Sikkim Sanctuary, India 2013
The dark winter of January invited the first snow storm of the season. With the weather threatening to chill the bones of any man alive, the poachers were the least of the guards' worries. The observation stations were getting locked for the night as the workers sought refuge inside the whisperer's cabin.
Five years ago today, Annie Catherine Walker paid a casual visit to the forest and had not left since. In collaboration with the government and wild life NGOs, she had turned the fate of operation Red Panda around. They called her the whisperer. Any wild creature with ability to rip human flesh apart was drawn to her like cubs to the lioness. She fostered newborn animals, delivered emergency medical care and even share their (vegetarian) snacks during meal time. Funny thing was, her family still didn't believe her when she promised she would make it back home in one piece. Almost everyday she would get a call from her sister Danielle threatening to drop by unannounced if Annie didn't answer the phone on time. Today was one of those days.
"Annie beta, your sister's one the phone and she sounded pretty pissed". An old man announced himself as he frantically rushed in to the animals' nursery.
"You worry too much kaka. It's just Dani. I'll be right there".
She placed the baby panda in a secluded crib covered with woolen blankets which she had jokingly named "NICU" for animal babies. This was no laughing matter though. This infant needed her warmth and undivided attention to survive the next 48 hrs. If only Dani understood the predicament.
"Yes, your highness. I hear I have been summoned". She paused for dramatic effect. "Again".
"Annie, I am serious. You have to come home. I am...well, Michael is...his work is being investigated by the FBI and they are at our house going through our stuff. I am really stressed out. I need someone to talk to".
Okay, so she wasn't messing around and if Annie didn't calm her sister down in the next two minutes, Dani would soon be hyperventilating through the phone line. It would all be downhill from there. The NICU could wait. Well, atleast she hoped so.
"Dani, deep breaths. I am here. I am with you. We will get through this. Deep breaths".
If there was one technique Annie had perfected through years of Danielle's Michael induced anxiety (yes, he was the only reason she launched into these unannounced panic attacks head first), it was that Dani could here anything but someone telling her to calm down. So, Annie had to walk around the words. She learned it the hard way that time when Dani got knocked up senior year of college and Michael wouldn't postpone the wedding until after graduation day. Dani threw a vase at her head for screaming "calm down" for five minutes.
"Don't tell me to calm down. Tell that asshole I am not going to walk down the aisle with a belly. I bought a Vera Wang for Pete's sake".
"Talk to me. Did Michael do anything wrong?"
Dani's breathing seemed to have levelled a bit. So, the younger sister continued to rationalize her way out of the overwhelming fear.
"No, I suppose. I mean he better not have".
"Good. Then, you have nothing to worry about. They are not going to find anything strange except maybe you're kinky lingerie but..."
"Oh, shut up you".
The workers had set up camp around the concrete walls of the rather accommodating office space. Ranger rifles and other ammunition rested in the pantry along with the animal food. Annie was about to re-direct them away from the food when Dani spoke again.
"Thanks Annie. You're the best".
"I don't feel the best".
Sisterly confession was a two way street and Annie sure as hell wasn't going to let her comfortably resting sister get away before hearing the plight of an American stuck in knee deep snow in Sikkim without heat.
"Why? Any trouble with your operation Red Panda?" Dani air quoted the last three words. She did not understand the significant of this so-called crucial mission. There were plenty of animals to save. But if you asked her, Annie deliberately picked the job half a world away because of her commitment phobia.
"Yeah, well, it's going. I can't tell you much. It's cold and I am freezing and I can't drink cause half of the men in my vicinity will shoot each other if they are drunk and delusional. So, here I am. No heat, no love".
"You chose this so, nobody to blame but yourself. Way to save the world sis".
There she went again. Dani was the worst when it came to consoling. She would take the advice just fine but she couldn't give it back. Annie loved her too much to fight over the petty flaw. So, she let it go.
"Love you too. You were very helpful. Now, let me get some sleep. Not every one is in sunny California like you".
"Goodnight Annie".
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