Finally the hedgehog darted into some reeds and skirted away.
“Darn,” Togo said. “I was hoping we could keep it.”
“And what would you do with it? Teach it tricks?”
Just then, Vianga came slinking out of the grass with remarkable grace for a lioness in that long-legged age. “Hi, Togo.” She smiled at Kombi and winked. “Hello, hot stuff.”
“Uh, hi Vivi.”
She strutted past the two lions with a flip of her tail that brushed the tip of Kombi’s nose.
Togo watched the playful ballet of her shapely thighs as she headed on to the watering hole. His mouth hung open.
Kombi said, “It just happened.”
“What?”
“I finished going through puberty.” He got up and padded after her.
“Hey Kombi, wait for me!”
CHAPTER: ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR
Togo lay glumly at the foot of Pride Rock, sprawled ungainly across one of the stones that lay tumbled at its base. He stared bleakly at the trembling tips of the savanna grass and wondered if puberty was worth the agony he was going through. Perhaps Rafiki had some obscure potion that would calm his jangled nerves and keep him from staring at HER.
He groaned a put a paw over his face. “Oh, Vianga! Why won’t you love me just a little? Why won’t you give me a chance?”
By day he had fantasies of her sunning herself on a rock. When he closed his eyes at night, her smiling face pursued him into the depths of feverish dreams from which he awoke from trembling and calling her name. He couldn’t pass her by without feeling his heart race. He would want to gaze into her liquid amber eyes, nuzzle her cheek, rub against her side, and yes, place his paw on her left shoulder to make her his forever. Only one thing separated him from his goal.
Kombi.
Togo’s jaw clenched as he thought of his brother. Kombi must have the favor of the gods, for every time Togo tried to impress her, Kombi would one-up him.
Togo, who was not as dim as he seemed, was only painfully shy. When she was away, he would think of witty and charming things to say, but when she looked right at him--which she rarely did--all that would come out is, “Nice weather we’re having."
Togo had practiced for days at jumping the small creek that trickled into the water hole, soaking himself many times to the laughter of several animals. He ignored that laughter and kept on trying, concentrating on balance, poise, and distance. It would not do to land in the mud and splatter the girl of his dreams. Early that morning, he had gotten the jump down pat, and he tried it several times, always landing with a whisper in the dry grass on the other side.
Elated, he then padded off, seeking out Vianga and talking her into taking a walk with him. The two paced down to the water, chatting idly, with Togo fighting down his irritation at Vianga’s repeated wondering about the location of his brother.
“Oh, he’s probably wandering somewhere, playing cub games.” Togo smiled indulgently. “You know how CHILDREN are.”
“I like children,” Vianga said, bending down to sniff at the edge of the creek. “I think they’re cute.” Barely more than a cub herself, she nevertheless managed to throw a dazzling smile at Togo. “I can’t wait till I have cubs of my own.”
“Neither can I,” he breathed. His heart was pounding, and he was looking into those liquid hazel eyes. It was all he could do to keep his left paw firmly on the ground.
Then a tawny shape shot past, leaping into the air to land with a solid thud on the other side. “Hey, Vivi! What’s up?”
“Kombi!” Vianga squealed delightedly. “Wait for me!” With a bound, she cleared the creek easily, landing silently next to him. They paced off together, Kombi shooting a quick grin and a wink over his shoulder at Togo.
“Hey! Wait up guys!” Togo gathered himself and leapt, watching the water flicker by underneath him, the sunlight dazzling off it’s surface in a starburst of light, the far bank coming closer...and rising much too rapidly...
“Uh-oh,” Togo muttered. He closed his eyes, wincing as he hit the water, the cold driving the air from him with a burbling gasp. Sodden and covered with mud, he dragged himself off, the soft giggles of Vianga’s laughter driving thorns into his heart. He stormed home and he’d been sitting on that rock ever since.
Togo stared at the trembling grass and sighed again. No doubt about it--love was a cruel trickster that played by its own rules.
“Hey, Togo.”
His hackles rose as he heard the voice. HER voice.
“Vianga?”
She paced around the rock to look at his sad face. “Togo? I, uh...”
“What?”
“I’m sorry I laughed at you this morning.” Vianga scuffed a paw in the dirt nervously. “It was really mean of me.”
Togo gaped at her. “Uh, well, it’s okay.”
“Really?” She glanced at him quickly. “You mean it?”
“Sure.” He smiled at her.
“Great. You’re really nice, Togo.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by an all to familiar voice. “Vivi!”
She looked over Togo’s head. “Hey Kombi! He’s right here.”
Togo turned to gaze at his brother. “What is it?”
“I hope you aren’t sore about this morning. I explained to Vivi that it wasn’t your fault, since you were...you know, born uncoordinated.”
So that was why Vianga looked at him with such a mixture of sorrow and pity! Togo struggled to take in the depth of his brother’s deviousness while wondering where he had learned a word longer than three syllables. “Uncoordinated, huh?” Togo bristled.
“Yeah! I told her that’s why I can already catch prey, and you can’t.” Kombi grinned.
“What??”
“Sure!”
“You can NOT catch prey, Kombi!”
“Can too!” Kombi’s grin turned sly. “I bet I can catch something before YOU can!”
Togo shot a flat gaze at Kombi, all too aware of Vianga’s eyes on him, measuring.... “Deal.”
“You’re on!” Kombi sniffed the ground purposefully, then dashed away into the grass. Grumbling, Togo padded off in the other direction, wondering what he was going to do now. Pushing his way onto the tall grass, he nosed about uncertainly, then froze as he heard a horrific shriek. Turning, he tore back to where Vianga sat, her eyes wide.
“Did you hear-”
“What was that all-”
Both of them were silenced by the sight of Kombi padding out of the grass, humming busily to himself, a fat savanna hare dangling from his jaws. He deposited it on the ground, grinning hugely. “Told ‘ya!”
Togo gaped wordlessly as Vianga praised Kombi nonstop. A lead weight seemed to fill his stomach as he turned to stare at his brother, his jaw trembling. “I..I guess you win, Beebee,” he croaked.
“Hmm?” Kombi looked away from Vianga. “Oh yeah!”
“Good luck.” Togo turned and paced away slowly, his tail dragging in the dust. Even in extremis, he did not want Vianga to see him cry-- or Kombi for that matter.
“Togo?”
“What??” he said tremulously. “Leave me alone!”
“Hey... no hard feelings, okay?” Togo turned to see Kombi carrying the rabbit toward him. Laying it at Togo’s feet, he turned away. “You keep it, Togo.”
Vianga stared at Kombi in wonder. “You are so SWEET!” Togo watched agonized, as she leaned over and kissed Kombi’s cheek. A beatific grin lit his face, and he nuzzled her in return, purring.
“Well, you know, I have to look out for him. I mean, he IS my brother-” Kombi froze, staring at something behind Togo. “Uh, I gotta run. Seeya later, okay?” Without waiting, he turned and trotted off quickly. Vianga stared after him. “You’re lucky to have such a wonderful brother, Togo.”