CHAPTER FOUR
" Where are you going?" Jahari asked for the fifth time that morning as Alani bathed him.
Zenka had asked Nadira to look after Jahari and she willingly agreed. Alani knew if it had been Alani to ask her, Nadira would have flat out refused. Despite the rivalry between the sister-in-laws, Nadira loved her nephew and would protect him for life.
" Where going to look for your Grandma." Alani told him.
Jahari frowned in confusion, " But Grandma is right here," he said gesturing to Tanisha.
" I mean your other grandma. My mother." Alani explained and Jahari's confused expression cleared.
" Oh…I hope you find her." Jahari said sincerely and Alani nuzzled her son affectionately.
" And I hope you get to meet her."
Jahari paused, " What about your dad? Will I get to meet him?"
That's when Alani realised Jahari doesn't know his other grandfather was dead.
" Son, he died before you were born." She told him and his eyes saddened.
" Oh." He couldn't think of anything to say to that.
She finished bathing him and Alani, Hasani, Tanisha and Zenka left for the search.
* * *
" Aunt Nadira?" Jahari began later that morning. Nadira was basking in the mid-morning sun and Jahari was bored.
" Yes Jahari?" Nadira rolled over to face him.
" Do you know anything about Alani's dad?"
" Not much except he made her sister Annalina the Queen of the Pride Lands for while. Why?"
" How did he die?"
" Jahari, you don't want to know."
" Yes I do, he was my grandpa."
" He died a very grisly death," Nadira paused, " his own hyenas turned on him and killed him."
Jahari's eyes went wide, " They ate him?"
" Yup. Savaged him 'til he was no more than bones."
" Ewww! Aunt Nadira!" Jahari wrinkled his nose in disgust.
" I told you he died a grisly death." Nadira smiled at his expression.
" Don't tell me anymore. I think I'm gonna be sick." He really did look a little green.
" You wanted to know how he died." Nadira reminded him.
" Let's go to the waterhole," Jahari suggested trying to take his mind of his queasy stomach, " I'm thirsty."
* * *
They've been walking for over two hours now and the little group stopped at a waterhole for a break. They've been asking different kind of herds if they have seen rouge lionesses in the area and the answer has always been the same…no.
Alani refused to give up. She crouched down and took a long drink from the waterhole. You could be wasting your time. She told herself, your mother might not even be alive.
She stood up and wavered suddenly. Her stomach felt queasy.
" Are you okay?" Zenka asked her with a worried frown.
" I feel kinda sick." She murmured.
" Take another drink." Zenka suggested and she shook her head.
" Maybe we should turn back. We've been looking for two hours and its getting warmer."
" We can continue searching and you can go back home if you'd like." Zenka suggested.
Alani squared her shoulders, " I'll come with you. I feel a bit better now." That wasn't really true but she'd feel kind of guilty if she went back and let her family look for mother. Nadira will give her hard time about it anyway.
" Okay then." Zenka looked doubtful but let Alani walk in front of him.
They plodded on; the sun was high in the sky.
A wave of dizziness washed over Alani and she stopped walking. The world seemed to spin around her.
" Alani!" she heard Zenka call her, he sounded far away, " Honey, are you okay?"
Alani couldn't answer. She dropped to the ground with a dull thud and blackness swamped her.
" Kayla," Annalina turned to her daughter, " You have to watch Linka while I go out."
Kayla looked over at her older brother with diastase, " Why? Where are you going?"
" Just for a walk. I need a breather." Annalina smiled at her, " Can you watch him for a bit?"
" I guess so." Kayla frowned, " But-"
" He must stay in your sight at all times." Annalina warned her before leaving the den.
Kayla groaned. She couldn't believe she was stuck with her brother. He was taking a nap in the far corner of the den.
She was about to go outside when she heard Linka call out for their mother.
" Mother is gone," Kayla answered.
" Where is she?" Linka sounded upset, " She's never left me."
" She needed a breather." Kayla explained.
" A breather from what?" Linka looked pitiful but Kayla was feeling pity towards him. Just resentment-because he took up all of their mother's time.
" You." Kayla said, " She needs a break from you Linka and I don't blame her. You know something? I think she's getting tired of you."
" She's not!" Linka fired back angrily, " I don't believe a word you're saying."
" You can ask her when she gets back." Kayla smiled cruelly even though he couldn't see it. Then she turned and bounded out of the cave, ignoring her bother's cries.
