Prologue: Sam’s POV

“Wake up Sam~.”

Sam heard a whisper from a woman and woke up to find himself laying on the violet grass. He rubbed his eyes and took in his surroundings. The mystical landscape had a beautiful sunset and was decorated with lavender-colored trees, pink waters, and African inhabitants of specific coloring such as sapphire-blue flamingos and red-white striped zebras. After taking in his surroundings, Sam started to wander through the landscape to explore its mysteries. Whenever he walked near the inhabitants, he noticed that the residents didn’t mind his presence as if he were a part of a family. Sam started to give each inhabitant gentle strokes on their soft-silked feathers or smooth-surfaced fur. He left the inhabitants and walked to a tree that grew fully-ripe oranges. He grabbed one orange and quickly peeled it. One slice of orange tasted heavenly; Sam couldn’t resist another slice. As he continued eating the orange, Sam noticed a small figure in the distance. He abandoned his orange and slowly walked closer to the figure. The closer he walked, the clearer the image became--a giraffe. Unlike the inhabitants, the giraffe had dull colors; the only bright thing about it was the twinkle of its eyes. Sam was about to touch one of the giraffe’s body spots until he felt dizzy and fainted on the ground.

“Wake up, Sammy. You’re going to be late!” Sam hated it when his mother called him ‘Sammy’ especially since he was fifteen. Sam was of average height but some classmates considered him runty. His mid-length dirty blonde hair was so messy that bangs started to cover his tiresome jade eyes. His proportional face was ruined by the small drool that traveled down from his mouth. There laid on his bedside was a giraffe good luck charm bracelet.

Sam groaned at the voice of his mother, Audrey Connors. She was very young despite being in her 40s. Her oiled-like walnut hair was always in a bun so it’s rare for most people to see her hair down. Like Sam, her jade eyes still sparkle like diamonds. Unlike many moms, Audrey was the tallest. Sam sighed deeply and sluggishly made his way to his bathroom which was connected to his bedroom. As he showered, Sam kept thinking about the dream and wondering why he always had the same dream. These dreams had kept replaying in Sam’s mind since his sixth birthday. Sam finished his shower and got dressed in his school uniform. Before going downstairs, Sam put on his giraffe charm bracelet that he got on his eighth birthday. When he descended the stairs, Sam saw his mother pacing back and forth in front of the door, while their father, Jason Connors, was lounging in the kitchen with scattered newspapers on the floor. Jason had his eyes glued to his laptop screen. Jason was a middle-aged man with dirty blonde hair and blueberry eyes. He is shorter than his wife but taller than his son. Audrey saw Sam and asked impatiently, “Why did you sleep late, Sam? Your school bus just left you and I explained to the school that I was going to drop you off.” Sam hesitated before responding to his mother, “Mom, I woke up late because of the giraffe dreams.” Audrey scoffed and rolled her eyes before saying, “Sam, I get that you want your beauty sleep, but you can’t keep thinking about your favorite animal all the time. Besides, I received your school report and saw your grades are still below average. You need to stop thinking about the giraffe in your dreams.” Jason overheard the conservation and looked up from his laptop screen. “Audrey, let our son dream and imagine anything he wants. Also, Sam, Chicago Woodland High awaits so you better get ready to leave.” Audrey looked at the kitchen clock and exclaimed, “Oh, my goodness. Sam gets into the car! We’re going to be late!” Sam quickly grabbed his backpack and rushed outside. Audrey followed behind him and started the car. As Audrey had her eyes on the road, Sam looked out the window with the same question in his mind, “Why do I have these dreams?”

When they arrived at Sam's school, Audrey wished her son a good day and drove away from the school’s entrance. Sam took deep breaths and entered the school grounds to explain to the receptionist the reason for being late. As Sam received his late paper slip, he made his way to Class 5b. As he opened the door, Sam was greeted by a sea of eyes from his classmates and a sharp glare from Ms. Greenwell. Sam sighed and explained to his teacher while giving his late paper slip. When he was excused from Ms. Greenwell, Sam made his way to his desk. As Sam was about to pull out his books, he saw his pair of old friends chatting away. He remembered the times when they used to hang out to play video games. However, his constant conversations about giraffes drove his friends away from him. Even though Sam wanted to make new friends, he didn’t seem to have the courage of talking to anyone. Sam sighed and started his day by opening up his books and writing notes. School hours passed; the bell’s ringing was heard across the school grounds, announcing the end of school. Sam waited for his mom to pick him up at the school entrance. He watched as others were collected by their parents. Some of the students passed Sam but were too occupied with talking to their friends.

Sam sighed and calmly waited until he saw his mom drive toward him and she greeted him with a smile. During his journey back home, Sam explained his time at school and Audrey kept giving Sam advice to block out the stares from his classmates. Both Sam and Audrey reached home and were greeted with the enchanting aroma of hot chocolate; a tradition whenever Sam arrived back home from school. Sam dropped his backpack in his room and quickly showered. After he was dressed in his banana pajamas, Sam arrived at the kitchen to see Audrey reading a novel at the kitchen table while Jason placed a tray that had three cups of hot chocolate on the table. Sam sat down next to Audrey and grabbed his cup of hot chocolate. Jason sat down and asked, “So, how was everyone’s day?” He received a nod and smile from his wife, but nothing from his child. “How about you, Sam? How was school?” Sam moved his cup away and placed his head on the table. He started to groan loudly on the table. Jason took that as a sign and reassured his son by saying, “Are you still talking about your old friends, my little dreamer?” He saw Sam’s head rise from the table and sadly nod in his direction. He sighed at his child’s dismay and said, “Sam, you should make some new friends. Your current friends don’t understand a lot about your imagination and how much you love giraffes. I know that making new friends is difficult, but it’s better than being alone. Just know that Mommy and I still love you no matter what.” Jason gently Sam’s shoulder a few times before pulling his arm away. Sam loved his parents’ reassuring gestures and began to drink his cup of hot chocolate.

When Sam felt more relaxed, Jason cleared his throat and said, “Everyone, I have an announcement to make. After the past few months, I finally found a job opportunity. I’ve applied for a position as a veterinarian with the World Wildlife Fund. They have offered me the job.”

Hearing the news, both Sam and Audrey were happy about Jason’s success but saw a hint of hesitance in his eyes. “However, there is one problem that will affect us as a family because we’re going to live in Kenya, East Africa.”

Both wife and son gasped at the news and Audrey spoke what was on her mind, “Jason darling, I’m happy about the fact that you found a job, but don’t you think we should wait until Sam graduates from high school before moving to a different country? I’m worried about Sam’s schooling."

