Chapter Two: Echoes
It was dark in the cargo hold of the ship Eliza found herself in after Panja's death. However, there were two sparks of light in her life even now. One was the birth of her son, whom she had named Kimba. The other was the nephew of the missionary, Joey. As it turned out, he was the boy Panja had saved from the fire. Every day he came down to visit the new mother and her son. Her young son looked so forward to these visits.
"When will Joey be here, Mama?" asked the cub, bouncing around the cage. "Will he be here soon? Huh? Huh?"
Eliza chuckled softly and smiled. "Very soon, my son," she replied. "I can hear him on the stairs."
Laughing, Joey all but skipped down the stairs and over to the cage. He reached into his pocket and held out a few scraps from his lunch. Eliza and Kimba gently took them from his hand.
"Are you going to read more stories from your magic book?" asked Kimba once Joey sat down, nodding at his bible. "Can I hear about Moses again? Please, please, please!"
Joey read as the story of Moses as often as he could, as it was Kimba's favorite. But the boy smiled and shook his head. "I've got something better this time," he told the white cub, "Let me show you a dance and song Uncle John taught me." The boy clapped his hands and began to sing. The animals smiled and joined in, Kimba dancing around the cage to the beat. At last the white cub leaped out and joined his friend.
After Joey had left for the evening, Kimba turned to Eliza. "Joey's God is our Creator, right, Mama?" he said.
"Yes, dear, he is."
"If He can help Moses, do you think He'll help us, too?"
Eliza closed her eyes. "Yes, my son. I'm sure the Creator will help you. He has always helped your family." Eliza then taught Kimba the story of Mtume.
The cub stared at her wide-eyed. "The Creator did all that?"
"Yes, Kimba, he did. And so He will help and guide you, so long as you listen to Him."
Meanwhile in the Pride Lands, another young prince was growing up. In the dark of the pre-dawn hours, Simba was already wake and eager to start the day. After looking out for a moment at the sleeping land below, the Pride Rock Prince dashed back into the cave. In his haste, he stepped on more than one dozing lion. Only one was truly bothered.
"Hey!" snapped Nuka, winching as his tail was trod on, red eyes narrowed. "Watch where you're goin', Simby!"
"Sorry," said the younger cub over his shoulder as he hurried over to his father. "C'mon, Dad, we gotta go. Wake up!"
Sarabi was the first to stir. She nudged her mate, who was still a late sleeper. When there was no response, she whispered in his ear. "Your son is awake," she told him firmly.
Mufasa groaned, shifted slightly, and replied, "Before sunrise, he's your son."
Simba was undeterred. He grabbed his father's ear and tugged on it, repeating all the while: "Dad. Dad, Dad. Dad!" His hold slipped and the cub went tumbling into a handful of bones in a corner. He came running back and head butted the King. "You PROMISED!"
Those words, so similar to another excitable cub he had known, snapped Mufasa awake. He opened his eyes and stared at Simba's irate face, the expression painfully similar to his brother's, long ago. A quick glance around the cave confirmed that Scar, as usual, was already up and gone. "Okay! Okay!" he said, sleepily getting to his feet. "I'm up, I'm up!"
"YEAH!" cheered his son, racing for the exit.
Yawning, the Lion King got up and followed. Sarabi briefly nuzzled her son, and smiled warmly as she watched the loves of her life walk up the path to the top of Pride Rock. Today would be a big day for them, as her mate turned from student to teacher.
The King and the Prince sat on the edge of Pride Rock, watching the rising sun paint the landscape. Mufasa took a deep breath and spoke the words the Creator had told Mtume long ago.
"Look, Simba, everything the light touches in our kingdom," said Mufasa, smiling when this brought an awed "wow" from his son. "A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Simba, the sun will set on my time here, and rise with you as the new king."
"And this will all be mine?" asked the Prince.
"Everything," Mufasa confirmed.
"Everything the light touches," repeated Simba, walking along the edge and taking in the Pride Lands. "But what about that shadowy place?"
"That's beyond our borders," replied Mufasa quickly. "You must never go there, Simba."
"But I thought a king can do whatever he wants," said Simba, slightly confused.
Mufasa chuckled. "There's more to being King than getting your way all the time," he said, starting back down the rock.
"There's more?" replied Simba, incredulous.
"Simba," said Mufasa reproachfully.
Simba listened with awe as his father led him on a tour of his future kingdom. There was so much to know, he was not sure he would ever remember it all. Neither the less, he paid strict attention.
"Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As King, you have to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures – from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope."
"But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?"
"Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass. And so, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life."
The crown prince was captivated. Before he could gather his wits, a familiar winged creature landed on a near-by rock. Simba groaned.
"Good morning, sire!" said Zazu in a chipper voice. He bowed and smiled when Mufasa returned the greeting. "Checking in with the morning report."
"Fire away," replied Mufasa.
