Chapter 11:
Just as Uncle Max was about to go around to pass out straws, Pete pushed his way through some bushes over to the group. "Afternoon, all."
All eyes turned to Pete. Pumbaa stood, causing Timon and Zuri, who were leaning against him, to fall over. "How's Jina doing? Are they here yet?" he asked.
"She's fine, considering. And no, not yet. Dalila and Hasina are taking over for a while." He eyed the straws in Max's paws. "What's with the straws, Max?"
"It's to decide who shares a memory next. Whoever draws the longest straw wins," Max said.
"It's to help Pumbaa relax," Zuri said as she sat up and dusted her fur off.
"Ahh, good. Now we don't have to fill in another hole like we did with Timon. Is it helping?" Pete asked.
"Yup! We just finished hearing about how Zuri and Jina met," Pumbaa said.
"Why don't you join us, Pete? Share a memory," Ma said.
"Well, I guess I have time..." Pete took a moment to eye the straws in Max's paws and finally picked one. He drew the long straw. "Huh... lucky."
Timon suddenly came up to Pete and put his paws on his shoulders. "Please, Pete, nothing with me in it! Something about what happened after I left the colony!"
"Why shouldn't I remember something with you?"
"Chances are I end up embarrassing myself."
"Aww, but those are the best ones," Zuri grinned.
Timon glared at her slightly. "One of these days, I'm going to go to your mother and get some dirt on you."
"Mm. Is that a threat or a promise?"
Pete cleared his throat to get Timon's attention back. "That's pretty limited, pup."
Timon rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on! I was gone for two years! There must've been something that happened while I was gone!"
"Nothing interesting. We digged tunnels, hid from predators... You weren't around to mess up or break the tunnels, so life became pretty mundane."
Timon grimaced. "Well, unless someone can suggest something for him, pick a memory that isn't too embarrassing to me."
"Well--"
"Ooh, I know, I know! How about when Mrs. Ma and Uncle Max left to find Timon?" Pumbaa asked, wagging his tail a bit.
"Hmm... you two haven't told them about that, have you?" Pete asked Ma and Max, who both shook their heads. "All right. I guess I could share that memory then."
"Yay!"
Pete put the straw in his mouth and chewed on the end. "Since Timon left, the tunnel construction went without a hitch... uh, most of the time anyway..."
4 years ago...
"Panya!"
Ma poked her head out from under the dirt, dusting it out of her hair. She just brought down the south wall in the north wing. She received not angry stares, but concerned and... slightly annoyed looks. Pete went over and helped her up. "Are you OK?"
"Physically," Ma said.
"What's wrong? You're starting to turn into Timon," a meerkat said as he helped her to solid ground.
"Well, what's wrong with that? He is my son," Ma said, furrowing her brow and putting her paws on her hips.
"No offense, Panya, but he was delaying the proceedings of the tunnels. And ever since he left, you've been acting up in the tunnels. You're taking his place as the tunnel klutz."
"I'm sorry, but I can't help being worried about him. I asked him to send me a message and I haven't gotten anything yet."
"Typical son," Pete grinned, patting Ma on the shoulder.
Ma grabbed the front of his chest and pulled him down to her level. "Typical, what typical?! He could be dead, Pete!"
"Could be doesn't mean he is," Pete nervously chuckled as he pried Ma's paws off.
"Well, come on, let's fix this before Max shows up," a meerkat said as she walked away.
"Yeah, yeah, we heard ya." Pete stopped Ma from following the other meerkats. "Maybe tunnel digging is a little too stressful. Maybe you should go on sentry duty while we clean this up." He noticed Ma staring at him, and then he realized what he said. "Right. You're right. But you could at least get a little fresh air."
"Not a bad idea, I guess..." Ma said as she walked away.
Pete shook his head as he watched her leave. "Poor Panya. I guess if my accident-prone son left, I'd be worried, too." He went after the other meerkats to get to work repairing the wall.
Ma climbed out of the tunnel and inhaled the fresh air. She walked over to the rock and tree sentry point and climbed up onto the rock. She looked off in the direction Timon went a few days ago, and softly sighed. "I hope you're safe, Timmy."
Suddenly Rafiki popped up right in front of her. "Timmy?" Ma screamed, surprised. "Easy, easy, now. I am not attacking."
Ma put a paw to her chest and panted. She growled at Rafiki, "What are you doing then, besides scaring me out of my skin?"