Jason understood his wife’s concerns but kept reassuring her by saying. “I know that it may be risky, but think about the fact that Sam can have an opportunity to make new friends and experience the beautiful scenery of Africa. The place we’re going to be living is a safe distance from any danger.” However, this made Audrey more cautious about Kenya.

“Jason, Kenya is one of the places that has risks of droughts, floods, and hostile animals. I want our son to be safe and sound.”

Jason kept trying to convince his wife by saying, “We’re going to live within a local village and the villagers can help us learn how to protect ourselves from wild animals.” This made the tension worse as both Audrey and Jason were into their debate about moving to Kenya.

Sam, uncomfortable at the sudden change of atmosphere, decided to place his cup in the sink and headed upstairs. He opened his door and entered his sanctuary. His room had hand-made paintings all over the grey-colored walls and was semi-messy with papers scattered on the floor. On his black covers and bedsheets rested a pile of textbooks. In a corner of his room, there was a giraffe plushie. Ever since the dreams began, Sam’s father would buy him the giraffe plushie because, like Sam’s mother, he believed that Sam had a fascination for giraffes. Sam flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He began to space out; he lost track of time until his vision was blinded by the moon’s lucid light. He rose from the bed and saw a silhouette of a giraffe on his bedroom wall. Sam looked out the window to see that the stars had formed the real-life Camelopardalis constellation. He turned to call out to his parents, but the moment when he looked back to the window, the giraffe silhouette and the constellation disappeared. Sam then decided to work on his assignments. While Sam was studying his assignments, he wasn’t thinking about making a new friend in the wilderness of Kenya. He was trying not to think about Kenya at all.

Chapter 1: New Life, New Responsibilities

Away from Chicago, Sam’s location, there was a 13-year-old girl who planned on going to Kenya but for a different reason. Sofie Andrews lived in New York with her parents. Sofie was a skinny girl with soft amber hair, which she wore in pigtails, and curious ginger eyes. Sometimes her parents couldn’t find time for her as her mother, Bella Andrews, was a fashion designer and her father, Daniel Andrews, was helping out animal charities by doing fundraisers. Even though she lived in New York, Sofie always wanted to live in Kenya so that she could frequently see her paternal grandparents. Daniel was a Maasai, having grown up in a village in the Serengeti. Daniel and Bella met at NYU where Bella was studying fashion and Daniel was studying to be a vet. Daniel and Bella had decided to make their home in New York where Sofie was born but each year they return to Kenya to visit his parents and to help Sofie explore her inheritance. Sofie still remembered last winter when her grandparents taught her how to respect animals but they didn’t find the time to teach her how to read someone’s aura because her winter break ended. Sofie had mild deutan color blindness, which was a family trait from her mother’s side. Sofie spent her days reading nature books and watching animal cartoons. Whenever Sofie watched cartoons, every majestical green scenery turned into dull yellow scenery. Sofie spent time with her parents when they ate together and hung out in the living room. Every time Sofie went to school, she felt like she was isolated from her classmates because of her color blindness. Both her teachers would assist whenever she found it difficult to understand colors. This was also the same case at home as Sofie’s parents would help her with assignments containing colors. Daniel and Bella had arranged for Sofie to go to therapy, but she struggled to open up her feelings to her therapist. Her parents wanted Sofie to get as much help as possible and spent hours brainstorming for their little girl. One day, Daniel had an idea and wrote a letter to his parents in Kenya about Sofie. After spilling out his concerns for Sofie, Daniel walked out of the house to the Explorer Post Office to send the letter and began hoping for his parents to respond.

While Daniel went out to the post office, Sofie was working on her homework. When Daniel returned from the post office, Sofie got up and ran towards the door as fast as a cheetah to give her father a bear hug. Daniel softly chuckled and led her back to her room so that they could spend time together. Whenever they spent time together, both Sofie and Daniel would ask about their days and watch anything that would keep them entertained until it was time for dinner. Every time father and daughter arrived at the dinner table, the food was always set on the table. Bella was a wonderful cook and put time and energy into the evening meal. Tonight’s dinner was a golden brown turkey that had waterfalls of gravy traveling down to the bottom of the plate. The side dishes that supported the turkey were large scoops of mashed potatoes and a small mountain of sweet potatoes and chive damper. There was nothing out of ordinary after dinner for the Andrews, as the family hung out in the living room. The parents chatted while Sofie was in her fantasy world of literature. Sometimes, during their conversations, Bella would glance at her daughter before shaking her head and continuing her conversation with her husband. Time passed until the grandfather clock in the living room chimed at 9 o’clock. Daniel looked up at the grandfather clock, turned to his daughter, and walked toward her. Sofie kept reading until she felt herself getting scooped up. The book that she was reading fell on the floor. Surprised, Sofie let out a soft gasp and held onto her father’s chest tightly. Daniel carried his daughter to her bedroom and placed her down on her bed. Daniel wished his daughter a good night’s rest and left her bedroom. Sofie heard soft knocks on her door and saw that her mother had entered the room. Bella sat down on the bed and kissed Sofie on the forehead before wishing her a good night and walking out of the room. Sofie snuggled into her covers and hoped that tomorrow would be another great day. Little did she know, outside her bedroom window, the moon shone its lucid light into her room and lit up the giraffe photograph on her bedroom wall, taken during her last visit with her grandparents.

Days had passed since Daniel’s visit to the post office. It was summer break and school was officially closed for the students and teachers. The house was filled with quiet mutterings as each of the Andrews was caught up doing work. Bella took over their bedroom to work on her dress designs while having a rainbow stream of fabrics scattered on the floor. While his wife occupied their bedroom, Daniel was spending his time in the living room, finding other animal committees to support. Finally, Sofie was in her room not reading or watching tv; she was writing her short stories that took place in Africa's savannas. Sofie never called herself a writer, but she did find expressing her feelings through literature easier than expressing her feelings through verbal conversations. All was quiet until there was knocking at the front door. Daniel got up from his seat and walked over to the front door to see John Rogers, the mailman. Daniel greeted John and noticed a few envelopes in John’s hand. John handed him the envelopes and then gave his farewells before going across the street to the next house. Daniel closed the door and went back to his seat in the living room.

