V
Mother Above All Things
Simba led the others over the long slopes of Pride Rock, a trek that didn't pose as much a problem to Kamau. The lion was overwhelmed by his mother's reaction to him, and he began to wonder if he was some sort of mistake she was trying to cover up. Irregardless to him, all he wanted was to know something about his family, anything to satisfy this hunger for knowledge.
Noticing Kamau's solitude, Simba walked up to him. "You ok? You seem awfully quiet."
Kamau lifted his head quickly. "Oh I'm fine your Majesty, just a little tired from my travel."
Simba smiled. "Really, you don't need to call me 'your Majesty' or anything like that. I've never really gotten used to it. Just Simba is fine."
Kamau smiled and nodded. It was strange, from the minute he saw Simba, something had triggered his senses. He felt almost…familiar. But how? He had never seen this lion before in his life! But the strangeness…they seemed almost connected somehow in a way Kamau could not comprehend or place.
Simba also felt the strength of the bond. As he led Kamau to the base of Pride Rock to discuss certain matters, he squinted his vision as if searching his brain for some sign of familiarity. His walk, his talk, his personality, and his sense of kindness and understanding was something that Simba thought he knew somewhere, but couldn't place. But he had never seen this lion himself, apart from all the rogues that had passed through his lands every now and then. Then how did he know him?
It was a trek that took several minutes, the walk to the base. Simba calmly led the way, with Kamau following sharply behind him. When they reached the top, Simba gave him the nod to go ahead of him. Kamau did so, and the sight that befell him took his breath away. The vast size and quantity of the Pride Lands was greater at this distance than what he had seen on the ground. The lakes and creeks twinkled in the light of the setting sun and the birds flew past the mountaintops surrounding the fertile valley. The animals below them tended to their daily business, grateful for Simba's steady leadership and the abundance of food provided for them. It was a paradise that even in Yetunde's tales Kamau found hard to believe. He truly did have to see it to believe it.
"Everything the light touches…" they both whispered in unison.
Simba snapped his head to Kamau realizing what he'd just said along with him. Kamau did the same, whirling his head towards Simba.
"How did you know that?" Simba asked curiously. "It surprises me that a lion who never lived here would know that."
Kamau felt uneasy. "Erm, someone told it to me. I just never really believed it until now," he replied and quickly looked back out at the lands.
Simba smiled. He liked this lion. He had a calm way about him. He had more of a stride than a walk, and an ease that most lions did not possess. There was a light in his eye, as if he bore a secret that Simba could not place and perhaps would never know. Irregardless just his personality told Simba that there was nothing to fear from this lion.
"Can you tell me about yourself Kamau?" Simba asked trying to get down to business. He preferred to know at least something about his guests if they would be staying here. "If you don't want to tell me something, I respect your right to keep it private."
"There's not much to hide," Kamau replied as he turned from the sight to look at Simba. "I was adopted by a kind and wise lioness who took me on her travels with her as I was growing up. She told me everything there was to know about the gift of life and everything in it. I truly respected her. But as my mane began to grow, she was killed by hyenas, and I became a lone rogue. I stumbled upon many lands until now, when I arrived here."
Simba contemplated what Kamau had told him. "Do you know who your parents were? You say you were adopted."
Kamau looked away for a moment. He hated to lie to Simba, especially because he was a King. But more so because he was so kind and gentle. But Kamau did not want to shed the truth quite yet. He did not know how these lions might react if they found out that he was the son of one of their own. It seemed that nobody did know, and that Sarabi had kept it a secret. But also he was a rogue, and not brought up in the way of the pride. Besides, he didn't even know who his father was, and what would the pride think of that?
"I never knew my parents," Kamau replied simply.
Simba sighed. "Oh," he replied.
Kamau tried to change the subject. "How long have these lands been in your family?" he asked.
Simba smiled. "They go back about five generations. It started with my great-great grandfather King Maphunde. It was his son, King Mohatu that became the legendary King of our time and the first star of the Great Kings. He passed on the throne to King Ahadi, who in turn passed it on to my father, King Mufasa."