"Was taking a walk. Thought Rafiki would stop for a chat."
"Rafiki? The baboon shaman of the Pride Lands?" The baboon bowed. Ma snorted, "There are better ways to get my attention than to give me a heart attack."
"No harm intended, but Rafiki can tell your heart does feel pain. From the loss of the king and prince of the Pride Lands?"
Ma sighed and sat down on the rock. "No. My son left the colony a few days ago and I haven't heard a word from him yet."
Rafiki leaned against his staff and nodded. "A typical son." He stroked his beard briefly, and then he paused. "So, he is a rogue now?"
Ma nodded, a bit ashamed, "Yes."
"Why did he leave?" Rafiki asked as he sat down next to the rock.
"He was having trouble fitting in. And he wanted to find a better life, where he wouldn't have to dig or hide from hyenas, and it wasn't here."
Rafiki stroked his beard again. "Life without worry."
"Yeah."
"This boy of yours... what is his name?"
"Timon."
"Timon. He has red hair, brown eyes, five stripes on his back, the middle stripe is wider than the other four..."
"Yes..."
"He sang a song describing what he wants--?"
"You mean you've seen him?!" Ma asked, jumping to her feet.
"I believe I have. He told me he wanted to live in a beautiful, carefree place that is outside, where he would not hide or worry."
"That's Timon, all right," Ma said as she rubbed her paws together. "Is he all right?"
"He was fine when I found him, although he was quite lost. He described where he wanted to go, so I told him he was seeking Hakuna Matata."
"Hahuna Ma-what-a?"
Rafiki chuckled, "It means 'no worries.'"
"I see..."
"So, I told the boy, 'to find Hakuna Matata, you must look beyond what you see.'"
Ma put a finger to her chin, understanding. "Oh... a metaphor." She reached over to grab Rafiki's staff, not paying attention to how heavy it was.
"Well, actually it's not a meta--" He yelped slightly when he was clocked on the head with his own staff.
Ma threw the staff aside and grabbed Rafiki's beard, pulling him down to her level. "You used a metaphor on Timon?! He takes things literally!" She released his beard and started to panic. "That's it! He's starving out there! I just know it!" She leaned over to a nearby tunnel entrance and yelled down into it. "Max, Timon's out there chasing metaphors! I've gotta go find him!"
Max's voice actually shook the ground as he yelled back from inside the hole, "Are you NUTS?!"
From inside the tunnel, the meerkats rubbed their ears at Max's scream. "A little louder, Max. I can still hear out of this ear," Pete growled, sticking his finger in his ear.
"I was just making sure she heard me," Max snorted.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Jersey heard you." He looked up at the opening. "She sounds serious." He looked at Max. "She shouldn't go alone."
"So go with her, Pete," Max said as he started to walk away.
Pete growled and grabbed Max by the shoulder. "What's the matter with you, Max? Are you just going to let your niece wonder the Pride Lands drawing attention to herself?"
"She's my niece by marriage."
"What about Timon?"
"... There must've been some mix-up when he was born. There's no way he can be my great-nephew!"
"Whether you like it or not, you and he are blood. Do you really want to lose him and Panya like you lost Buzz and Ti--?"
Present...
"Mmph?" Pete blinked when Ma slapped a paw over his mouth.
"Ix-nay, Pete," Ma said quietly through clenched teeth.
"What was that for?" Zuri asked.
"Yeah, I'd like to know myself. Would you mind telling me who's Ti or whoever it is Pete was saying?" Timon asked, scratching his head.
Pete pulled Ma's paw from his mouth. "You still haven't told him?" he whispered to her, furrowing his brow.
"What good would it do him if he knew he had a dead brother?" she whispered back.
"We don't know he's dead for sure."
"The odds that he's alive are a million to one."
"There's still a chance..."
"It's been six years. Even if Titus--"
"Titus?"
Both Ma and Pete jumped when they realized Timon had walked over and were listening in. "Did you say 'Titus'?" they both innocently asked.
"Yeah. Who is Titus?" Timon asked.
Pete gave Ma a look, to which Ma sighed. "... He was a meerkat we lost to hyenas when you were a pup. You wouldn't remember him," she said.
"Why not?"
"Because you were only three weeks old when he died."
Timon scratched his head, "Yeah, I guess it would be a little difficult to remember someone from that time. Did I know him?"
