Chapter 7: Tiifu's Insurrection
Night had once again fallen upon the land, leaving Tiifu laying by the pond, staring at her reflection. All day, she had been alone, dwelling on Yolanda's words. Though she hated to admit it, Yolanda had been right. Tiifu was afraid of Onevu. She knew full well what he was capable of when he was angry, and she had beaten around the bush ever since she became queen to avoid his wrath. All of that resulted in nothing. Less than nothing. Onevu still yelled and hit her whenever she would disagree with him. Mohatu never suffered his father's wrath, since he always came about an hour or so after the fights. She knew how much Mohatu hated to see her hurt. Everytime he came in, he would gape, and nuzzle her and carry on as if it were the first time, and each time, he would vow that someday, he would make Onevu pay. Tiifu shuddered to think of what would happen if Mohatu ever fulfilled those words.
Looking at her reflection, she sighed in despair, at the pathetic being she had become. Just because she allowed fear to swallow her soul whole. But not anymore. She was going to turn over a new leaf--not for her sake, but for Mohatu's. Her precious son, that she had been too afraid and cowardly to protect.
Suddenly, another reflection appeared in the water, standing over her own. Tiifu jumped, startled, afraid that it was Onevu. But it wasn't. It was Mohatu. She let out a huge sigh of relief.
Mohatu looked down at his mother in concern. "Mom, what are you doing out here?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"
Tiifu turned around and smiled weakly at her son. If only she could answer that truthfully. "No, my son," she replied. "But thanks for your concern." She rose to her feet, and embraced her son, catching him by surprise.
"Mom--"
"Mohatu, listen to me, and listen good," she said gently, on the verge of tears, "ever since you were born, I haven't done my best to support and protect you. I've been to afraid for my own safety, and forgot to pay attention to yours."
"Mom, what are you--"
"Mohatu," Tiifu interrupted, sitting back to look her son in the eye, "promise me that you'll always remember that I love you more than anything. Even if I've done a lousy job at showing it."
"Mom, why are you acting--"
"Promise me, Mohatu," Tiifu demanded.
Mohatu stared at Tiifu. Her behavior was scaring him, and the tears in her eyes made it even more unbearable. But he couldn't deny her a promise. She looked desparate. "Okay, Mom," he replied. "I promise."
A huge smile broke across Tiifu's face and she nuzzled him fiercely. "Thank you, Mohatu," she whispered, nearly choked by her tears. Mohatu just nuzzled her back, tears beginning to make their way into his own eyes. Tiifu drew back and smiled through her tears. She then turned around and began to make her way toward the den, where her mate would be waiting for her. And she was ready to do what she had to do.
* * * *
"And then she just...left."
Mzungu raised both eyebrows at Mohatu. "But, why? What would make her act like that?"
Mohatu shrugged. "I don't know, but I really wish I did." He had never before seen his mother act so compassionate. Normally, she was withdrawn, but would show affection to Mohtatu and Mohatu alone, but that was usually only in the morning when Mohatu would leave to be with Mzungu, Ucheshi and Tuli. And that wasn't only for about a few seconds. "I know this sounds weird, but...I...I worry about her."
Mzungu squinted at him. "Why would that be weird?"
Mohatu took a deep breath. "Well, I mean, she's my mother," he replied. "She's supposed to worry about the way I act, not the other way around."
Mzungu smiled at Mohatu and nudged him. "I think that a mother-son relationship is supposed to work both ways," she said.
Mohatu just smiled, and nuzzled her gently.
* * * *
Tiifu's face remained like stone as Onevu's enormous shadow decended over her. Onevu was obviously on the brink of rage, but she was ready to brave his anger. She knew what she had to do, and she wasn't going to turn away.
"What exactly are you saying, Tiifu?" Onevu asked through gritted teeth.
Tiifu took at deep breath. "I'm saying," she said in a firm voice, "that I won't allow you to harass Yolanda about betrothing her daughter to Mtundu."
