Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Locks in The Box Volume 1 Episode 6.
[00:00:11] Speaker B: That New Customer of yours.
Did you even negotiate the price?
How many tusks did he want?
[00:00:21] Speaker C: Customer? What new customer?
[00:00:23] Speaker D: I will tell you more later.
[00:00:28] Speaker E: Typical hunting days are usually long.
Nothing for the entire daylight hours.
Then we started seeing hyenas early afternoon, wild dogs and vultures roaming around.
Everybody's looking for food.
Competition amongst hunters from all walks of life.
[00:00:49] Speaker B: It will be night soon boss.
Should we continue?
[00:00:54] Speaker E: I took a couple more steps then while Yusef steel sighing suddenly I saw Look.
I pointed to the ground.
We both saw a huge footprint of an elephant with broken branches around it and a big pile of feces with flies on it.
I instinctively sticked my index fingers in a massive stack then tasted under Yusef's impatient look.
We were both ecstatic.
We kneeled around the new findings.
I whispered while Youssef was still loudly.
[00:01:29] Speaker D: Speaking, it's fresh and warm.
It's nearby.
[00:01:37] Speaker E: Youssef also followed suit by sticking his fingers in it and tasted it.
[00:01:42] Speaker B: It's a big meal. There's also traces of bull sperm.
[00:01:47] Speaker E: Yusef accidentally dips his hands inside a clear and slimy puddle of bull salmon on a branch nearby.
Spears of a clear and milky liquid on a few grass patches around the area.
But the night was almost there.
[00:02:04] Speaker E: Yusef got up while I was still on my knees checking the sample, still whispering.
[00:02:10] Speaker D: If you're right, we gotta be extremely quiet cause a bull in heat has.
[00:02:15] Speaker E: His sense heighten and no mercy for.
[00:02:18] Speaker D: Anyone in his way to get to his chosen female.
[00:02:23] Speaker E: I was still smiling while lifting my head toward Yusef, expecting a smile back as well.
But instead Youssef stood there hypnotized.
My smile instantly vanished as I saw Yusef's blank facial expression. I stayed my nail position while my fingers slowly reached for my bow and an arrow that I dipped earlier into one of my valves containing boom sling spit.
[00:02:49] Speaker E: I then surgically hung my bow while hearing a closer slow but intense growling sound similar to thousand people breathing out air before behind my back Youssef still frozen as his eyes on the ground now while reading on my lips.
[00:03:08] Speaker D: Don't move.
[00:03:11] Speaker E: I slowly turned around and instinctively and cautiously extending the bowstring adopting the hunter ready to launch position.
I had now one eye on my trigger finger and the other one closed.
I then saw the shadow of a gigantic bow that has his tusks piercing the tall grass at arm length from us.
As the animal looked for eye contact with Yusef, we heard the distant trumpet of another lox.
The female called a male.
He turned his huge head towards the call, flapping his ears.
[00:03:47] Speaker E: Seconds later we could hear the swift sound of my arrow piercing throughout the air first.
Then through the long grass second. And finally through the thick skin of the pachidan leaning into its flesh.
[00:04:00] Speaker D: Run, Yusef, run.
[00:04:03] Speaker E: We both ran in the same direction. While the bull also started running opposite us.
We looked behind. Then we stopped running.
[00:04:12] Speaker E: We simultaneously arm our bulls again. Then let fly a few more arrows in the lok's direction. Then we pass.
[00:04:20] Speaker B: You think we got it?
[00:04:24] Speaker D: Put a mark on that tree.
We check tomorrow.
We threw a lot at.
[00:04:31] Speaker D: Won't go far.
But we need to get back tomorrow as early as possible.
As we saw many other animals looking for food.
[00:04:41] Speaker D: Are you.
Are you going to tell me what's going on?
You freezing before a bull being so loud.
That's not you, Youssef.
[00:04:54] Speaker B: It's your brother.
[00:04:57] Speaker D: What about him?
[00:04:58] Speaker B: He came the other night and questioned me.
Threatened me.
He's fishing for something.
He asked me to spy on you.
He wanted to know how to find the locks.
[00:05:13] Speaker D: No worries. I.
I take care of it.
[00:05:16] Speaker B: He was serious, boss.
Like it doesn't matter who we are anymore.
[00:05:21] Speaker D: I got you, Yousef.
I got you. Brother.
[00:05:27] Speaker E: Yusef did as he was told.
