25. Allison

I wasn'tsure how much longer we had to reach the hotel, but the incessant screaming from the lady in the back of the bus was giving us all a headache. Finally, when we arrived at the hotel, she was passed out.

The police took her away, and Joe went home. I knew he had asked the police to keep her for a week before allowing her to find her own way home. He assured me he would see his doctor when he got home.

We spent the night at the hotel, and early the next morning, Ghost and I left for our safari. We had a new cook, a guide, and two other assistants. The vehicle had no windows; there was actually plastic that you could let down, but what good would it do if I were the only one to let mine down when the rest of the bus kept theirs up?

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scenery; it was truly breathtaking. As we ventured deeper into the desert, we witnessed the sunrise. The sight of the antelopes running in the distance captivated me, completely diverting my attention from any concerns about bugs.

"Oh, Ghost, look at those magnificent animals. They're awe-inspiring," I exclaimed, snapping photos, and when I glanced at Ghost, he was taking photos of me. "This truly is the most incredible honeymoon."

"Yes, indeed, the best honeymoon in the world because I have the world"s best wife," Ghost declared, leaning in to kiss me. "Tonight, we"ll sleep under the stars. Remember when we used to go camping every summer? This will be a thousand times better."

I nestled close to him. "Well now we get to sleep in the same bed," I whispered in his ear, "unlike back then when we could only dream of it."

"Sweetheart, I could have snuck into your bed anytime, even when you were sixteen. But your brothers would have had my head if they caught me, and I couldn"t marry you if I were dead."

"You"re quite the comedian; I would have welcomed you into my bed any time, even at sixteen."

"We're stopping because there are some zebras up ahead. I thought you might want to take some photos. I'll snap a picture of both of you watching the animals," the guide announced.

"Thank you. I would love to take some photos. This is so amazing. Look at these animals—they're so beautiful. What is that?" I said, watching as the dust cloud nearing the zebras; both the guide and Ghost were snapping photos, and then the guide instructed us to return to the vehicle.

"What"s happening? Are there more animals?" I asked, glancing at Ghost.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what they are but I'd rather not be sitting still when they get closer," Ghost replied as we returned to the bus. I watched the dust cloud until I discerned what was running toward the zebra.

That"s when I spotted the hyenas. They paused momentarily to observe us before darting towards the zebras. I filmed the entire scene, even as they pounced on one of the zebras. Shaken, I lowered my recorder. We drove until late afternoon; the tents were pitched, and dinner was being prepared over the fire.

Ghost took my hand and led me away from the fire. He had his arms around me, and I leaned against him as we gazed up at the stars, holding my breath; it felt as though we were suspended in the universe. The twinkling stars seemed so close and enveloped us.

"It"s magnificent, and you are the only person on earth I would want to be here with," Ghost murmured, bending to kiss my neck. "I suppose we should return to the fire," he said, giving me one final kiss.