Another brilliant piece from a GUNNAS WRITING MASTERCLASS writer
Helena Davenport was from a notable American family living in Atlanta at the time of President Theodore Roosevelt’s term. During her twentieth summer, she left her home to embark upon a great journey, at the time for Helena to mix with the European society from which her family originated, to find an adequate match.
Before embarking upon her journey, Helena expressed to her mother that she would be happy to have any man deemed suitable and would behave in a way that made her family proud at every occasion. However, her only condition was that before her marriage, she could visit Africa to see the exotic land just once. The family agreed.
In 1902, she departed by steamer bound for Cape Town – a detour before Europe. Her mother Elizabeth and Aunt Davinia were her chaperones. Because of that, Helena felt quite safe and cared for, but she thought to herself, “I need a volunteer to take me to see the African animals. Better still, a knowledgeable guide who knows what he is doing.”
After their arrival in Cape Town, the women were invited to dine with the American ambassador. At supper in the grand dining room, the Davenport family women sat beside a South African game hunter by the name of Johannes de Koster. And because of that, they found their very man who would take them on an exhibition to see the African wilds
After three days of preparation, they found themselves sitting atop elephants riding through the wilderness, until finally they came across a pride of lions. Johannes cocked his great firearm as the elephants were quietly halted behind the trees separating them from the lions.
“Have no fear ladies,” said Johannes. “The elephants are accustomed to gunfire.” He took his aim and shot dead one of the magnificent lionesses.
As the hunting party gathered up the recently killed beast, Helena looked in wonder at lionesses muscular body lying limp across the arms of the men carrying her back as a prize. It was then that Helena heart a faint crying noise.
“What on earth is that?” she asked Johannes.
As bravely as a hunter with a gun would, Johannes approached the source of the cry near some long grass. He then put down his rifle and picked up a tiny lion cub by the scruff of its neck.
After a year spent in the salons of London through their various connections, Helena’s chaperones had sourced an appropriate partner for marriage, which took place the following spring. Her match was a fortuitous one for her family, as now her father and father-in-law were connected as well as trading merchants could be. As the business was complete, it was time for Elizabeth and Aunt Davinia to make preparations for their return to America. Helena would stay in her new home in Liverpool, England.
As Helena searched her rooms for any items that should be returned to Atlanta, she came across a photograph taken in South Africa. Johannes had arranged for a studio portrait to be taken of Helena with the lion cub. She smiled fondly as she looked at the image of the surprisingly calm young animal sitting on her knee. Her smile widened at the dress, which was more appropriate for a carnival than a formal English drawing room; however, Helena had no time to object as Johannes had specially arranged delivery of the dress and hat for her to wear in the photograph. Helena looked searchingly at the the photograph before hiding it back in place. Then she gathered up some items to return to her old life in America with her departing mother and aunt.
Downstairs, as she spied her husband she could not help herself as she asked:
“George, darling. Tell me, how is your trade developing in Africa?”