"... Yeah, you knew him. You were pretty close."
"Huh... too bad. Well, no use shedding tears on someone I don't remember, right?" Timon shrugged and then walked back over to Zuri, not noticing Pumbaa shaking his head disapprovingly at Ma. "I don't see why you wanted to keep it a secret from me, but then mothers know best, I guess."
"Heh... yeah," Ma shrugged, and then she noticed Pete drumming his fingers on his knee. "Sorry, Pete. Go ahead and finish."
"Thank you."
4 years ago...
"... Do you really want to lose him and Panya like you lost Buzz and Titus?"
"... If I leave, who's going to take care of things here?"
"We can do fine on our own. We've been trained by the best our whole lives. Now go on."
"All right, but if I don't survive this blind-leading-the-blind journey, Pete, I'm coming back to haunt you."
"Sure, go ahead. I could use new nightmares."
"Smart aleck pup..." Max mumbled as he climbed up to the surface.
"Just be careful out there..."
Max climbed to the top and looked around. He saw Ma walking off in the direction Timon went days before, so he climbed out and ran after her. "Panya!"
Ma stopped and looked back at him. "Uncle Max. I've made up my mind, so if you're here to talk me out of it--"
"Whether I like it or not, Timon is family, therefore I'm going with you."
"... You are?"
"Well, I wasn't going to let you go by yourself and draw attention to yourself. Besides, you need someone to help you dig tunnels to hide from predators."
"Oh, Max..."
"Yeah, yeah, enough with your emotions. Let's just go and find him." They both continued walking away.
Present...
"You mean you were looking for me for that whole two years I've been gone?" Timon asked his mother, a bit amazed.
"Talk about a dedicated mother," Zuri said.
"Well, you were all I had left, since your father died," Ma said, nodding.
"We searched most of southern Africa to find you," Uncle Max said.
"I guess we missed the oasis by a long shot."
"Safe bet."
"Well, it was fun, but I'd better get back to taking care of Jina," Pete said as he tossed the straw over to Max. "Be back later."
"Bye, Pete!" Pumbaa waved. He then looked back at the rest of the group. "OK, time for another memory!"
To be continued...
Just as Uncle Max was about to go around to pass out straws, Pete pushed his way through some bushes over to the group. "Afternoon, all."
All eyes turned to Pete. Pumbaa stood, causing Timon and Zuri, who were leaning against him, to fall over. "How's Jina doing? Are they here yet?" he asked.
"She's fine, considering. And no, not yet. Dalila and Hasina are taking over for a while." He eyed the straws in Max's paws. "What's with the straws, Max?"
"It's to decide who shares a memory next. Whoever draws the longest straw wins," Max said.
"It's to help Pumbaa relax," Zuri said as she sat up and dusted her fur off.
"Ahh, good. Now we don't have to fill in another hole like we did with Timon. Is it helping?" Pete asked.
"Yup! We just finished hearing about how Zuri and Jina met," Pumbaa said.
"Why don't you join us, Pete? Share a memory," Ma said.
"Well, I guess I have time..." Pete took a moment to eye the straws in Max's paws and finally picked one. He drew the long straw. "Huh... lucky."
Timon suddenly came up to Pete and put his paws on his shoulders. "Please, Pete, nothing with me in it! Something about what happened after I left the colony!"
"Why shouldn't I remember something with you?"
"Chances are I end up embarrassing myself."
"Aww, but those are the best ones," Zuri grinned.
Timon glared at her slightly. "One of these days, I'm going to go to your mother and get some dirt on you."
"Mm. Is that a threat or a promise?"
Pete cleared his throat to get Timon's attention back. "That's pretty limited, pup."
Timon rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on! I was gone for two years! There must've been something that happened while I was gone!"
"Nothing interesting. We digged tunnels, hid from predators... You weren't around to mess up or break the tunnels, so life became pretty mundane."
Timon grimaced. "Well, unless someone can suggest something for him, pick a memory that isn't too embarrassing to me."
"Well--"
"Ooh, I know, I know! How about when Mrs. Ma and Uncle Max left to find Timon?" Pumbaa asked, wagging his tail a bit.
"Hmm... you two haven't told them about that, have you?" Pete asked Ma and Max, who both shook their heads. "All right. I guess I could share that memory then."
"Yay!"