Simba rolled his eyes and quickly tuned out Zazu's chattering report full of clichés. The bird may have been helpful to his father, but he drove Simba up the wall. A grasshopper suddenly leapt out of the grass and the cub immediately chased after it.
His father noticed his lack of attention. "What are you doing, son?"
Simba opened his paws and sighed. "Pouncing, but I missed."
Mufasa eyed Zazu with an odd gleam. "Let an old pro show you how it's done," he suggested. "Zazu, would you turn around?"
"Yes, Sire."
Simba rolled his eyes when the bird did so, and resumed his speech as if there had been no pause.
"Stay low to the ground," Mufasa whispered.
Simba complied, sliding into a crouch. "Okay, stay low to the ground, right," he replied, his voice not quite as low as his father's.
Zazu spun around again. "What's going on?"
"A pouncing lesson," answered Mufasa happily.
"Oh?" replied the majordomo. "Very good. Pouncing." Then his eyes widened. "POUNCING? Oh, no, sire you can't be serious…"
Mufasa merely motioned for Zazu to turn back around. Simba just barely caught the bird saying something about humiliation before his father returned to the instructions. When Zazu peaked over his shoulder, they were both out of sight. He was getting more and more edgy when the golden cub leapt out from the grass and pinned him to the ground. The Pride Rock Prince smiled with delight as his father laughed trotted over to Mufasa, turning his back on the bird. Therefore, he never saw the gopher pop up near Zazu and give him his report.
"Now, this time," began Mufasa, but he never got to finish.
Zazu took to the air eyes wide. "Sire! Hyenas! In the Pride Lands!"
Simba saw all the playfulness drain from his father's face. "Zazu, take Simba home."
The cub's face fell. "Aw, Dad, can't I come?"
"No, son!" And the King was gone.
"I never get to go anywhere," complained Simba bitterly.
The hornbill chuckled. "Oh young master, one day you will be King. And then you can chase those slobbering, mangy, stupid poachers from dawn until dusk."
With those words, they started back toward Pride Rock.
Eliza looked down at her son, wishing this day had not come so soon. The rats had informed her that a storm was coming – one that would sink the ship. And so, the Empress prepared her son for a journey he must now make alone. She thought for a moment about where to begin.
"Kimba," she said softly. "It means 'corpse'. Your father gave you that name, for even a ruler answers to death. His name was Panja. In our homeland, he was the most powerful lion of all. He kept the law of the jungle. All animals trusted him, and looked to him for guidance. Even King Mufasa, his brother."
"King?" asked Kimba, confused. "Like a pharaoh?"
Eliza laughed softly. Of course he would assume that. "No, never like that; Mufasa is the Lion King, and Panja was the Jungle Emperor, just as you will be."
"ME?" repeated Kimba, incredulous.
"Yes, my son. To be a leader is your destiny, Kimba, just as it was for your father and his father before him. That's the way it's always been. Since the days of Mtume, a white lion has roamed our homeland, standing guard over all the other animals: protecting and helping them. Mufasa and Panja were the greatest team of all. But, now…" Eliza's throat tightened and she found it hard to speak. "Now, it is up to you and the Pride Rock Prince."
"Who?" the white cub asked.
"He is the son of your uncle Mufasa, and so your cousin. I was taken away before I could learn his name. You have another uncle, Scar, and two aunts; Leona is a Priestess in a village and my sister Kusema should be ruling in my place." Steadily, the Empress told her son of her capture and his father's death. He remained quiet throughout the tale, for which she was grateful. "Life doesn't always give us what we want," she finished. "Kimba, you must go home to the jungle."
"The jungle?" repeated the Prince, obviously confused.
"It is where we belong, my son, and I want nothing more than for you to grow up strong and free."
Kimba nodded. "Okay. Let's go."
Eliza chuckled sadly. "Not me. I can't get out of this cage."
The cub's eyes widened. He rushed over to her side and huddled close to her warm fur.
The mother looked down at her son with love. "Look, my son," Eliza said, indicating the other cages with a toss of her head. "This is our destiny. You must escape for all of us, Kimba. Carry us in your heart." With that, she stood and lifted him up by his scruff, pushing him out of the cage. He immediately crawled back in. She shoved him back out.
"No, Mama!" cried the cub as she kept blocking him. "I wanna stay with you! NO! Please, Mama!"
"KIMBA!" shouted Eliza. "GO! NOW!" She watched as sniffling, the cub stood and turned toward the door. Seeing his heart-broken face, Eliza's fell as well. "Son," she said, "I love… you."
"Me, too, Mama," replied her son, and then he started up the stairs.
Panja, thought Eliza. Protect our son. Guide him back home.
Author's Note: Joey's song is "God Will Take Care of Me" from Prince of Egypt Inspirational, written and performed by Carmen
The story of Mtume had been posted as Legend of the White Lion. It can now be found as The Rift, part 1.