Kamau gathered what Simba had told him, quite intrigued and fascinated by the line of Kings. But something still stabbed at his side and he realized one King was conspicuously absent.
"Wasn't there another before you?" Kamau asked.
Simba glared at this. "Scar will never be recognized as a King. He murdered my father, the rightful King and attempted to kill me so he could have the throne."
Kamau nodded. Yetunde had not told him of Simba's destruction of Scar's legacy. He was right nonetheless however in doing so. Why should someone like that deserve royalty?
Simba sighed and motioned to descend the base. "I'm beat. I'm goin' to sleep early. You're more than welcome to join us in the den when you're ready to go to sleep."
Kamau smiled warmly at Simba's invitation. "Thank you Simba."
Simba nodded and turned to leave. "You wanna stay up here for a while?"
"If you don't mind."
Simba smiled and then made his way briskly down the slopes. Kamau sighed and looked away and felt that old ache begin to well in his heart once again. He pressed his eyelids shut as he thought of his mother. She was ashamed of him. He thought more and more of himself being an accident, a cub his mother truly hadn't wanted, and Yetunde had taken in. But then again, Yetunde had said only positive things about Sarabi, so he wondered why she acted that way. He watched the sun begin its descent, when he heard the soft padding of paws come up the base.
"K-Kamau?"
Kamau turned his head, and his eyes filled with tears to see Sarabi standing before him. He opened his mouth slightly as if to say something, but it only turned into an exhale as more tears escaped his eyes. Sarabi smiled at him as tears welled in her own eyes, looked at him with welcome eyes. She really did love him. She had just been afraid, he thought. His jaw trembled as she motioned her paw for him to come to her.
"Come here son," she said softly.
Kamau began to cry, and bounded over to her. He wrapped his paws around her and buried his face in her chest, crying pitifully. He'd found her. He'd found his mother.
She wrapped her own paws around him and licked his cheek. She then rested her chin over his head as he cried, letting her own tears escape to the ground, tears of joy for at last being reunited with her beautiful son. "Kamau my son…I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry," she whispered as she stroked his mane.
He just shook his head. "You do love me. You really do love me," he said between sobs as he remained buried in her fur. "I thought you didn't. I thought you didn't want me."
"I adore you Kamau," she replied. "I love you more than you'll ever know. I loved you the whole time you were growing up. I loved you even when I wasn't there. I'm so sorry Kamau. I only did what I thought was best."
Kamau finally released his hold and looked up at her, his face tear stained and plastered with emotion.
She smiled at him and put a hand on his cheek. "I think it's time we had a talk."
Kamau nodded as he wiped away his tears. "I think so too."
Sarabi sat next to him at the edge of the base where they remained in silence for a time. Kamau looked over at his mother and admired her. She was a well set lioness with a sense of pride he could see in her stance and in the glisten of her eyes. Her smile lit mountaintops, and he could just barely remember the warmth he felt from that smile when he was an infant. Sarabi finally broke the silence.
"Kamau, you have come alone. Where is Yetunde? I would very much like to speak with her."
Kamau looked away from Sarabi before replying, "Yetunde passed some time ago in a valley we roamed on our travels."
Sarabi sighed and let a tear escape to the ground. "May the gods rest her soul. I am truly indebted to her."
Kamau looked back at her and asked, "Can you tell me anything about yourself mother? About my family?"
Sarabi sighed and looked at him. "I'm what you call the life of this pride. I suppose you could say they look to me for guidance and understanding. I was born many years ago in this valley, the only child to my family. I loved my life. I loved the cubs I grew up with and the lions we came to be. Life seemed perfect for me. But then everything went down and all whom I loved I lost. The tyrannical ruler Scar was bloodthirsty and merciless, and I suffered above everyone else. When things went from bad to worse, I knew you could not stay with me if you were to even reach cubhood. That's why I gave you to Yetunde, in the hopes that you would find a better life. And by the looks of things, you did ok."