Pete put the straw in his mouth and chewed on the end. "Since Timon left, the tunnel construction went without a hitch... uh, most of the time anyway..."
4 years ago...
"Panya!"
Ma poked her head out from under the dirt, dusting it out of her hair. She just brought down the south wall in the north wing. She received not angry stares, but concerned and... slightly annoyed looks. Pete went over and helped her up. "Are you OK?"
"Physically," Ma said.
"What's wrong? You're starting to turn into Timon," a meerkat said as he helped her to solid ground.
"Well, what's wrong with that? He is my son," Ma said, furrowing her brow and putting her paws on her hips.
"No offense, Panya, but he was delaying the proceedings of the tunnels. And ever since he left, you've been acting up in the tunnels. You're taking his place as the tunnel klutz."
"I'm sorry, but I can't help being worried about him. I asked him to send me a message and I haven't gotten anything yet."
"Typical son," Pete grinned, patting Ma on the shoulder.
Ma grabbed the front of his chest and pulled him down to her level. "Typical, what typical?! He could be dead, Pete!"
"Could be doesn't mean he is," Pete nervously chuckled as he pried Ma's paws off.
"Well, come on, let's fix this before Max shows up," a meerkat said as she walked away.
"Yeah, yeah, we heard ya." Pete stopped Ma from following the other meerkats. "Maybe tunnel digging is a little too stressful. Maybe you should go on sentry duty while we clean this up." He noticed Ma staring at him, and then he realized what he said. "Right. You're right. But you could at least get a little fresh air."
"Not a bad idea, I guess..." Ma said as she walked away.
Pete shook his head as he watched her leave. "Poor Panya. I guess if my accident-prone son left, I'd be worried, too." He went after the other meerkats to get to work repairing the wall.
Ma climbed out of the tunnel and inhaled the fresh air. She walked over to the rock and tree sentry point and climbed up onto the rock. She looked off in the direction Timon went a few days ago, and softly sighed. "I hope you're safe, Timmy."
Suddenly Rafiki popped up right in front of her. "Timmy?" Ma screamed, surprised. "Easy, easy, now. I am not attacking."
Ma put a paw to her chest and panted. She growled at Rafiki, "What are you doing then, besides scaring me out of my skin?"
"Was taking a walk. Thought Rafiki would stop for a chat."
"Rafiki? The baboon shaman of the Pride Lands?" The baboon bowed. Ma snorted, "There are better ways to get my attention than to give me a heart attack."
"No harm intended, but Rafiki can tell your heart does feel pain. From the loss of the king and prince of the Pride Lands?"
Ma sighed and sat down on the rock. "No. My son left the colony a few days ago and I haven't heard a word from him yet."
Rafiki leaned against his staff and nodded. "A typical son." He stroked his beard briefly, and then he paused. "So, he is a rogue now?"
Ma nodded, a bit ashamed, "Yes."
"Why did he leave?" Rafiki asked as he sat down next to the rock.
"He was having trouble fitting in. And he wanted to find a better life, where he wouldn't have to dig or hide from hyenas, and it wasn't here."
Rafiki stroked his beard again. "Life without worry."
"Yeah."
"This boy of yours... what is his name?"
"Timon."
"Timon. He has red hair, brown eyes, five stripes on his back, the middle stripe is wider than the other four..."
"Yes..."
"He sang a song describing what he wants--?"
"You mean you've seen him?!" Ma asked, jumping to her feet.
"I believe I have. He told me he wanted to live in a beautiful, carefree place that is outside, where he would not hide or worry."
"That's Timon, all right," Ma said as she rubbed her paws together. "Is he all right?"
"He was fine when I found him, although he was quite lost. He described where he wanted to go, so I told him he was seeking Hakuna Matata."
"Hahuna Ma-what-a?"
Rafiki chuckled, "It means 'no worries.'"
"I see..."
"So, I told the boy, 'to find Hakuna Matata, you must look beyond what you see.'"
Ma put a finger to her chin, understanding. "Oh... a metaphor." She reached over to grab Rafiki's staff, not paying attention to how heavy it was.
"Well, actually it's not a meta--" He yelped slightly when he was clocked on the head with his own staff.
Ma threw the staff aside and grabbed Rafiki's beard, pulling him down to her level. "You used a metaphor on Timon?! He takes things literally!" She released his beard and started to panic. "That's it! He's starving out there! I just know it!" She leaned over to a nearby tunnel entrance and yelled down into it. "Max, Timon's out there chasing metaphors! I've gotta go find him!"