Daniel placed the envelopes onto his laptop and scanned each envelope. Some envelopes were bills. He got bored scanning the envelopes and was about to head back to his work until one envelope caught his eye. While most of the envelopes were as white as snow, one particular envelope was orange as fire with its stamp a lioness. Instead of typing up words on the envelope, the addresses were handwritten. Daniel opened up the envelope and began to read; ‘Dearest Daniel, how are you and your family back in New York? Even though we still write letters to each other, it’s never the same as seeing your family in person. The last time we saw each other in person was when the three of you came to visit us on Sofie’s winter break. Your mother and I have been busy as usual in our village amongst the other villagers. We were glad to receive your letter, especially when it’s about Sofie. We can’t help but see Sofie trying to adjust to both her home and school setting. We were concerned about how both you and Bella struggled on finding a therapist for her. However, that doesn’t mean that we won’t help you both when it comes to Sofie. Just letting you know that while we are helping Sofie deal with her color blindness, we also want Sofie to feel safe and comfortable during her stay. You mentioned in your letter that she’s been growing quieter and we think that she can talk to us about her emotions and she can slowly push her negative thoughts away. We also hope that Bella agrees with this idea. Let us know when you and Sofie will be arriving in Kenya. With lots of love and kisses from Kenya, Mom & Dad.’

Daniel felt a shiver down his spine and gulped. He had been waiting to tell Bella until he heard from his parents. Daniel paced around the floor while reciting ways to explain to Bella about the letter as if he was reciting lines for a play. Suddenly, Bella came into the living room to see her husband pacing and asked, “Love, what on earth are you doing?” Stopping in his tracks, Daniel slowly turned to Bella and replied, “Whatever do you mean, darling?” Bella sighed and glanced at the coffee table where the envelope was. Out of curiosity, Bella reached out to grab the red envelope and began reading the letter. Daniel saw the disappointment in his wife’s eyes after she finished reading it. Before he could say anything, Bella sighed, “Love, if you were going to tell me about this earlier, then I would have agreed. Besides, why would Sofie need to go to Kenya when we could still find another therapist for her?” Daniel took a deep breath and replied, “I was worried that you would never agree and I thought about sending Sofie to Kenya for her summer break. Besides, Sofie also considers Kenya her second home. Bella, just understands that this is a recovering adventure for our little explorer and my parents will write letters to us about any progress.” Bella sighed and glanced at the letter and then back at her husband. “Alright, Sofie can visit her grandparents as long as we get regular updates from them.” Little did they know, there was a silhouette of a girl as Sofie hid in a secluded corner near the living room’s entrance. When she heard the news, Sofie had to contain her excitement. Our little adventurer quietly walked back to her room to prepare herself for the trip to her second home.

Chapter 2: Arrival in Kenya

Sam sat anxiously on his seat as he began to wait for the plane to start flying. He began recalling the past weeks of his parents debating and organizing the new house. Instead of selling the house, both Audrey and Jason decided to turn it into a summer home. His parents showed him their new home--a traditional African home made up of straw, bamboo, and varieties of leaves all tied up with rope that was strong enough to protect three people from weather conditions. Sam found the situation still confusing; a lot of thoughts were still spiraling in his mind. Despite the confusion, Sam was a bit happy by the fact that the move had distracted him from the giraffe dreams and the recent appearance of the giraffe constellation. As he was sitting on his seat, Sam occasionally glanced down at his giraffe bracelet and rubbed it for good luck. He realized that he should stop wearing the bracelet if he wanted to stop thinking about giraffes, but somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to take it off. Both mother and father observed their son’s behavior and didn’t question him.

Jason wanted to comfort Sam so he asked, “Hey bud, are you feeling alright? I know that this is a big move but I can tell you that this is a new chance for the family. Heck, maybe you and I could learn how to hunt for food and take part in fishing trips?”

Out of his trance, Sam looked at his father and responded, “I’m happy you found a job, Dad, but don’t you think that this is a bit too far for your job?”

Jason sighed and began to speak, “I know that this job has a lot of unexpected turns, but I believe there can be good things to make our experience in Kenya extraordinary. Plus, maybe this could help with your recurring dreams about the giraffe. Your mom doesn’t like the idea that the dreams have been bothering you, but I believe there’s a reason why the dreams linger in your mind.”

Taking in what his father had said, Sam only nodded in agreement. The Connors and the passengers on the plane were thrilled to hear that the plane was about to depart. As the plane began to ascend, Sam gripped onto his armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white. When the plane soon found its maximum altitude, Sam found himself more relaxed and began to sketch in his art book. Sam always sketched animals, especially giraffes. “Maybe mom was right; maybe I do have an obsession with giraffes.” Sam began drawing a giraffe. He always admired giraffes because their patterns looked so simple and yet unique. He even admired the giraffe’s height and he sometimes wished that he could be taller. After completing the giraffe drawing, Sam looked at his watch and realized they would be arriving early in the morning. He saw that his parents were cuddling up to each other. Instead of sleeping, Sam decided to look over his previous drawings to pass the time. Each page had specific themes as Sam normally sketched daily. However, even though the pages had specific themes, there was always a small giraffe at the corner of his pages. Some of his drawings were about riding on a giraffe. Sam closed his notebook and thought about his days at Chicago Woodland High. Despite missing his school, Sam was not too upset about leaving school because he could get away from his old classmates. Sam thought about what his ex-friends might have said. “Wow, giraffe boy finally went back into the wild?” or “Finally, he’s gone. He couldn’t stop showing everyone his giraffe drawings. Man, that guy was obsessed with giraffes.” Like what his father said at the dinner table, Sam also believed that his ex-friends struggled to understand what lingered in his mind. The one thing that he would miss were his teachers, especially his art teacher, Ms. Zans.

Ever since his friends told him they didn’t want to be friends with him, anyone, Sam felt rejected and lonely until he met his art teacher, Ms. Zans. Ms. Zans wanted to understand Sam and to help him through his art. After Ms. Zans arrived as the new art teacher, she noted each student’s behavior as she taught her daily lessons. However, the only repetitive behaviors that Ms. Zans observed were Sam’s shy behavior and his failed attempts to talk to anybody. Even if the class was learning about shapes, symmetry, and patterns, Sam always drew something related to giraffes, such as their spotted pattern. When enough was enough, Ms. Zans told Sam to stay in the art room after class. She and Sam discussed his strange behaviors. Sam had to explain to her about his dreams and expected Ms. Zans to tell him that it wasn’t a good excuse or scold him. However, her reactions were different as she opened one of her drawers and pulled out her art book. As she placed it on her desk, Sam looked perplexed.

Ms. Zans looked up at Sam and said, “Sam, I want you to look into this book and tell me if there are any similarities?”

Even though Sam didn’t want to invade her privacy, he was curious enough to open the book. On each page, there were a lot of drawings with a recurring animal: a spider. Different species of spiders were drawn in different sections on each page. Once he finished admiring Ms. Zans’ art book, Sam looked at his teacher and said, “These drawings are about spiders.”