Kamau smiled and nuzzled her affectionately. Sarabi nuzzled him back before continuing.
"I suppose Kamau that it would be impossible for me to hide from you what family you have," Sarabi said as she sighed deeply.
Kamau waited.
"Growing up, I was betrothed to a wonderful lion, and that lion was destined to become King of the Pride Lands. I loved him deeply, and our love for eachother produced a healthy cub, our future King. All was lost when his brother Scar killed him and banished our cub. But our cub returned and regained the throne in the name of his father. His father Mufasa."
Kamau's eyes widened in shock as he tried to comprehend what Sarabi had just told him. "Y-you mean…Simba…Simba's my brother!?"
Sarabi nodded slightly. "Your half brother at least."
Kamau sat dumbfounded, and in complete disbelief. He was the King's half brother? It was unbelievable! That made him the Prince!
Kamau just stared at Sarabi for the longest time, yet Sarabi stared out into the plains, almost regretting what she'd told him. Kamau then understood.
"Simba doesn't know about me then…does he?"
Sarabi shook her head. "No. He has no idea that I had another child."
Kamau felt almost hurt. "Why?"
Sarabi opened her mouth to speak, when she heard a voice from behind her.
"Yeah mom, why didn't you tell me?"
Sarabi and Kamau whirled their heads around to see Simba standing there speechless, and in disbelief. He stared at Kamau, and the young lion felt a newfound horror as Simba asked the next question in the coldest voice he'd ever heard.
"Mother, who is his father?"
Simba led the others over the long slopes of Pride Rock, a trek that didn't pose as much a problem to Kamau. The lion was overwhelmed by his mother's reaction to him, and he began to wonder if he was some sort of mistake she was trying to cover up. Irregardless to him, all he wanted was to know something about his family, anything to satisfy this hunger for knowledge.
Noticing Kamau's solitude, Simba walked up to him. "You ok? You seem awfully quiet."
Kamau lifted his head quickly. "Oh I'm fine your Majesty, just a little tired from my travel."
Simba smiled. "Really, you don't need to call me 'your Majesty' or anything like that. I've never really gotten used to it. Just Simba is fine."
Kamau smiled and nodded. It was strange, from the minute he saw Simba, something had triggered his senses. He felt almost…familiar. But how? He had never seen this lion before in his life! But the strangeness…they seemed almost connected somehow in a way Kamau could not comprehend or place.
Simba also felt the strength of the bond. As he led Kamau to the base of Pride Rock to discuss certain matters, he squinted his vision as if searching his brain for some sign of familiarity. His walk, his talk, his personality, and his sense of kindness and understanding was something that Simba thought he knew somewhere, but couldn't place. But he had never seen this lion himself, apart from all the rogues that had passed through his lands every now and then. Then how did he know him?
It was a trek that took several minutes, the walk to the base. Simba calmly led the way, with Kamau following sharply behind him. When they reached the top, Simba gave him the nod to go ahead of him. Kamau did so, and the sight that befell him took his breath away. The vast size and quantity of the Pride Lands was greater at this distance than what he had seen on the ground. The lakes and creeks twinkled in the light of the setting sun and the birds flew past the mountaintops surrounding the fertile valley. The animals below them tended to their daily business, grateful for Simba's steady leadership and the abundance of food provided for them. It was a paradise that even in Yetunde's tales Kamau found hard to believe. He truly did have to see it to believe it.
"Everything the light touches…" they both whispered in unison.
Simba snapped his head to Kamau realizing what he'd just said along with him. Kamau did the same, whirling his head towards Simba.
"How did you know that?" Simba asked curiously. "It surprises me that a lion who never lived here would know that."
Kamau felt uneasy. "Erm, someone told it to me. I just never really believed it until now," he replied and quickly looked back out at the lands.
Simba smiled. He liked this lion. He had a calm way about him. He had more of a stride than a walk, and an ease that most lions did not possess. There was a light in his eye, as if he bore a secret that Simba could not place and perhaps would never know. Irregardless just his personality told Simba that there was nothing to fear from this lion.