He marked a tree.
We both took a second to look into the dark savannah bushes.
The night was upon us now.
We then left the spot.
[00:05:41] Speaker C: So was Yusuf successful?
[00:05:43] Speaker E: Successful at?
[00:05:44] Speaker C: At extracting information on the locks.
[00:05:47] Speaker E: That was a regular elephant. Nothing to do with the locks and no second clues. My dad gave me patience.
[00:05:59] Speaker D: My brother was spying on me. But he was also planning something utterly evil.
Destroying my way of living, my livelihood.
[00:06:09] Speaker C: How?
[00:06:11] Speaker D: By tracking and keeping every tusk storage for himself.
Tourists like yourself usually come for a safari or something more exciting. Thrilling. And not necessarily for trophy or tasks.
That's when I met Tony.
[00:06:30] Speaker C: Tony.
[00:06:33] Speaker C: Huh?
[00:06:34] Speaker D: Yeah.
An African American.
He was almost pitch black.
[00:06:48] Speaker E: The vulture and hyenas were close by. Because we, Yusef and I were butchering the corpse of our prey.
[00:06:56] Speaker E: At first, our machete hid the thick skin and the flesh of the animal.
After several attempts, we finally heard the cling sounds revealing the metallic part of the machete. Brutally meaning the facial bone of the creature.
A tusk is nothing but the extension of an elephant deep molar teeth.
But I'm sure you already know that.
We stopped, caught up our breath.
[00:07:27] Speaker E: To get the ivory tusk out, the fist must be cut off.
It's really a slow yet brutal death.
And a tusk.
[00:07:39] Speaker E: We attempted to pull the tusk from the fresh facial flesh.
Took us Many tries. Then we finally and forcefully detached the tusk from the bloody flesh.
[00:07:50] Speaker E: As we wiped our forehead, drenched in sweat, we saw one end of the ivory reflecting the bright light of the moon.
One end of the tusk shined while the other dripped fresh flesh and blood.
[00:08:06] Speaker E: While the tusk being a natural beauty, you know, the tusk is still alive no matter what.
[00:08:16] Speaker C: This is awful.
[00:08:18] Speaker C: Why? Why do you hunt elephants?
[00:08:21] Speaker D: What?
[00:08:23] Speaker C: Why do you hunt these animals?
[00:08:27] Speaker D: I think what we see as hunting, you see as killing.
You know, I heard people saying that the money they paid for hunting games is what prevents and even stop people from poaching.
[00:08:44] Speaker D: The money they pay the African government to hunt adult animals is what will help to conserve, feed, care and replenish the population of an endangered species.
[00:08:57] Speaker D: Why do they come here and spend money for games?
They have big animals over there as pumas, snow leopards, mountain lions, bobcats, bears.
Why it buffaloes?
Nature never asked to regulate itself.
Why?
Because nature hate the void. It will take care of itself once we leave it alone.
I am aware that hunting is becoming an obsolete job, especially in here.
I had the choice to leave this job once I thought about it. But I chose to stay here.
I hunt to keep my tradition, my culture, my own alive.
That's why I hunt.
As far as elephants, this divine creature unfortunately just got caught up in the middle of people fight for greed and my survival.
[00:09:57] Speaker C: Can you tell me more about the American, Tony?
[00:10:02] Speaker D: Sure.
[00:10:04] Speaker D: The killings continue because we.
[00:10:08] Speaker D: Because I needed to survive. Like I said, what I despise about tourists is that although they pay peanuts and a dollar for the work we do, they feel entitled and they're not smart.
[00:10:25] Speaker C: That's kind of mean.
What do you mean?
[00:10:29] Speaker D: They're getting played by the rangers and us.
We are naive because all we care is surviving. And so we don't have time to search and understand people's motivations.
Like this guy Tony.
I don't think he realized the damage is done by being played by my brother and all. He gave us his money, watches and alcohol like a damn colonizer. Alcohol? Yeah, alcohol.
[00:10:59] Speaker D: I had enough of being used and abused and mostly disrespected.
[00:11:07] Speaker E: On that day, only Tony and I walked through the bushes.
[00:11:14] Speaker F: Hey, yo. You know I'm not just here for these, right? I heard of a species that has humongous tusks.
Never seen before.
I'm after those.
[00:11:26] Speaker F: Could you help me find them?
Come on. Of course. It's gonna come with a huge reward.