Onevu sneered as he drew closer to Tiifu. "Oh, you won't let me," he snarled. "Well, why, may I ask, is that?"
"Because Mzungu is already betrothed," Tiifu started, "to Mohatu."
* * * *
Mohatu and Mzungu stood a few hundred feet from the entrance of the den, just in case Mtundu or Onevu were around. Night was young. The sky was just beginning to grow cold, and the crickets were assembling among the grasses for their evening chorus.
Mohatu turned to Mzungu, with a small hint of a smile on his lips. "Hey, thanks," he said.
With a small laugh, Mzungu drew closer to Mohatu. "What for?"
Mohatu didn't even have to plan his next move. He moved in--as though by instinct alone--and gave a her a tongue-touch to the cheek and nuzzled Mzungu gently, yet lovingly. Closing his eyes to absorb the beauty of the moment, he replied. "For everything. If not for you, I would still be a nothing."
Though still a bit overwhelmed by the surprise of Mohatu's sudden show of affection, Mzungu eventually found it in herself to nuzzle him back. She beamed. "Mohatu, you were never a nothing."
The two drew away from eachother at the same time, as though they had been cued to do so, and smiled at eachother. Both were overwhelmed; overwhelmed by some indescribable feeling that they had felt in bits and pieces during their cubhood when they were together, but were to naive to recognize it for what it was--love.
"Goodnight," Mohatu said gently.
"Sweet dreams, Mohatu," Mzungu replied.
Mzungu started on the trail to her mother's rock, but stopped in mid-step, turned to smile again at Mohatu, then continued on. Mohatu let out an amorous sigh and made his way towards the cave.
Standing in the mouth of the cave, Mohatu paused. Something was wrong. It was quiet. Not a nightly, peaceful kind of quiet, but rather, an eerie quiet. He didn't like it. It made the small hairs of his mane prick up. Taking a cautious step into the cave, he cleared his throat. "Mom?" Suddenly, something in the back of the cave caught his eye. He squinted, trying to make it out. Drawing back, he let out a small shriek of horror as he finally realized what it was.
Night had once again fallen upon the land, leaving Tiifu laying by the pond, staring at her reflection. All day, she had been alone, dwelling on Yolanda's words. Though she hated to admit it, Yolanda had been right. Tiifu was afraid of Onevu. She knew full well what he was capable of when he was angry, and she had beaten around the bush ever since she became queen to avoid his wrath. All of that resulted in nothing. Less than nothing. Onevu still yelled and hit her whenever she would disagree with him. Mohatu never suffered his father's wrath, since he always came about an hour or so after the fights. She knew how much Mohatu hated to see her hurt. Everytime he came in, he would gape, and nuzzle her and carry on as if it were the first time, and each time, he would vow that someday, he would make Onevu pay. Tiifu shuddered to think of what would happen if Mohatu ever fulfilled those words.
Looking at her reflection, she sighed in despair, at the pathetic being she had become. Just because she allowed fear to swallow her soul whole. But not anymore. She was going to turn over a new leaf--not for her sake, but for Mohatu's. Her precious son, that she had been too afraid and cowardly to protect.
Suddenly, another reflection appeared in the water, standing over her own. Tiifu jumped, startled, afraid that it was Onevu. But it wasn't. It was Mohatu. She let out a huge sigh of relief.
Mohatu looked down at his mother in concern. "Mom, what are you doing out here?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"
Tiifu turned around and smiled weakly at her son. If only she could answer that truthfully. "No, my son," she replied. "But thanks for your concern." She rose to her feet, and embraced her son, catching him by surprise.
"Mom--"
"Mohatu, listen to me, and listen good," she said gently, on the verge of tears, "ever since you were born, I haven't done my best to support and protect you. I've been to afraid for my own safety, and forgot to pay attention to yours."
"Mom, what are you--"
"Mohatu," Tiifu interrupted, sitting back to look her son in the eye, "promise me that you'll always remember that I love you more than anything. Even if I've done a lousy job at showing it."
