Grand Theft Safari Read Free

bed.
    â€œGoodnight,” I said as I trudged off to the tent. I was exhausted and ready to crawl into my sleeping bag. Elea trotted along behind me, licking at my hands.
    â€œGo lay down,” I whispered to Elea. She stopped and didn’t follow me into the tent. Instead, Eleasat just outside the tent’s door, sniffing the air. I felt safer with Elea nearby, watching for lions.
    As I drifted off to sleep, the brilliant stars twinkled in the dark sky. Mom, Dad, Tomas, and Nigel sat around the campfire. Nigel had a guitar. He strummed the guitar and sang under the stars. I was soon fast asleep.

Chapter Three
    HOT AIR BALLOON
    The next morning, Nigel and Mom sat hunched over a table, studying some maps.
    â€œGood morning, sleepy head,” Mom said with a smile.
    â€œWhere is everyone?” I asked. Tomas and Dad were nowhere to be found.
    â€œTomi and Dad went for a walk. They didn’t want to wake you. You seemed worn out yesterday.”
    I rubbed my eyes. Mom was right. But I felt much better this morning.
    â€œAll of the travel and excitement must have caught up with you yesterday,” Mom said. “Are you ready for fun today?”
    â€œAfter breakfast,” I said.
    â€œThere’s a plate of Spam and eggs for you in thesupply tent. It’s probably still warm,” Nigel said.
    I found the plate and sat near the campfire ring. Normally, I didn’t care for Spam. Out here, far away from grocery stores, I couldn’t be picky about what I wanted to eat. If you didn’t eat it, you’d go hungry. It was that simple.
    As I finished my breakfast, Tomas, Dad, and Elea came bouncing through the tall grass.
    â€œMari!” Tomas yelled, “We saw a giraffe! It was so awesome!”

    Elea ran to me. She curled up next to me and nudged my hand to tell me to pet her.
    â€œMari, there’s so much to explore out there. You’re going to love it,” Dad said.
    Mom joined us by the fire. “Who’s going up in the hot air balloon with me and Nigel?”
    â€œHot air balloon?” Dad asked. His facial expression said No way. He didn’t like boats or heights.
    â€œYes,” Mom said, “we’re flying over Maasai Mara to get a bird’s eye view. I want to track the watering habits of the big cats. I need to record their habits to see how they fit into the habits of the other animals in the ecosystem.”
    â€œI thought you only wanted to study the flamingoes,” Tomas said.
    â€œI need a better idea of how they all work together,” Mom said. “Besides, a hot air balloon ride sounds fun.”
    â€œCount me in,” I said.
    â€œNot me,” Tomas spoke up. He didn’t like heights either.
    Dad patted Tomas on the back. “We’ll stay here on the ground.”
    â€œElea will stay at camp with you.” Nigel paused a moment and looked seriously at Dad. “Come with me, Mr. Perez. I want to make sure you know how to use a gun.”
    Nigel led Dad away from the tents.
    â€œWhat’s that all about?” Tomas asked.
    â€œNigel needs to make sure that someone at camp can use a gun in case of emergencies,” Mom said. She looked serious.
    â€œLions?” I asked.
    â€œPossibly. Or poachers,” Mom said. “This is the wilderness. It is best to be prepared.”
    We heard five or six gunshots from a distance.
    Tomas looked just as scared as I felt.
    Dad and Nigel walked back into camp.
    â€œHe did fine,” Nigel said as he gave Dad a friendly slap on the shoulder. “I think he can scare off a lion if one wandered into camp.”
    Mom, Nigel, and I hopped into the truck and met up with a hot air balloon crew about ten miles away.
    Aziz, our pilot, gave us a quick safety lesson.
    â€œHop in the basket,” Aziz told us.
    Before I knew it, we were floating just above thegrass, then we gently rose higher. Soon we were floating across the savannah. I saw our campsite below us.