[00:11:33] Speaker F: Damn.
I like the other guy better.
[00:11:36] Speaker D: He's more talkative and Naive.
[00:11:40] Speaker F: Yeah. You know about these tusks, right?
[00:11:43] Speaker D: Damn.
[00:11:44] Speaker F: Come on now. Where can I find him?
[00:11:47] Speaker D: I mean, yeah, these are just rumors.
It's like a scam. It's made up for you tourists to keep coming and never satisfy your thirst for adventure.
[00:11:57] Speaker F: I. I won't believe it if you're right.
Hey, that's a pretty messed up thing.
[00:12:05] Speaker F: Anyway. You sure you don't know anything about it?
[00:12:07] Speaker E: I shake my head no. But Tony was still not convinced.
[00:12:13] Speaker E: Tony was out of breath after just 20 minutes of walk, sweating like a wet wild pig. Unease in this new environment.
He always carried with him a huge empty military bag.
He also wore a silver necklace with a crucifix and an expensive watch.
[00:12:35] Speaker E: I put my fist in the air to signal to Tony to be quiet. With this heavy breathing.
[00:12:42] Speaker E: We heard from afar conversation between two rangers stationed before an old cabin.
The rangers unexpectedly got a radio call.
They quickly edit the talk and hopped in an old dusty truck and drove away.
Moments later, a signal to Tony to carry on work walking.
We then arrived at the cabin.
[00:13:10] Speaker E: I switched the lanterns on by the door.
The cabin has few boxes here and there, two old wooden chairs, a dusty table resting on an old African rug.
[00:13:24] Speaker F: What is this place?
[00:13:26] Speaker E: Tony looked around the room, unsure of himself and share of the place.
We positioned ourselves opposite each other around the table.
I stay quiet studying the American.
I waited for Tony's move.
Tony, still out of breath, placed his bag on the table.
He then slowly unzipped his bag.
I saw three alcohol bottles.
Bourbon, vodka, more alcohol.
[00:13:58] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:14:00] Speaker E: Maybe it's an American way to do.
[00:14:01] Speaker D: A transaction, but it's not.
[00:14:03] Speaker E: It's rude to treat people like this anyway. I confidently pointed my index finger to the end of the table to indicate to Tony where to gently lift the table.
Tony did as asked.
[00:14:20] Speaker E: I slowly kneeled and I rolled the rug towards Tony, revealing a small wooden door with a lock located in the ground.
I then typed a numeral combination to open the lock.
As I lifted the small door, Tony slowly moved his torso to the side. From behind the wooden gate to see a black plastic cover that I gently removed.
You should have seen Tony's face.
I told him to close his mouth if it doesn't want to slow any mosquitoes.
[00:14:52] Speaker F: My God, how many these things you got?
[00:14:56] Speaker E: The little space displayed basically thousands of ivory tusks meticulously arranged in an orderly fashion.
Reaction was expected. Then it was flabbergast. I pulled out two medium sized tusks and I covered the rest of the tusks with the same cover. That I locked it.
[00:15:17] Speaker E: I unrolled the rug, signaled to Tony.
[00:15:20] Speaker D: To move the table back.
[00:15:21] Speaker E: I then placed the tusk on the table and took a chair and sat. Tony grabbed the two tusks and put them in his bag.
[00:15:29] Speaker F: Out of curiosity, ain't this an old ranger shack?
[00:15:34] Speaker E: With an undisturbed gaze, I watched every single move he made.
Tony smiled.
[00:15:44] Speaker F: Wow.
[00:15:46] Speaker F: That'S super smart.
Hiding your goodies where no one would dare be looking.
[00:15:54] Speaker F: They all yours?
[00:15:57] Speaker F: How much for the other tusks?
[00:15:59] Speaker E: I stay quiet, still observing Tony as a hunter observes the prey. Every move, man.
[00:16:05] Speaker F: A few words.
[00:16:07] Speaker D: I feel you.
[00:16:08] Speaker F: I have plenty of bottles like these.
[00:16:12] Speaker F: Lot more from where it's coming from.
All I need is a number with a dollar sign and I deliver.
[00:16:18] Speaker E: As I took the three bottles, Tony threw three more hundred dollars bills on the table, holding my gesture.
[00:16:27] Speaker F: Hell, come on. I'm pretty sure we can get to a fair agreement here.
What do you say, old pal?
