They slowed repeatedly, watching the males, before resuming their approach across the plain.
One of the males glanced back at them before swinging around to look at Dulce. His heavy breaths were still blowing intermittently through his large nostrils.
Dulce dropped from her standing position and sat nervously back on the grass. Dexter, still next to her, moved backward a few steps.
All four males continued studying the two newcomers, dubiously, before their dark eyes rose to examine the humans again.
No one moved for an uncomfortably long time.
Finally, DeeAnn watched as the males relaxed and lowered themselves into a near-sitting position. When she stepped around Caesare and into the sunlight, the females in the distance stopped again before continuing once more, even more cautiously now.
DeeAnn eased forward sideways, toward Dulce and Dexter’s spots on the grass. She kept her eyes lowered and calmly lowered herself onto her knees, sitting quietly. Then she waited.
The silverback gorilla watched her intently, leaning forward onto a set of massive, powerful arms.
DeeAnn did not move.
Finally, he ambled his way forward and closed the distance, dropping into a sitting position within arm’s length of them.
DeeAnn lowered her head and spoke softly. “We are friends.”
When the vest translated her words, the silverback in front of her leaned backward in surprise. He studied her and then the strange device on her chest.
“Friends,” DeeAnn repeated.
This time the gorilla didn’t move. Instead, he stared more intently at the vest and leaned forward until he was within reach again. The giant primate eyed her suspiciously before reaching forward with his long arm and extending his finger, gently touching the hard surface of the vest. He quickly withdrew his hand then eventually reached out once more and poked at it.
“Friends,” she repeated.
The silverback squinted at the strange contraption, pondering it for a moment, before motioning with his arm and pointing to himself. Gorilla.
DeeAnn smiled and nodded. “Yes. Gorilla. Me no gorilla. I am friend.”
Now the other males moved past Dulce and approached, all staring curiously at DeeAnn as the words sounded from the device.
Friend.
“Yes. Friend.”
No hurt.
She shook her head. “No hurt.”
DeeAnn slowly reached up and muted the microphone, then turned over her shoulder, calling as calmly as she could to the men behind her.
“Come out here and sit down behind me. Just like I did. Single file with no weapons. And slowly.”
Clay, Caesare, and Ronin looked at each other in unison then calmly followed one another toward her. Softly. One by one, they each stopped and knelt down, approximately three feet apart and well behind DeeAnn.
“Now what?”
“Shhh,” she whispered. “Bow your heads and just sit there. Don’t say anything.”
She reached up and turned her mike back on. “We friends.”
The gorillas studied the men one at a time. The silverback looked back to Dulce then turned to the rest of the band behind him, waiting little more than fifty feet away.
Dulce grabbed DeeAnn’s arm with her black hands. Friends. Come. Dulce’s eyes looked at three of the smaller gorillas waiting with the group of females. All three were peering curiously back at her.
One of the youngsters suddenly leaped forward and scampered halfway across the grass, where it stopped again.
An excited Dulce responded immediately and ran out across the grass, each meeting the other. There they both stood, hunched forward and examining one another closely.
Finally, Dulce spoke. She was too far for the vest to capture the translation, but this time DeeAnn didn’t need it. She recognized the familiar gestures. Me Dulce.
104
Clay, Caesare, and Ronin remained seated, weary, until DeeAnn eventually turned back around and spoke to them. “Sorry. This may take a while. Just try to be patient, and don’t make any sudden movements.”
“Don’t worry,” Caesare joked in a loud whisper. “Me and the big one will be best friends before we leave.”
DeeAnn laughed under her breath and turned back around. “Believe me… you don’t want to know how they become best friends.”
It took almost twenty minutes before the rest of the band finally closed in and sat behind the males, facilitated primarily by the playful interaction between Dulce and the rest of the youngsters.
For his part, Dexter watched until the other gorillas got closer, but soon retreated to safety behind DeeAnn.
One of the female gorillas, sitting next to her mate, appeared utterly fascinated and continued to press for answers.
How you talk?
DeeAnn pointed at her vest. “I use the metal.”
The female blinked and continued examining the rest of her contraption.
Why metal?
DeeAnn frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”
After her words were translated, the female asked a different question.
Where go?
“We’re looking for something special. A place.”
You no bad.
“No, we’re not bad.”
She shook her head. You no bad.
DeeAnn smiled. “No.”
The female then turned back around, following Dulce with her dark eyes. How you Dulce?
“I don’t understand.”
How you Dulce?
“I don’t—”
How you with?
“Oh,” DeeAnn mused. “She was… lost. And I found her. I take care of her.”
A few of the gorillas looked at each other but none replied. The inquisitive female scooted a few inches closer and gently handled DeeAnn’s vest, tugging on one of the straps.
“No, no. It has to stay with me.”
She let go and pursed her giant lips before slapping a hand onto her head.
“Dee,” Caesare voiced hesitantly from behind them, “I know this is kind of amazing and all, but we do need to keep moving.”
DeeAnn turned slightly to the side and nodded reluctantly. She looked back at the female gorilla and her mate. “We have to go.”
Go you place.
“Yes. To the place.”
The silverback, followed by the other males, stood up, remaining protectively in front of the band.
When DeeAnn rose, to her surprise, the female rose with her.
Go place. Come back.
DeeAnn smiled and looked at Dulce, happily playing in the grass with the others. “We’ll try.”
When they reached the far side of the grass, they turned around to see the band of gorillas fixed where they were, all watching them.
Ronin was the first to speak. “I found that very interesting.”
DeeAnn couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah. Me too.”
Together, they continued. None of them, not even the gorillas, were aware they were being watched.
The climb toward Mount Bisoke was steep, and the southeastern side was particularly difficult to navigate. The forest became increasingly dense from the higher volumes of rainfall, which left the group struggling for their footing. Nevertheless, they pushed through heavy vegetation that towered above them.
Finding the faint remnants of a footpath, Caesare ducked under branches and continued trudging through what was left of the trail. He grasped a large branch from a nearby bush, using it to steady himself up one of the more slippery sections. He then held it out until Ronin took the branch and passed it to DeeAnn.