Ms. Zans smiled and said, “That’s correct. How about the similarities between your drawings and my drawings?”

Sam thought about it until he answered, “Your drawings and my drawings focus on one animal.”

Ms. Zans let out a small chuckle and said, “Yes, that’s correct. But what I meant was that both of us have a specific animal in our minds. I have had an obsession with spiders since I was a little girl. I couldn’t make friends because of my obsession. Despite the odds, I never let people get me down and I continued living my life. I felt lost and kept thinking about spiders until I researched that shamans help look into people’s minds and explain the symbolism that lives in their minds. So, I decided to travel to Kenya and set out to find a shaman in a local village. I kept asking questions until I found a shaman. I took the local bus to a small village two hours outside of Nairobi. When I arrived at the village, I asked for a chief. I explained my mission to the chief and he pointed to a simple house with a red door. I knocked on the door. The door opened to reveal a young female shaman. When I explained to her about my spider obsession, the shaman let me into her home and read my mind by holding onto my hands while telling me to close my eyes. As I closed my eyes, I heard the shaman chanting and it felt like she cast a spell on me. I kept my eyes closed until she told me to open them. She then explained that the spiders that lurked in my mind represented the creativity within me. That was when I knew that it was a starting point in my life to be an artist. I thanked and paid her for her service. I thanked her once again and headed back home.” Ms. Zans finished her tale and looked at Sam, “Sam, you don’t have an obsession for giraffes, but you have giraffes that wander through your mind for a reason. I hope you understand that you’re going to explore those giraffe dreams.” Sam then told her that he didn’t have time to explore since he was going to pack for his move. Ms. Zans continued, “No matter where you are and what you do, you’re still exploring yourself, Sam. At the end of the day, we always crave meaning and try to find the key for the lock inside our soul.”

Sam replayed Ms. Zans’ words over and over again to calm himself. He was lost in thought until his father snapped him out of his thoughts by lightly nudging his arm. Sam looked at his father, “Sam buddy, we’ve landed. Collect your things and let’s go.” Sam nodded and headed inside the airport with his parents. They got their luggage and came out of the airport. They had been told to look for a driver with their name on the board. Looking at the crowd, Sam spotted the driver and told his parents. As they approached the man with a WWF logo on his shirt, he held out his hand and said with a big smile, “Welcome to Kenya. My name is Phil and I’ll be driving you to the Norfolk Hotel. Tomorrow, I’ll take you on a tour of the city and the day after that, we’ll head to the village.” It took almost an hour from the airport to get to Norfolk Hotel. When they got out of the taxi and received their luggage, Sam thought the hotel looked more vibrant than the hotel in his parents’ traveling brochure. The family went to the reception desk and got their room key from the receptionist. Without hesitation, The Connors went up to the next floor and quickly scanned the floor’s room numbers until they finally found their designated room number. The room had enough space to fit the family and the luggage. There were two bedrooms, a small living and a balcony which had a view of the large garden. Sam brought his bags and entered the room which had a small bed. He unpacked and had the time to look out from the balcony. The view of the garden at the night made Sam’s stay more welcoming as he admired the view. He heard a knock on his door and rushed to open it to see his parents. They told Sam to get ready for dinner as they had planned to head to the hotel’s dining room. Once Sam got ready, the family headed to where they wanted to go and had the night to experience traditional cuisines. After dinner, the Connors went back to their rooms, said “Good Night” to each other, and slept with dreams of Africa spiraling in their minds.

The next day, Phil arrived at 9 o’clock to drive the Connors through the city of Nairobi to enter the outskirts. During the ride, Sam looked at the urban setting as he saw each inhabitant either getting out of buildings, carrying bags, or walking along the concrete sidewalk. As the journey continued, the smooth concrete road turned into a rocky dirt road, which made Phil’s passengers bump into the doors of the jeep. Phil told his guests that they were about to experience the real Africa. Sam tried his best not to fall asleep but it didn’t seem to work. Jet lag was getting to him. Both his parents told him to wake up and retrieve his stuff from the trunk. The Connors grabbed their luggage and admired the local village--Kendra Mahiu Village, named after a British man who had previously lived in the village and helped the people. They walked through the village, not paying attention to the curious eyes of the villagers. The chief elder walked toward the foreigners and asked for their names. Once the Connors introduced themselves, the chief led them to their new home and left them to adapt. While his parents started to unpack, Sam snuck out of the new house and wandered around the village, not paying attention that he bumped into a girl with ginger pigtails and amber eyes.

Chapter 3: The Interaction

The long flight was exhausting, but Sofie still couldn’t contain her excitement. Sofie turned to look at her dad and said, “Dad, it’s been a long time since we saw Grandma Fayola and Grandpa Leshan.”

Dad saw stars in Sofie’s eyes and chuckled, “I bet Grandma and Grandpa couldn’t sleep last night, waiting for us.”

When they approached the village, Sofie cried out, “Dad, I think I see them!” At the entrance, there stood her grandparents. There was Grandma Fayola with a big smile. Her sky-blue eyes were filled with life. Her face was covered with freckles and wrinkles. She had silver hair that glistened in the sunlight. Her gown was as red as a poppy. She always carried a wooden staff to help her walk around the village. Next to her was Grandpa Leshan, whose wrinkle-covered face was smiling from ear to ear. He had silver hair that also glistened in the sunlight. His gown was red as fire. His golden eyes reminded Sofie of the sun. Like his wife, he also had a wooden staff to help him walk.

The elderly woman exclaimed, “Little Durra! Daniel! It’s been a long time since we saw each other!” Grandma Fayola and Grandpa Leshan pulled both Sofie and Daniel into a tight hug. After a while, Sofie’s grandparents released them from the hug. Daniel decided to have a conversation with his parents as the family began to walk into the village. While her dad was preoccupied with his parents, Sofie began to look around. She was so caught up with the scenery that she didn’t see a taller boy running toward her. They collided and groaned. Both Sofie’s dad and grandparents stopped talking and Daniel rushed towards the two, leaving the elders. Sofie looked up to see the teen’s hand reaching out for hers to grab. Without hesitation, Sofie grabbed the hand and got up to observe the teen. The teen had mid-length dirty blonde hair and bright jade eyes. One thing about the teen that caught her attention was his giraffe bracelet.

Before Sofie had a chance to talk to the boy, her dad came and exclaimed, “Sofie, are you alright?!” Sofie replied, “Yes Dad, I’m fine.”

Daniel began to scold the teen, “Hey, be careful where you’re going!.”