[00:16:33] Speaker E: I stared at the notes on the table, surgically put the three bottles back on the table, then diligently counted the $300 and poked at them.
I took the bottles once again and.
[00:16:47] Speaker D: I said, come back next week. We'll talk.
[00:16:52] Speaker E: Tony smiles and we both exited.
[00:17:02] Speaker C: So you got $300 and some booze.
Not bad for a first American deal, huh?
[00:17:08] Speaker D: It wasn't my first deal. And it wasn't the first American customer either.
Now, I wasn't there, but I guess the conversation went something like this.
My brother has always a weakness for beautiful women, especially the ones he cannot get.
It's like a challenge that he always wants to win.
As usual, he must have been scrolling pictures on his phone, his feet crossed on his desk, drooling over the pictures of Fatima.
But she's way out of his league.
Even out of my league.
[00:17:45] Speaker C: I thought Fatima, the lady you mentioned early on. And with who you like.
[00:17:52] Speaker D: I told you, it's complicated.
[00:17:56] Speaker C: Seems like an eye for an eye kind of game between your brother and you.
So very simple to me, but okay. Carry on.
[00:18:05] Speaker D: Reincarnation.
[00:18:09] Speaker D: Rather believe in the saying we all have a twin in this world, but this woman reminds me so much of murder.
[00:18:19] Speaker C: Wow.
[00:18:21] Speaker D: How come such a beauty marries an ugly guy like that, huh? Sharp teeth.
You just a lucky son of a bitch.
[00:18:35] Speaker E: Hey yo, yo, yo, yo. Hey yo.
[00:18:37] Speaker F: Hey yo. Ranger Harris.
[00:18:39] Speaker A: Hey yo.
[00:18:39] Speaker F: It works. You were right. Hey yo. These hunters are freaking smart, man.
But they ain't as canny as you, Otto. Come on. You fancy visiting a special spot? You bout to be amazed out this bitch.
[00:18:53] Speaker E: Ranger Harris turned his phones off, put his feet down, then placed his shed on.
They both exited the office.
[00:19:07] Speaker D: I was surgically setting some see through wires for a trap behind a couple of short trees near the abandoned ranger station when I suddenly heard a car coming.
I stopped my walk, then hid.
[00:19:25] Speaker D: I discreetly followed the car that just parked.
The dust settled.
[00:19:32] Speaker D: Tony and Ranger Harris they came out of the car.
Tony was extremely agitated, but I couldn't clearly hear what he was saying.
[00:19:44] Speaker D: Tony looked around, then he pointed at the cabin.
Harris incredulously looked at him as someone looked at a drunk person.
Tony laughed some more.
I saw Tony searching for something underground. He finally found it, a big rock that he picked up. He then rushed in the cabin with it.
Harris, still outside, lighted a cigarette.
After a couple of minutes, Tony rushed out with two tasks. Harris immediately threw his cigarette on the ground and quickly stepped on it to extinguish the fire. Then they both rushed in the cabin.
I was furious.
[00:20:28] Speaker C: You've got played.
[00:20:31] Speaker D: Did I?
[00:20:39] Speaker A: You have been listening to Locks in the Box Volume 1A Patrick Cavarty presents Production Locks in the Box has been created, written and produced by Patrick and Wendy Cavarty.
Recorded at Soundbox LA West Hollywood, California.
Executive producer Wendy Caberti Original sounds by Pixabay and upbeat IO Edited by Miguel Soul at Soundbox LA Casting by Patrick Caberty Directed by Patrick Caberty as the Priest J Teddy Garces as Young Baba Baba and Tony Joanima Diaby as Harris Frances Edemobi as Youssef Shailimar Garba as Mother Fatima Young Woman and Catalia Emma Garba as Young Kwame Omri Caberty as Young Harris Mel Uche as Sharpteeth and Juliao AJ Lubskin as suggests Charlotte Chang as Zhao Patrick Cabertee as Kwame and narrated by Patrick Cabertee.
[00:22:00] Speaker A: Credits read by Sydney and Omri Cavartee.
Special thanks to Tim, Michelle and Miguel at Sandbox la West Hollywood, California.
Fox in the Box is a Patrick Cavarty Presents production.
For a full cast list, go to PatrickCabertypresents.com and listen to the next episode.
Follow us on Social Media thank you for supporting Patrick Cavarty Presents Production and thank you for listening to Locks in the Box.
