Jump and Other Stories

A White man lets out a noxious fart. His wife suggests he become a vegetarian to improve his health, and he dismisses the idea. The man thinks of the daily atrocities in the world: murders, kidnappings, starvations. That’s how the world is, his wife says, but he feels her words are vacant and simple.

They attend a weekend event for his employer at a private game reserve. The man thinks of his coworkers, the various roles they play, and knows he is the playful heckler of the group. The party includes drums and fire pits, and the man drinks heavily. He flirts with a young female coworker, then converses with an ex-political prisoner. They discuss crime. The ex-political prisoner sympathizes with common criminals, believing their actions stem from years of oppression. The man disagrees, seeing no justification for violence. Sounds rustle out in the dark. The group debates what’s causing the noise. A Black staff member, Siza, tells them it’s lions: The lions caught a zebra, and now they’re eating.

The group excitedly goes to look for the lions. Siza gets a truck, and they pile in. They find the pride and watch them eat. The females stare back at them while their cubs feast.