“Just because I never got pregnant didn’t mean I never....” She glanced over at Rafiki. “You know.”
Ajenti poked her head through the bushes. She saw the other two lionesses and gasped. "Oh my gods!"
Isha pushed past her. She looked appraisingly at the other lionesses. And shook her head. "I knew I wasn't the only one, but I underestimated the old boy."
“Watch what you say about my husband!” Uzuri shouted.
“Your husband??” Isha said.
“Your husband??” Ajenti echoed.
Rafiki motioned for quiet and tried to begin the ceremony. "Death has struck down our friend Ugas. Let us remember him as a brave lion, a good lion, whose heart was full of love...."
"Yeah, you can say that again!" Ajenti said bitterly.
Isha nodded. “He was Bango's father. And I must admit he was a good lion--quite good.”
"Yes," Sarafina said quietly. "He was good, wasn't he?"
“Sarafina? You too?”
Isha came to her. “You and Ugas??”
“Why not??” Sarafina said. “We were a matched set. I couldn’t imagine you’d like him. I like a comfortable routine, but you would have gone crazy. The same old thing every time.”
“Never the same thing twice!” Isha said, scandalized. “Are we talking about the same Ugas?”
“And his sense of humor,” Sarafina added. “He always told the funniest jokes. Most of them don’t bear repeating in public.”
“Jokes??” Uzuri was outraged. “That somber, powerful and tragic lion of destiny??”
Barata said, “It seems he sized us up like prey. He chose a different approach with each of us. Sisters, we were had!”
“It was worth it,” Sarafina said.
“I learned a few things,” Isha said. That was saying a lot.
Rafiki sighed. It would be a long night.
CHAPTER: THE QUEEN MOTHER
The next morning, Uzuri called the Pride Sisters together one last time. She had before her a dead hedgehog. Dipping her paw in the blood, she touched Misha on both cheeks, leaving red prints. Then she kissed the startled lioness.
“I give you the most precious possession I have,” she said, tears streaming down her face. The pride sisters all took in a deep gasp. “I gave a lot of thought to what I would say when I left you. In the end there is nothing I can say, and so I leave you with silence. But I can never forget the time we spent together on the trail. Farewell, my sisters, and Godspeed.”
Her chin trembling, she sniffed back her tears and headed outward.
“You can’t do this!” Sarafina said. “Sis, I love you! Can you just turn your back on me?”
“No more than I could turn my back on my sons. They need me, hon.”
“Then let me walk with you to the border.”
Uzuri leaned against her shoulder as she walked. As was her custom, she said little, but she glanced over at Sarafina and kissed away her tears.
“I thought we were together till the end,” Fini said.
“I will visit you,” Uzuri replied. “You have not seen the last of me.”
“It won’t be the same without Ugas.” It was the first time she’d mentioned his name since the truth came out, and she tensed up.
“I won’t spoil your memories of him,” Uzuri said. “I’m glad you found happiness. Maybe you will again.”
“And how about you, Uzuri? Will you find happiness again, now that you have done this thing?”
“I won’t stop looking if you won’t.”
Before they reached the border, Rafiki confronted her with Makaka at his side. Makaka sprang to her and hugged her around the neck.
“Shame on you,” Rafiki said. “Trying to leave your best friend behind.”
“But I must,” she said.
“I won’t let you. I’m going with you. So is Makaka.”
“I thought you said you were tied to this place?”
“I was. But only because of you.” He looked out toward his old baobab and back toward Pride Rock. “We had some times here, old girl. That we did.”
Uzuri smiled sweetly. “I feel much better now. Thanks.”
They headed east, an odd procession of two lionesses and two mandrills. But at the creek, Sarafina sadly nuzzled Uzuri, then kissed Rafiki and Makaka. “I am bound to Nala, as you are to your sons. But my heart is always with you.”
With sadness for what they left behind, they headed out into the water. But as the opposite bank drew nearer, their sense of adventure began to shove grief aside. If only Ugas had been there to meet her, joy would have flooded her soul like noontime sunlight. But in a way she felt closer to him, and it was some comfort in her loss.
No sooner had she crossed the creek than Adhama spotted her and fell to the ground. “My lady.”
“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.”