Those Tarzan Books, I Guess

      Hey, everyone. It is a rainy, warm December afternoon, here at the author's green retreat. I have been alone today and have had a good day, anyway. It seems like this week has been Africa Week for me. I have been reading Wilbur Smith's latest novel called The Desert God. It is about Africa, of course, like all of Wilbur's books, and ancient Egypt in particular. It is the story of Taita, the slave and counselor of Pharaoh, who hatches brilliant plots against the enemies of his master. This is the fourth (?) or fifth book about this character and I am enjoying it thus far. I am in the early stages of this novel at the moment.
     Taita has a grudge against the Hyksos empire for many reasons. Most notably because they took a half of the Egyptian  empire and mistreated many captives. They are, in Taita's mind, an unwashed, uncouth lot and Taita decides to destroy their alliance with the Cretans. He does this by stealing a vast fortune in silver from the Cretans and blaming the robbery on the Hyksos. He carries off the robbery with aplomb and restores the coffers of the current Pharaoh, hiding the silver in the tomb of the deceased Pharaoh, Tamose.
      Coincidentally, I am playing Far Cry 2, a video game about Africa. In this older game, which I bought on sale for the sum of $3.50, I am a mercenary. I have decided to work both sides of a war zone. The two factions are ruthless and heartless. After serving briefly with one faction, I decided that I should just travel around the countryside, shooting all the people I encounter, other than my two friends. The friends are interesting. One is a lady, called Flora, who is 'all kinds of fine'. I rescued her from captivity in a brick building at an encampment. Naturally, from that moment on, she has been devoted to yours truly.
      The other friend is a dude, who shows up to help me when I am broke down on the road or having a malaria attack or some such. I forget his name at the moment. I feel justifiably guilty about that. I did so hope that his name might have been Fauna, but alas, the game developers missed the opportunity for that scientific name combo. This is a good game, though old enough so that the graphics are not eye-popping, though quite good. You have to do odd things like set a clock and sleep on a cot, from time to time. You have to buy guns and upgrades, as your finances warrant. The roads are not great and the controls for vehicles are not that fine. Every car I drive I manage to damage. I usually leave them steaming by the side of the road. I shouldn't complain because I have stolen them all, with the exception of the first one. It was loaned to me by my first, and most foolish, employer. I stole a 4-wheeler but it was too fast for me to control adequately, though I love driving these devices in real life. When we were in Kansas, my boys had one, and a couple of dirt bikes, and it was great, blistering the grass on a farm we rented.
        I have always loved Africa from afar. Every movie filmed in Africa, I go to see. I knew some folks who were missionaries in Kenya and I hung on every word, every story they would tell. One of my major, unfulfilled desires is to go on safari in that great land. Alas, it appears that I never shall go to the 'Dark Continent', the 'White Man's Graveyard'. Sometimes I wonder if I merely missed the hand of fate and in so doing, never went to Africa. Sometimes I am more casual about this omission from my life. I'm able to shrug my shoulders and smile as I look at the map on my wall of that continent and wonder why I should love it. Was it all those Tarzan books I read as a teen? Maybe I could have used my technical skills for the benefit of mankind in some remote locale. Or did God have a plan for for me which I ignored, until too late? I bid you a good day. I'm CE Wills, here at the author's green retreat.
P.S. The photo is not of Africa, but of the area adjacent to the green retreat.