The teen began to speak, “I’m so sorry sir. I decided to roam around and I wasn’t paying any attention. I’ll be careful next time.”

Daniel then looked at Sofie, “Sweetie, next time, be more careful.”

Sofie nodded and brought her attention back to the stranger. Noticing Sofie’s stare, the boy felt anxious and said, “Well, I’m sorry for disturbing you. I need to get back to my place. Have a nice day.” With that, the other explorer walked off.

Daniel then told Sofie that her grandparents were waiting for them. Soon, they caught up to the elders and continued their walk until they had arrived at their location. Her grandparents lived in a manyatta; a hut that was made of mud and other natural resources. The hut’s roof had a lot of leaves and flowers to make it more colorful. Despite the outer appearance looking like it could hold up to three people; the interior appearance had a lot of space. Despite the mud-covered walls, the hut had nice decorations to make it feel like home. Each room had varieties of flowers; red-tinted roses filled up the living room and trumpet lilies filled up the kitchen. The bedrooms had enough space to fit two people and were decorated with alstroemeria. Even though Daniel’s parents offered to help with the luggage, Daniel told them that he could carry them on his own. Sofie carried her bags to her guest room. The guest room had shelves for her to place the books that she brought from New York. Not only was there a vase of alstroemeria in her room, but there was a small bowl that contained an indigo lotus flower. Sofie began to unpack her belongings and placed them inside the room’s cabinets. After she was done unpacking, Sofie pulled out one of her books and started reading. She continued reading and didn’t look at the time from her bedroom clock until she heard a knocking on her door. She looked up at the door to see Grandma Fayola. “Little Durra, it’s time for dinner.”

Sofie’s eyes widened as she looked at the clock on the wall and said, “Oh ok, Grandma. I got so caught up with reading that I didn’t notice the time.”

Grandma Fayola quietly chuckled and said, “Sofie, as much as I love you reading books, just remember that reading isn’t the only way to experience the outside world.”

Sofie nodded, turned off her bedroom lights, and followed her grandma out of the room. She talked with her grandparents and father while eating chicken with ugali. After dinner, Sofie washed the dishes and wished her grandparents and father goodnight before she headed towards her room. When Sofie entered her room and was about to turn on the lights, her eyes widened as she observed the giraffe silhouette on her bedsheets. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her bedsheets to see that there was nothing there. She shrugged and then went to bed, waiting for tomorrow to arrive. 

The next morning arrived and Sofie sprang out of her bed and ran towards the kitchen to see porridge and a variety of fruit on the table. She quickly sat down with her family members and began to eat. Grandma Fayola, Daniel, and Grandpa Leshan glanced at Sofie. Grandma Fayola asked, “Sofie, may we ask you something?”

Sofie looked up from her food and replied, “Of course, Grandma. What is it?”

Both grandparents were nervous, but Grandpa Leshan questioned, “How have things been at school?”

Sofie grew hesitant, but replied, “School’s find Grandpa. I’m getting good grades and always ask my teachers for help.”

Grandma Fayola glanced from her husband to her granddaughter, while her son sighed. “That’s good to hear about your studies. Just know that you can tell us how you feel whenever you want to.” Sofie nodded and excused herself from the table. She went into her room to find her outfit for the day and went to the nearest bathroom to shower. Once she was done taking a shower, Sofie told her grandparents and father that she was going to explore the village. When hearing the news, Daniel told her to not venture into the savanna. Sofie nodded and headed towards the door with her purple backpack. Before exiting the manyatta, her grandparents bid her farewell and her father told her to be careful. As she walked along, she could see young men preparing for the buffalo hunt. Unlike other buffaloes, this one caused much trouble in the village, such as destroying crops and harming farmers. The news spread across the village that the young men were going to put an end to the threat. However, Sofie’s attention to the young men halted as she saw a familiar face, struggling to understand the concept of hunting.

She watched as the teen struggled to throw the spear; he failed to aim at a dummy that was made out of hay bales. Sofie began to walk toward him. The reluctant hunter was about to aim his spear until Sofie began to grab his attention. “I see you’re trying to join the hunt.”

The teen, startled by the voice, looked to see Sofie staring at him. He nervously chuckled and said, “Yeah, my dad told me to participate in the hunting so that I can understand their culture better. But as you can see here, I don’t think I’m strong enough to carry these spears.”

“Hey, what’s your name? And how old are you?”

The boy looked at her with hesitance, then replied. “My name is Samuel James Connor, but you can call me Sam. I’m fifteen years old.”

Sofie nodded. “My name is Sofia Jill Andrews but you can call me Sofie. I’m thirteen years old.” Sofie then asked. “So… what happened after our last encounter?”

Sam replied. “I headed back to my house and started unpacking my belongings.”

Sofie began to ask, “Hey, why were you throwing the spear? There are other things that we could do in Kenya than hunting.”

Sam replied, “Well, I’m not hunting. Not only am I learning about the culture, but I’m also learning about animals and the environment.” Sam became confused and looked at Sofie, “What do you mean by ‘we’?”

Sofie huffed and said, “What a darn shame. I thought that we could hang out and get to know each other but, since you are occupied with that spear, I'll be on my merry way to the savanna for my walk.”

Sofie was about to leave until Sam stopped her, “Wait, the savanna is dangerous for you to travel on your own. You need someone to accompany you in case of any signs of danger. Luckily, I’ll join you on your walk.”

Sofie smiled before asking Sam, “Are you sure? Because you still have target practice with the spear.”

Sam had thought about it and had come up with his decision, “Welp, I’ve decided that I can join you on your walk. We could finally get to know each other. I wanted to make it up for bumping into you the other day.  Besides, I think that hunting isn’t my thing and I need a break from target practice.”

Both of them began to talk about themselves while walking on a dirt path that led toward the savanna. Afterward, the talks quieted down and only there were sounds, from the natural terrain, that accompanied them on the walk. Sofie noticed that Sam was spacing off so she decided to break the silence, “So, what are you thinking about if you don’t mind me asking?”

Sam blinked a couple of times and said, “I don’t think that you would understand.”

Sofie hummed in acknowledgment and said, “Well, I’m willing to listen to you. I don’t care if you’re crazy or have weird obsessions. I’m also an outcast.”

Sam deeply sighed and looked at Sofie, “As long as you don’t look at me weirdly or think that I’ve lost my mind…Ever since my sixth birthday, I’ve had these dreams about giraffes. The dreams started to make me infatuated with them. Even one time, I saw the real formation of the Camelopardalis constellation. Heck, even though I'm a teen, these dreams keep coming back to me.”