Max's voice actually shook the ground as he yelled back from inside the hole, "Are you NUTS?!"
From inside the tunnel, the meerkats rubbed their ears at Max's scream. "A little louder, Max. I can still hear out of this ear," Pete growled, sticking his finger in his ear.
"I was just making sure she heard me," Max snorted.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Jersey heard you." He looked up at the opening. "She sounds serious." He looked at Max. "She shouldn't go alone."
"So go with her, Pete," Max said as he started to walk away.
Pete growled and grabbed Max by the shoulder. "What's the matter with you, Max? Are you just going to let your niece wonder the Pride Lands drawing attention to herself?"
"She's my niece by marriage."
"What about Timon?"
"... There must've been some mix-up when he was born. There's no way he can be my great-nephew!"
"Whether you like it or not, you and he are blood. Do you really want to lose him and Panya like you lost Buzz and Ti--?"
Present...
"Mmph?" Pete blinked when Ma slapped a paw over his mouth.
"Ix-nay, Pete," Ma said quietly through clenched teeth.
"What was that for?" Zuri asked.
"Yeah, I'd like to know myself. Would you mind telling me who's Ti or whoever it is Pete was saying?" Timon asked, scratching his head.
Pete pulled Ma's paw from his mouth. "You still haven't told him?" he whispered to her, furrowing his brow.
"What good would it do him if he knew he had a dead brother?" she whispered back.
"We don't know he's dead for sure."
"The odds that he's alive are a million to one."
"There's still a chance..."
"It's been six years. Even if Titus--"
"Titus?"
Both Ma and Pete jumped when they realized Timon had walked over and were listening in. "Did you say 'Titus'?" they both innocently asked.
"Yeah. Who is Titus?" Timon asked.
Pete gave Ma a look, to which Ma sighed. "... He was a meerkat we lost to hyenas when you were a pup. You wouldn't remember him," she said.
"Why not?"
"Because you were only three weeks old when he died."
Timon scratched his head, "Yeah, I guess it would be a little difficult to remember someone from that time. Did I know him?"
"... Yeah, you knew him. You were pretty close."
"Huh... too bad. Well, no use shedding tears on someone I don't remember, right?" Timon shrugged and then walked back over to Zuri, not noticing Pumbaa shaking his head disapprovingly at Ma. "I don't see why you wanted to keep it a secret from me, but then mothers know best, I guess."
"Heh... yeah," Ma shrugged, and then she noticed Pete drumming his fingers on his knee. "Sorry, Pete. Go ahead and finish."
"Thank you."
4 years ago...
"... Do you really want to lose him and Panya like you lost Buzz and Titus?"
"... If I leave, who's going to take care of things here?"
"We can do fine on our own. We've been trained by the best our whole lives. Now go on."
"All right, but if I don't survive this blind-leading-the-blind journey, Pete, I'm coming back to haunt you."
"Sure, go ahead. I could use new nightmares."
"Smart aleck pup..." Max mumbled as he climbed up to the surface.
"Just be careful out there..."
Max climbed to the top and looked around. He saw Ma walking off in the direction Timon went days before, so he climbed out and ran after her. "Panya!"
Ma stopped and looked back at him. "Uncle Max. I've made up my mind, so if you're here to talk me out of it--"
"Whether I like it or not, Timon is family, therefore I'm going with you."
"... You are?"
"Well, I wasn't going to let you go by yourself and draw attention to yourself. Besides, you need someone to help you dig tunnels to hide from predators."
"Oh, Max..."
"Yeah, yeah, enough with your emotions. Let's just go and find him." They both continued walking away.
Present...
"You mean you were looking for me for that whole two years I've been gone?" Timon asked his mother, a bit amazed.
"Talk about a dedicated mother," Zuri said.
"Well, you were all I had left, since your father died," Ma said, nodding.
"We searched most of southern Africa to find you," Uncle Max said.
"I guess we missed the oasis by a long shot."
"Safe bet."
"Well, it was fun, but I'd better get back to taking care of Jina," Pete said as he tossed the straw over to Max. "Be back later."
"Bye, Pete!" Pumbaa waved. He then looked back at the rest of the group. "OK, time for another memory!"
To be continued...