" Where are you going?" Jahari asked for the fifth time that morning as Alani bathed him.
Zenka had asked Nadira to look after Jahari and she willingly agreed. Alani knew if it had been Alani to ask her, Nadira would have flat out refused. Despite the rivalry between the sister-in-laws, Nadira loved her nephew and would protect him for life.
" Where going to look for your Grandma." Alani told him.
Jahari frowned in confusion, " But Grandma is right here," he said gesturing to Tanisha.
" I mean your other grandma. My mother." Alani explained and Jahari's confused expression cleared.
" Oh…I hope you find her." Jahari said sincerely and Alani nuzzled her son affectionately.
" And I hope you get to meet her."
Jahari paused, " What about your dad? Will I get to meet him?"
That's when Alani realised Jahari doesn't know his other grandfather was dead.
" Son, he died before you were born." She told him and his eyes saddened.
" Oh." He couldn't think of anything to say to that.
She finished bathing him and Alani, Hasani, Tanisha and Zenka left for the search.
* * *
" Aunt Nadira?" Jahari began later that morning. Nadira was basking in the mid-morning sun and Jahari was bored.
" Yes Jahari?" Nadira rolled over to face him.
" Do you know anything about Alani's dad?"
" Not much except he made her sister Annalina the Queen of the Pride Lands for while. Why?"
" How did he die?"
" Jahari, you don't want to know."
" Yes I do, he was my grandpa."
" He died a very grisly death," Nadira paused, " his own hyenas turned on him and killed him."
Jahari's eyes went wide, " They ate him?"
" Yup. Savaged him 'til he was no more than bones."
" Ewww! Aunt Nadira!" Jahari wrinkled his nose in disgust.
" I told you he died a grisly death." Nadira smiled at his expression.
" Don't tell me anymore. I think I'm gonna be sick." He really did look a little green.
" You wanted to know how he died." Nadira reminded him.
" Let's go to the waterhole," Jahari suggested trying to take his mind of his queasy stomach, " I'm thirsty."
* * *
They've been walking for over two hours now and the little group stopped at a waterhole for a break. They've been asking different kind of herds if they have seen rouge lionesses in the area and the answer has always been the same…no.
Alani refused to give up. She crouched down and took a long drink from the waterhole. You could be wasting your time. She told herself, your mother might not even be alive.
She stood up and wavered suddenly. Her stomach felt queasy.
" Are you okay?" Zenka asked her with a worried frown.
" I feel kinda sick." She murmured.
" Take another drink." Zenka suggested and she shook her head.
" Maybe we should turn back. We've been looking for two hours and its getting warmer."
" We can continue searching and you can go back home if you'd like." Zenka suggested.
Alani squared her shoulders, " I'll come with you. I feel a bit better now." That wasn't really true but she'd feel kind of guilty if she went back and let her family look for mother. Nadira will give her hard time about it anyway.
" Okay then." Zenka looked doubtful but let Alani walk in front of him.
They plodded on; the sun was high in the sky.
A wave of dizziness washed over Alani and she stopped walking. The world seemed to spin around her.
" Alani!" she heard Zenka call her, he sounded far away, " Honey, are you okay?"
Alani couldn't answer. She dropped to the ground with a dull thud and blackness swamped her.
" Kayla," Annalina turned to her daughter, " You have to watch Linka while I go out."
Kayla looked over at her older brother with diastase, " Why? Where are you going?"
" Just for a walk. I need a breather." Annalina smiled at her, " Can you watch him for a bit?"
" I guess so." Kayla frowned, " But-"
" He must stay in your sight at all times." Annalina warned her before leaving the den.
Kayla groaned. She couldn't believe she was stuck with her brother. He was taking a nap in the far corner of the den.
She was about to go outside when she heard Linka call out for their mother.
" Mother is gone," Kayla answered.
" Where is she?" Linka sounded upset, " She's never left me."
" She needed a breather." Kayla explained.
" A breather from what?" Linka looked pitiful but Kayla was feeling pity towards him. Just resentment-because he took up all of their mother's time.
" You." Kayla said, " She needs a break from you Linka and I don't blame her. You know something? I think she's getting tired of you."
" She's not!" Linka fired back angrily, " I don't believe a word you're saying."
" You can ask her when she gets back." Kayla smiled cruelly even though he couldn't see it. Then she turned and bounded out of the cave, ignoring her bother's cries.