“Rise up,” Uzuri said with a self-conscious laugh. “I was never much at being a queen. So how are my boys doing?”

“See for yourself!”

Uzuri found no need to call out ‘Aiheu abamami’ as she went along. Indeed, as the Queen Mother she was a member of Kombi’s pride and free to come and go as she pleased.

Togo and Kombi were out on border patrol when she arrived at Pride Kopje. But she was soon surrounded by a swarm of excited cubs who pawed her and chanted, “Zuri, Zuri!”

She rolled on her back and patted her chest with a paw. They covered her, kissing her face and pawing her affectionately.

As she held them close with a paw and kissed them, Princess Amara came out with a squeal of delight. “Hi, Mom! It’s all right if I call you ‘Mom’ isn’t it?”

“Sure it is, Marrie.”

Amara pushed through the cubs to nuzzle her. “I’m so glad you came. I do my best to make Togo happy.”

“I’m sure you do,” Uzuri said with a knowing smile.

Rafiki smiled. He was fond of Amara and was glad to know she loved Togo and knew his love in return.

“He misses you terribly,” Amara added. “Now that you’re here, he’ll be so happy. And you and I will be great friends. There are so many things that I want to ask you, Mom. We knew sooner or later you were coming here to live. I’m just glad it’s sooner, before the cubs were born. Uzuri, I so much want you to be my midwife.”

“Grandchildren,” she said with a smile. “Bless you, my dear.”

Uzuri looked about. Many of the places and many of the people reminded her of the love and companionship of her husband. But she did not know these lands well enough to hunt them masterfully. At best, she would be a helper. Perhaps even a beater to drive prey toward the ‘real’ hunting party. She could learn the land, but it would take years, and she was not growing any younger. Maybe it was best that she take care of the young and leave hunting to the ones who did it best.

Suddenly, she heard a roar. It was not an angry sound, but what a male lion does when words are not enough.

“Togo!!”

She broke into a run. Togo hurried to meet her, rearing up and putting his arms around her neck and nuzzling her.

“Mother!!”

“My little boy! I know you’re a lion now, but you’ll always be my little cub! Oh, I could just eat you up!”

“Marrie said you’d come,” he said, his eyes shining like diamonds. “Welcome home, Mom! Oh, I’m so happy I could just burst!”

She nuzzled him again. “My special little boy! I heard all about Ambia and what you did, and I’m so proud of you! So how are you??”

“Fine! Never better! You saw Marrie, didn’t you? She’s my wife, now. You’re going to be a grandmother soon.”

“I know!” She kissed him. “You be good to Marrie, you hear me? She’s a fine lioness.”

“Yes ma’am!”

“I hear Kombi is king.”

“Yeah.” He half laughed. “I like this Prince Consort thing well enough, but I don’t want to be a King. Besides, now that Kombi is King, it keeps him out of trouble.”

Amara rubbed full length against her husband the way Uzuri used to do with Ugas. “Well, Honey Tree, aren’t you going to show the Queen Mother her new home? She can have my old spot now that I have a nice soft mane to snuggle on.”

“I know where my spot is,” Uzuri said gently. She lithely climbed to the top of Pride Kopje. She went to the spot where she would spend hours talking with Ugas about the stars. His scent had nearly vanished, but as she lay on her back and looked up at the skies, she could almost feel his warm, strong body lying next to her. “I’m home, beloved,” she murmured. Makaka settled next to her and put his arm around her neck, and the two of them slipped into their mid-sun nap.

CHAPTER: NO PLACE LIKE HOME

In the meanwhile, Rafiki tried to find a place of his own. It wasn’t like he expected to find another baobab just waiting for him to move in, but he needed a quiet and private place to go when he wanted to think. Sleeping on the ground with the pride was a romantic notion but not a viable option; he had to set up the paraphernalia of a shaman and paint protective icons. Also, some of his herbs could kill as well as heal. They had to be kept away from small paws.

He invited Makaka to come along with him, but he also had a number of uninvited guests as well. He was crowded with boisterous young cubs. Rafiki was fond of children, but they made so much noise and bustle that he could hardly hear himself think. Sh’aari also tagged along, trying to control the cubs that got seriously out of line, but doing little to curb the incessant noise and endless questions. And all the usual questions came pouring out.

“Why do you have those stripes on your face?”

“May I touch them?”

(“Yes, you may.”)

“Are those stripes on your bottom the same?”

“May I touch them?”

(“No, you may not touch them!”)

“Will you do a magic trick?”

“Do it again!”

“Is Makaka your son?”

“Are his Mommy and Daddy in heaven?”

“Does he have any brothers and sisters?”

“Will we see them some time?”

“Why do you walk with that stick?”

“Say something in monkey language!”

“What’s in the gourd?”

“Can I have one?”

“What’s that smell?”

“Can you really tell the future?”

“Can I watch?”

After the first hour or two of this, Rafiki began to wonder if cubs were more rough and tumble than they used to be, or if he was just getting older. “Probably both,” he thought, sighing.

Rafiki yelped as a furry bundle nipped playfully at his heels and darted away, giggling madly. “Ohe! Watch it! That hurts, you little scamp!”

“Saieti!” Sh’aari said sharply. “That was rude. Now apologize to Rafiki.”

The cub stopped and looked up at the mandrill with bright eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice. “I was just playing.”

“I know, Honey Tree.” Rafiki smiled and bent to pick the cub up, but she skittered away. “What’s wrong? I won’t hurt you.” He peered at Saieti as she huddled against the lioness’s side. “What’s that on your side?”

Sh’aari licked the trembling cub. “Ambia’s handiwork,” she said. “That’s just one of the marks he left on our pride.”

“My Gods!” Rafiki knelt and stroked the wide eyed youngster. “You needn’t fear him any longer, child. Togo and Kombi have set things right again, and this old monkey will certainly never hurt you.”

Saieti looked at him carefully, measuring him. It drove a thorn in his heart to see the look of guarded suspicion on one so young. “Even if I sit in your favorite spot?”

He nodded. “Perhaps we have the same favorite spot, eh? We’ll just have to share.” He reached into his gourd and got a piece of Tiko root. Saieti sniffed, inhaling the wonderful fragrance. Her tongue licked out and her eyes followed the treat as Rafiki moved it about.

“Who do you love?”

“You, Rafiki!”

“How much do you love me?”

“Bunches and bunches!”

The correct answer was, of course, “more than life.” There would never be another cub quite like Taka, but there would also never be another cub quite like Saieti. “Good enough!”

Rafiki dropped the Tiko root and Saieti snapped it up. She savored its goodness, then swallowed it. Then she looked up at him and grunted affectionately.

The mandrill picked up the cub, kissed her and hugged her tightly. “You poor baby! If anyone tries to hurt you again, I’ll kill ‘em!”

She cuddled under his chin and purred. Overcome, Rafiki began to sob, kissing her repeatedly and whispering loving names in his old tongue. “Why do they have to suffer?” he asked Sh’aari. “Why the helpless and the innocent?? She deserves so much more out of life, and if I could take those stripes from her and bear them myself, I would!”

Saieti wrapped her large cub paws around his neck and nestled her head against his shoulder, a faint purring tickling his neck.