Sofie stopped her tracks and asked, “You have dreams about giraffes? That does sound weird but I won’t judge you.”

Sam looked at Sofie in disbelief and said nothing. The two have been walking for ages so they decided to head back to the village. As they were on their way, the two saw a trail of crimson blood away from the dirt road. Sofie was the first to react as she began to follow the trail while Sam followed behind her. After following the trail, they couldn’t believe their eyes; they saw a young injured giraffe.

 Chapter 4: The Healing

After recovering from the shock, Sam and Sofie began observing the giraffe’s injuries. Sofie found out that the giraffe was a male since his horns weren’t covered with hair. Some of his spots had claw marks and the hind legs were covered with their blood. Terrified by Sam and Sofie’s presence, the giraffe tried to escape but his hind legs began to hurt which caused the giraffe to grunt in pain and fall back down on the ground. Sofie cautiously walked toward the giraffe and told Sam to stay where he was so that the giraffe won’t be overwhelmed. She then looked inside her bag to find the first aid her grandma always insisted she’d carry whenever she went on her little ‘adventures’. As Sofie began to approach, the giraffe didn’t give up as it began to swing its neck at her. Sam gave her warnings each time so she couldn’t get harmed.

With each swing, Sofie kept dodging until she noticed the slow movements the giraffe made. Due to exhaustion, the giraffe had stopped swinging its neck. Sofie walked closer to it. Seeing that the giraffe wasn’t planning to attack again, Sofie began to wrap the bandages around each hind leg. Sofie then looked at Sam and said, “Sam, go find help. I’ll stay here with the giraffe.”

Sam looked hesitant but had to take action and ran back to the village as fast as he could. Suddenly, as Sofie looked back at the giraffe, she could have sworn that she saw a flash of tangerine eyes staring at her amber eyes. She shook her head and continued wrapping bandages around the giraffe’s wounds. While Sofie was taking care of the giraffe, Sam kept running until he got to the village. As soon as he arrived at the village, he bumped into someone.

Sam looked up to see his dad and lifted him. Sam saw his dad wearing his WWF uniform. Sam realized that it was his dad’s first day at the job. Seeing his son, Jason exclaimed, “Sam, what’s the rush? I was scouting around the village for any signs of injured animals until this man next to me was looking for his daughter. Even though I’m still on duty, I couldn’t help but help others.”

Sam glanced at the man and recognized him as Sofie’s dad. Sam took deep breaths to regain himself and then began to speak, “Dad, I need your and WWF’s help. There’s an injured giraffe that needs medical help. Sofie and I were about to head back to the village until we saw a trail of blood and we followed it. We saw the injured giraffe and we need to go now. Sofie’s there with the giraffe.”

When Sam mentioned Sofie, the father’s face began to pale, and exclaimed. “Please take me to my daughter!”

Jason intervened, “We need to get Phil. He has a cargo truck that can carry heavier animals.”

The trio saw Phil looking at his phone and walked up to him, “Phil, we need your help! There’s an injured giraffe near our village.”

Phil looked up from his phone and ran towards his pickup truck, “Well, gentlemen, get in!”

They weren't hesitant to get in and Phil ignited the truck engine to start. While Phil drove the truck, Sam gave him directions. When they arrived, the four saw Sofie struggling to calm the giraffe as the giraffe began to shake. Jason and Phil saw the blood-covered bandages wrapped around the giraffe. Phil then went back to the truck to get more bandages for the giraffe and came back to instruct Jason. While the veterinarians were occupied, the man ran toward Sofie and hugged her, “Sofie, thank goodness that you’re alright!”

Sofie returned the gesture. Daniel let her go and looked at Sam, “If this boy didn’t tell me where you were, then I would have problems looking for you.”

Sofie glanced at Sam and mouthed out “Thank you” while Sam nodded.

The only obstacle that the veterinarians had found difficulties with was how to lift the giraffe into Phil’s truck. Phil told the men that it was possible to carry the giraffe and the two men nodded in agreement. Noticing the three men approaching, the giraffe tried to escape once more but its hind legs made it impossible for the giraffe to escape. More blood trails dripped onto the grass which created a pool. The men tried to calm the giraffe down but they only made the situation worse as the giraffe still was terrified of the men. Suddenly, Sofie couldn’t bear it and exclaimed, “Stop!” This stopped the men from their actions and the giraffe stopped squirming. She continued, “Let me calm him down.” Everyone watched as Sofie carefully approached the giraffe.

As Sofie walked toward the giraffe, she gently placed her hands on his neck. She could tell that the giraffe gave a positive response as the giraffe didn’t fight back. Sofie then saw a pair of hands next to her own hands and glanced to see Sam helping calm the giraffe down. The men were speechless until Phil spoke up, “Hey you two, you can help out by being at the back of my truck. That way, you can calm the giraffe since he seems to admire you.”

Sam and Sofie nodded in agreement and watched as the men gently lifted the baby giraffe off the ground and put him in the back. After the giraffe entered the vehicle, Sofie and Sam followed and accompanied the giraffe as they traveled back to Kendra Mahiu Village. The WWF vehicle drove past the villagers and arrived at the WWF medical center. Unlike the other houses in the village, the center was a big hut that had a roof made of hale bales and there was a backyard for animals to roam. The passengers and driver got out of the vehicle and helped lift the giraffe out of the backseat. They brought the giraffe and walked toward a male receptionist.

“Excuse me, we have a new patient to heal,” Phil explained. The receptionist nodded and led them to an empty room for the giraffe. Once they placed the giraffe on the medical table, Phil and Jason were finding suitable medical supplies. When he saw the surrounding medical tools in the room, the giraffe began to panic and attempted to escape. Daniel and Jason tried to calm the giraffe but it was no use. Phil brought out a tranquilizer and was about to put it in one of the giraffe’s legs until there was a knock on the door. Phil placed the tranquilizer down and walked up to the door. He saw the receptionist, the chief elder, and an elderly woman.

Noticing the curious eyes, the receptionist explained, “The chief elder saw the truck and wanted to see what was happening. Not only did he and the other villagers notice the truck, but this elderly woman named Grandma Fayola noticed. They both went up to me and explained that the woman has shaman abilities to help with the giraffe. So I allowed her to help, Phil.”

