👤 : Watching HunHun
🐰 : Hunter X Hunter..?! Legend..
👤 : That hat is so cute kekeke 💗💗
🐰 : I want one of different animals. I think it would be unique to have a rihno hat with a horn!
👤 : Unnie when is Happiness Jisoo being uploaded?
🐰 : It was really weird so I can't upload.. kekekekekeke I'm gonna do Paris vlog again when I got.. I'm thinking about what I should film. haha Paris another Paris vlog ..
👤 : Today's tmi??
🐰 : Vest padding is warmer than I thought..?!
👤 : Chu noona~ do you have a Netflix recommendation?
🐰 : I did watch A Killer Paradㅇx no but is it ㅇ or is it 0 or what is it.. I don't know
👤 : I was studying! As soon as I saw the post I ran like Dalgom to get a reply
🐰 : No but Dalgomie doesn't run.
👤 : Yesterday Chaeyoung was teased about using LTE. Unnie what you use? 😈
🐰 : LTE ! If you change I feel like it'll be slower, I'm gonna use LTE for like since its good!!!
👤 : Jisoo, my heart for you! jisoo love you very much Jisoo Love you forever
🐰 : Before I clicked more the heart was cut off so I was little flustered but thanks for the big heart. I also love you love you♥️
👤 : From the previous live, how's the phone you bought?? Did you adjust well??
🐰: : It's too big so I haven't been able to adjust, too big ㅜㅜ I can't hold it in one hand ㅠ
👤 : saw a movie 11 times in the theater, unnie have you seen a movie multiple time in the theater?
🐰 : No..? That's crazy! What movie is it! Please tell me what it is. You didn't just leave like this someone please grab 로채앵 (👤). I can't believe you left like this.. What movie was it
👤 Unnie they said it's Wonka!!
🐰 : Really..?? It's worth watching 11 times!! I see!!
👤 : Next live will you be in the car? hahaha
🐰 : ㅜㅜ kekekeke thus.. it's still fun right?! kekeke
🐰 : I'm now suddenly .. leaving ㅠㅠ Blinks, I'll work hard on vlogs when I go to Paris! keke It's Paris again, but I'll try to film it differently 🤣🤣 I love you!!!! I miss you!! Blinks you miss me too right? I'll come visit often 🥰♥ ️
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