Tributes: Benjamin Parker & Aubrey Njobvu

It is with a heavy heart I write this tribute after ianbtehleovSeodutfhriLeunadn—gwloan, gAotiuumrberfaegmyuiNidlyjeorabenvcdue.nmtleynltoosrt A member of our family since 1999, Aubrey was a gheunmtloeumr. aHniswdiethepa-fpeolteptiacsssoiounl afnordtahderbyusehnspeilolfed Vovfaelylroeyutowluhicitskhyihmeimmno.eudgiahtteofaemxpiloy,rheitshteaSmouathndLualalntghwosae Mcpoaalsonsuyinrofguflloepualvraelcisevose.usIrwwZearsmeitbnoicaurncehdheiobdmlybeymshoqivumeiedat,neadrftahenirsdselensdsoidnuogrzeoonuwstntahnteedandmeow,zseshnoasfrioAnfugebtmrheaeyi’lrssdftreooarmitehsp, ,wapshhteogntuoIessratesncedainvded ma lemgeonrdieasryofsAtourbyrteyll.eErmanaidl afgt ernetlmemaial nd,ewschroibwedas qawnuidsoetaeasdneaderepatatfikfeienntit,fywrofiomthr tsahowemobenuodsfhetrahfnuedlesmwenailsidlesli.of..ef.hTuhmesoeur ba‘Hnigedomwrahsdmiteeauzllse’.bserarhcahirth; hroeulgohvetdheshdaursitntgoaflilntdhatbwlacsk p‘Aeurbmreayn entcalepgsaucliaetsedoftNheorsmpiarnit Coaf rtrh’.e Valley and the ‘tIewarrsi,tefotrotyhoisumanand wmayseayeksinagreinbhrims kmininggdowmit.hIn my opinion he was the best guide, the best teacher and ilenfdteyeoduafekeinlidngfryieonudw. Werieth ias smpoasrkt liemipnohritsaneyt egsu,ehset’. ‘He guided us on all six of our safaris with you and it hwiams’.always a highlight of our trips to meet up with AmrebenrmtaThoiarmy ef,ra+omlToindAgeu-tbsiermeneyio’fsrfigienunaidl ewo/femAeuaknbs,ra‘egTyeh’rso, suahngahdriecnudrpt-ahins, he was joking as always. He knew he was dying and openly talked about it in such a hilarious way, “eMxpyladianyss, ‘tHoethweafsigretfrererianrge tcolotshiengsyinca.”m’ Aobrreafhigamtree Hwehilcikheinseadlahnisdsmitauraktiaotnthtoe tghratvoeyf arndoilndhmisavleilliaogne. sobhuyespdtreetdeyafrgrorsamaztihntihgseapsrfaeidmweefaetniemdt febr.e’oimnghmimo.cIkleadugahneddteaansded I was lucky enough to work alongside Aubrey for iaslma owsatl1k0byeetwareseanntdheonSeleoefpmouytfanvdouTriimteem+eTmidoeries thtKohiaseskmceuhel,ieMp.eOokinrnycdtusyhmp?ei’inwlea, o‘lHknoIfwoaosekt?les’detoAdwuobhyroiecuyh,th‘hHeinorwkepylloiikeued’llylwsieistehit atbeseancdewthisaet,wAuilbl breysloeraevleysfealtla. stiKnigndle,gcaocmypaansdsiaon We miss you, Aubrey.

Aubrey’s words were poetry, spoken calmly and softly: ‘Life is like a spider’s web. We are all spun into the same web; if you cut one strand, you just end up destroying yourself...life is precious’. ‘The African bush is written in pencil, not pen. There is always an eraser close by to change it at any second’. ‘The thing is, a game drive is like looking at the pictures in a beautiful book; a bush walk is when you read the words’.