Phil nodded and greeted the female shaman in her native tongue. The female shaman greeted back and noticed two familiar faces, “Little Durra? Daniel? What are you doing here?” Daniel explained the situation to the woman. The woman nodded and walked toward the giraffe. The shaman placed her hands on the giraffe’s neck, closed her eyes, and began to speak incantations. Her words made the giraffe stop his movements and lay down. After she finished her chantings and opened her eyes, Grandma Fayola told Phil and Jason to continue healing the giraffe while she continued to calm him down. While Sofie and Daniel were talking amongst themselves, Sam watched the shaman woman and veterinarians continue healing the giraffe. The procedures turned out to be successful as the veterinarians were able to put ointments and bandages on the wounds. Jason explained to everyone that the giraffe would need to rest and that the veterinarians would help the giraffe how to walk.

Sofie then asked, “Hey, should we give the giraffe a name?” Grandma Fayola responded. “Sofie, I’ve sensed his aura and found out about his name. His name is Jawara and he’s in his teenage years. No wonder why he responded positively towards you two.”

It took some time for everyone in the room to process what Grandma Fayola said. Sofie broke the silence and said, “That’s amazing, Grandma!” She turned to Phil and asked, “Is it ok if we can visit Jawara?”

Phil nodded. “It’s ok for anyone to visit Jawara but try not to startle him.”

Sofie nodded and noticed Sam spacing out while staring at her grandma. She then asked her dad and grandma. “Is it alright if I invite Sam over tomorrow? He was the one that accompanied me and sent help for Jawara. I wanted to repay him.”

Sam overheard the conversation and intervened. “Sofie, you don’t need to repay me. I’m just looking out for a friend.”

Those words made Sofie smile brightly. Grandma Fayola observed Sam and said, “Sam, is it? We don’t mind having visitors in our manyatta. Also, I would like to get to know you better.”

Sam gave it a thought until he responded, “Sure, why not?” But deep down in his mind, Sam was anxious that he was going to lose Sofie as a friend the same way he lost his old friends.

Chapter 5: The Uncovered Truth & Heartwarming Farewells:

Sam couldn’t believe that he was invited to Sofie's manyatta. He was in his room to get ready for Sofie’s hang-out. While he was changing his clothes, Sam kept recalling yesterday’s events. He still felt Jawara’s fur in his hands. Sam couldn’t shake the memory of calming the giraffe down with Sofie. The word ‘friend’ and the images of Sofie spiraled around his mind. Even though Sofie and Sam had bonded on the same day as discovering Jawara was injured, he still felt like he needed more time to be friends with Sofie. Sam shook away his negative thoughts, got dressed, and began to collect some items, such as a cellphone, in his backpack. Soon, Sam came out of his room and came down the stairs. After he told his parents that he was going to hang out with Sofie, Sam walked out of his hut and headed to the meeting spot. Earlier, Sofie told him to meet her at the village square. As soon as he arrived at the village square, Sam saw Sofie sitting by the fountain while reading a book. Sofie felt like she was being watched so she looked up from her book to see Sam waving at her. Sofie smiled and closed her book, “Hey Sam! Let’s go to my place.” She motioned Sam to follow her and led the way to her manyatta.

The two teenagers had made it to Sofie’s manyatta, which Sam thought was enchanting. Sofie opened the door and let Sam enter first. With some hesitation, Sam entered to see Sofie’s family relaxing in the living room.

Sofie went in front of Sam and said, “I’m back with a friend. Grandma Fayola and Dad, you already know Sam but I wanted him to introduce himself.” Sofie looked back at Sam and gave him an encouraging and reassuring look.

Sam took a deep breath and began to introduce himself, “Um h-hello. My n-name is Samuel James Connors, but you can call me Sam. It’s n-nice to meet you.”

Soon, Sofie’s family introduced themselves to Sam. During their conversations, Sofie’s grandparents decided to call Sam “Chimubo” as a nickname. After they spent their time with Sofie’s family, Sofie walked out of the living room briefly before she returned with some of her nature books. Once she placed her books on the table, Sam couldn’t help but look in awe. To be fair, Sam thought that Sofie was the type of person to read nonfiction novels such as Harry Potter. Sofie began to speak. “Hey Sam, if you want, you can read some.” Sam looked at the pile and saw a book about giraffes. Hesitantly, he chose that and began to read alongside Sofie. Little did they know, a pair of sky blue eyes took secret glances at the pair.

The two talked about a variety of topics until they heard Grandma Fayola’s voice, “Hello Durra and Chiumbo, I have a surprise for the both of you.” Curiosity got to Sam and Sofie as they followed Grandma Fayola until they were in front of a door. Whenever Sofie walked in the hallways, the door was always locked or had a sign that said, “Please Knock On The Door ''. Grandma Fayola opened the door and unveiled her room of wonders. There were Psychoactive plants and herbs hung up from the ceiling. Walls were covered with ancient wooden staffs and clothes to wear for rituals. Other than these peculiar objects, the room was filled with furniture such as a cabinet. In the center of the room, there was a desk that was covered with candles and ancient scrolls. Grandmama Fayola moved the candles and ancient scrolls aside while the teen roamed around the room. When she had set up, Grandma Fayola told both Sam and Sofie to take a seat. While Sam and Sofie sat down, Grandma Fayola went up to a cabinet to find her mortar and pestle. She then grabbed some herbs and plants over to the mortar and pestle. She crushed the ingredients, began to place them in tiny china teacups, and went out of the room. After a few minutes, Grandma Fayla came back with a teapot and poured water into the teacups. She had her attention back to the teens and placed each teacup in front of them. Even though they were perplexed by the situation, Sam and Sofie took a sip of their tea. The bitter and natural taste could have hit their tongues if it wasn't for the honey. Once Sam and Sofie drank their tea, Grandma Fayola began to speak, "Now that you have drunk your tea. I want to form a triangle. Sam, give me your right hand, and Sofie, give me your left." The threesome formed a triangle and Grandma Fayola continued to speak, "Now, I want both of you to close your eyes." The teens looked at each other and nodded.

Once they closed their eyes, Sam saw that he returned to the giraffe dream except for something unexpectedly happened--- He saw Sofie and Grandma Fayola with him. Sam walked towards Sofie and pinched her arm. Sofie let out a hiss and began to rub her hand, "Ow, Sam, what was that for?" Sam couldn't believe that everything was a reality.

Once he saw Grandma Fayola, Sam asked, "Ms. Fayola, why are we in my mindscape?" After hearing this, Sofie couldn't help but stare at the scenery in awe. Grandma Fayola chuckled, "When we met for the first time, I felt a spiritual intuition from you. I couldn't confirm as much but the moment I saw the two of you bond, I felt a bigger connection. Sam, I noticed your drawings and knew that there was a spiritual awakening between you and giraffes. Sofie was the one who told me about your thoughts. We're in your mind to help you." Sam went silent as he recalled her words. Noticing Sam's loss of words, Grandma Fayola then reassured Sam that everything was fine. The two noticed that Sofie was preoccupied with petting a zebra.