"Mom, why are you acting--"
"Promise me, Mohatu," Tiifu demanded.
Mohatu stared at Tiifu. Her behavior was scaring him, and the tears in her eyes made it even more unbearable. But he couldn't deny her a promise. She looked desparate. "Okay, Mom," he replied. "I promise."
A huge smile broke across Tiifu's face and she nuzzled him fiercely. "Thank you, Mohatu," she whispered, nearly choked by her tears. Mohatu just nuzzled her back, tears beginning to make their way into his own eyes. Tiifu drew back and smiled through her tears. She then turned around and began to make her way toward the den, where her mate would be waiting for her. And she was ready to do what she had to do.
* * * *
"And then she just...left."
Mzungu raised both eyebrows at Mohatu. "But, why? What would make her act like that?"
Mohatu shrugged. "I don't know, but I really wish I did." He had never before seen his mother act so compassionate. Normally, she was withdrawn, but would show affection to Mohtatu and Mohatu alone, but that was usually only in the morning when Mohatu would leave to be with Mzungu, Ucheshi and Tuli. And that wasn't only for about a few seconds. "I know this sounds weird, but...I...I worry about her."
Mzungu squinted at him. "Why would that be weird?"
Mohatu took a deep breath. "Well, I mean, she's my mother," he replied. "She's supposed to worry about the way I act, not the other way around."
Mzungu smiled at Mohatu and nudged him. "I think that a mother-son relationship is supposed to work both ways," she said.
Mohatu just smiled, and nuzzled her gently.
* * * *
Tiifu's face remained like stone as Onevu's enormous shadow decended over her. Onevu was obviously on the brink of rage, but she was ready to brave his anger. She knew what she had to do, and she wasn't going to turn away.
"What exactly are you saying, Tiifu?" Onevu asked through gritted teeth.
Tiifu took at deep breath. "I'm saying," she said in a firm voice, "that I won't allow you to harass Yolanda about betrothing her daughter to Mtundu."
Onevu sneered as he drew closer to Tiifu. "Oh, you won't let me," he snarled. "Well, why, may I ask, is that?"
"Because Mzungu is already betrothed," Tiifu started, "to Mohatu."
* * * *
Mohatu and Mzungu stood a few hundred feet from the entrance of the den, just in case Mtundu or Onevu were around. Night was young. The sky was just beginning to grow cold, and the crickets were assembling among the grasses for their evening chorus.
Mohatu turned to Mzungu, with a small hint of a smile on his lips. "Hey, thanks," he said.
With a small laugh, Mzungu drew closer to Mohatu. "What for?"
Mohatu didn't even have to plan his next move. He moved in--as though by instinct alone--and gave a her a tongue-touch to the cheek and nuzzled Mzungu gently, yet lovingly. Closing his eyes to absorb the beauty of the moment, he replied. "For everything. If not for you, I would still be a nothing."
Though still a bit overwhelmed by the surprise of Mohatu's sudden show of affection, Mzungu eventually found it in herself to nuzzle him back. She beamed. "Mohatu, you were never a nothing."
The two drew away from eachother at the same time, as though they had been cued to do so, and smiled at eachother. Both were overwhelmed; overwhelmed by some indescribable feeling that they had felt in bits and pieces during their cubhood when they were together, but were to naive to recognize it for what it was--love.
"Goodnight," Mohatu said gently.
"Sweet dreams, Mohatu," Mzungu replied.
Mzungu started on the trail to her mother's rock, but stopped in mid-step, turned to smile again at Mohatu, then continued on. Mohatu let out an amorous sigh and made his way towards the cave.
Standing in the mouth of the cave, Mohatu paused. Something was wrong. It was quiet. Not a nightly, peaceful kind of quiet, but rather, an eerie quiet. He didn't like it. It made the small hairs of his mane prick up. Taking a cautious step into the cave, he cleared his throat. "Mom?" Suddenly, something in the back of the cave caught his eye. He squinted, trying to make it out. Drawing back, he let out a small shriek of horror as he finally realized what it was.