Sofie looked back at Sam and said, "Your mindscape is amazing!" Sam snapped out of his trance and decided to enjoy the moment. He walked up to a zebra and petted it alongside Sofie. Grandma Fayola noticed an orange tree and grabbed a couple of them. She began to sit underneath the tree while looking at the teens. Sam decided to show Sofie around while not being too far from Grandma Fayola. Every time Sam showed her around, Sofie always had stars in her eyes. She knew that Sam felt uncomfortable when it came to the dreams but she was lucky enough to help him while discovering a whole other world.

Sam concluded his tour and was about to leave until he saw an old friend. The giraffe still had dull colors and was looking at him. Sam was about to walk up towards the giraffe but he didn't want to pass out again. Sofie also saw the giraffe and ran towards it. Sam's face paled and he ran after her. As the duo stood in front of the giraffe, something happened unexpectedly---- There was a row of paints and paint brushes. Sam and Sofie looked at each other while asking the same question: 'What's going on?" Before they had any more reaction, they both saw a white glow on a spot of the giraffe. Instinctively, Sofie picked a medium-sized paint brush and covered it with green paint. She grimaced at the fact that she couldn't see colors such as green. Sofie walked towards the giraffe's white spot and started to paint. After she painted the spot, Sofie had tears in her eyes ---- Finally, in her entire life, Sofie can finally see the color green. Sam approached Sofie and hugged her from behind. Sofie turned around to see Sam and yelled out, "I saw green! I can finally see green!" Sam looked at her facial expression and found out that she was crying happy tears. Sam saw that there was another white spot on the giraffe. Sofie began to notice and said, "Come on, let's paint the giraffe." Sam and Sofie continued to paint the giraffe until they saw their masterpiece. Sofie began to see new colors as they painted. The giraffe's spots were multicolored and vibrant. The giraffe walked towards Sam and nodded before walking away into the sunset. Sam and Sofie heard the ground thumping and a variety of animal sounds to find that the whole savannah began to follow the giraffe. Sam and Sofie looked at the horizon in awe before they felt one hand on their shoulders to find Grandma Fayola. The elderly woman enjoyed the view and whispered into the teens' ears. The teens felt dizzy and passed out to find out that they had returned to Grandma Fayola's shaman room.

Sofie regained her consciousness and saw that the room was more colorful than she imagined-- she was no longer color blinded. While Sofie was excited, Sam regained his consciousness, rose from the chair, and gave Sofie a helping hand. Once the teens got up, Grandma Fayola began to speak, "Both of you have solved your insecurities. Sofie and Sam, you explained your insecurities to those you love. But you both haven't overcome those obstacles in your life until you saw each other. Now, your insecurities flutter away like butterflies and you get to see them depart from you." Grandma Fayola looked at Sam, "You know, you weren't the first person who had your insecurities. She was a young woman who wanted to understand what her animal meant to her, which was revealed to be a spider. Once I helped her out, she told me with a bright smile that she was going to be an art teacher." Sam pondered until he realized who the elderly woman was talking about and asked, "You met Ms. Zans?" Grandma Fayola smiled and said, "I haven't seen Elizabeth in years. I hope she's doing well." Sam then felt Sofie's arms wrapped around him tightly. Grandma Fayola began to speak again, "Sam, you wanted to know what the giraffes mean in your mind, correct?" Sam nodded and the elder continued, "In your dreams, seeing the giraffe was a sign of acknowledging your current situation in your life such as being unable to find new friends. However, when we were transported in your mind, the giraffe that walked toward you was a sign that you've accomplished your goals. Overall, giraffes are symbols of aspiration, uniqueness, and success. This means that you help and comfort those around you. I also saw visions of each of you once seeing the Camelopardalis constellation on your bedroom walls. The constellation was a symbol of you finding each other at the end after difficult times." Silence filled the air as Sam thought about what Grandma Fayola said. He finally found the meaning of the long-neck beauty that has set its home in his kind since his sixth birthday. Sam felt free but, at the same time, lonely as he lost the animal who was stuck with him. Sam shook the sad thoughts and pulled Sofie and Grandma Fayola into a tight hug. After the hug, Sam said his farewells to Sofie's family and headed home.

It's been eight weeks since the incident with Jawara and the shaman ritual. Sam and Sofie would help Jason and other WWF with healing Jawara and helping Jawara how to walk. Once Jawara was fully healed, Phil told Sam and Sofie that they could see Jawara depart back to his family. Sam, Sofie, Phil, and Jason hopped into Phil’s truck and began to drive around the savanna until they spotted Jawara’s family. Once they were a few meters away from the giraffe tower, they released Jawara out of the truck. Before Jawara left, the giraffe looked at the teens and bowed its head down to show gratitude. Sam and Sofie were upset to see Jawara leave but they only said their farewells to the giraffe. Sam and Sofie got into Phil’s truck and made their way back to Kendra Mahiu Village. Once they arrived at the village, Sam realized that not only was he going to miss the giraffe in his dreams and Jawara, but he was also going to miss Sofie. Today was the day that Sofie departed from the wilderness of Kenya. He was sad at the news that he wasn’t going to see Sofie again. While Sofie and Daniel were packing, Sam had convinced her grandparents, his parents, and Phil to make a surprise for the Andrews. Once the Andrews finished their packing and had opened their front door, Sofie let out a gasp. The surprise was a huge banner that had many illustrations of African animals scattered around while there were huge words at the center: “Goodbye Sofie & Daniel! Hope You Come Back Soon!” Phil told a WWF member to take a picture of everyone standing near the banner. Once the WWF member took pictures, Phil told Jason and Daniel that the photos would be sent to their emails. Sofie hugged Sam and thanked him a bunch of times. When she looked up, Sofie saw Sam’s sad smile on his face. Sofie then had an idea and told him that he could call her at any time. Sam smiled a bit wider and he hugged Sofie. The two teens hugged for a while until they heard a cough from Sofie’s father. Daniel began to speak, “Sorry for ruining the moment, but Sofie, it’s time to leave. Phil offered to give us a ride to the airport.” Sofie nodded and released herself from the hug. Sofie and her father hopped in Phil’s car and waved their hands at everyone as they drove off. When the car was out of sight, Sam already felt so lonely. Grandma Fayola noticed this and began to reassure him, “Don’t worry Chiumbo, Little Durra will come back soon.” Sam smiled in gratitude and Grandma Fayola gave him his space again. Sam looked back at the dirt road and thought,

“Hope to see you soon, Sofie. Africa is not the same without you.”