"Can you tell me about yourself Kamau?" Simba asked trying to get down to business. He preferred to know at least something about his guests if they would be staying here. "If you don't want to tell me something, I respect your right to keep it private."
"There's not much to hide," Kamau replied as he turned from the sight to look at Simba. "I was adopted by a kind and wise lioness who took me on her travels with her as I was growing up. She told me everything there was to know about the gift of life and everything in it. I truly respected her. But as my mane began to grow, she was killed by hyenas, and I became a lone rogue. I stumbled upon many lands until now, when I arrived here."
Simba contemplated what Kamau had told him. "Do you know who your parents were? You say you were adopted."
Kamau looked away for a moment. He hated to lie to Simba, especially because he was a King. But more so because he was so kind and gentle. But Kamau did not want to shed the truth quite yet. He did not know how these lions might react if they found out that he was the son of one of their own. It seemed that nobody did know, and that Sarabi had kept it a secret. But also he was a rogue, and not brought up in the way of the pride. Besides, he didn't even know who his father was, and what would the pride think of that?
"I never knew my parents," Kamau replied simply.
Simba sighed. "Oh," he replied.
Kamau tried to change the subject. "How long have these lands been in your family?" he asked.
Simba smiled. "They go back about five generations. It started with my great-great grandfather King Maphunde. It was his son, King Mohatu that became the legendary King of our time and the first star of the Great Kings. He passed on the throne to King Ahadi, who in turn passed it on to my father, King Mufasa."
Kamau gathered what Simba had told him, quite intrigued and fascinated by the line of Kings. But something still stabbed at his side and he realized one King was conspicuously absent.
"Wasn't there another before you?" Kamau asked.
Simba glared at this. "Scar will never be recognized as a King. He murdered my father, the rightful King and attempted to kill me so he could have the throne."
Kamau nodded. Yetunde had not told him of Simba's destruction of Scar's legacy. He was right nonetheless however in doing so. Why should someone like that deserve royalty?
Simba sighed and motioned to descend the base. "I'm beat. I'm goin' to sleep early. You're more than welcome to join us in the den when you're ready to go to sleep."
Kamau smiled warmly at Simba's invitation. "Thank you Simba."
Simba nodded and turned to leave. "You wanna stay up here for a while?"
"If you don't mind."
Simba smiled and then made his way briskly down the slopes. Kamau sighed and looked away and felt that old ache begin to well in his heart once again. He pressed his eyelids shut as he thought of his mother. She was ashamed of him. He thought more and more of himself being an accident, a cub his mother truly hadn't wanted, and Yetunde had taken in. But then again, Yetunde had said only positive things about Sarabi, so he wondered why she acted that way. He watched the sun begin its descent, when he heard the soft padding of paws come up the base.
"K-Kamau?"
Kamau turned his head, and his eyes filled with tears to see Sarabi standing before him. He opened his mouth slightly as if to say something, but it only turned into an exhale as more tears escaped his eyes. Sarabi smiled at him as tears welled in her own eyes, looked at him with welcome eyes. She really did love him. She had just been afraid, he thought. His jaw trembled as she motioned her paw for him to come to her.
"Come here son," she said softly.
Kamau began to cry, and bounded over to her. He wrapped his paws around her and buried his face in her chest, crying pitifully. He'd found her. He'd found his mother.
She wrapped her own paws around him and licked his cheek. She then rested her chin over his head as he cried, letting her own tears escape to the ground, tears of joy for at last being reunited with her beautiful son. "Kamau my son…I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry," she whispered as she stroked his mane.
He just shook his head. "You do love me. You really do love me," he said between sobs as he remained buried in her fur. "I thought you didn't. I thought you didn't want me."
"I adore you Kamau," she replied. "I love you more than you'll ever know. I loved you the whole time you were growing up. I loved you even when I wasn't there. I'm so sorry Kamau. I only did what I thought was best."
Kamau finally released his hold and looked up at her, his face tear stained and plastered with emotion.
She smiled at him and put a hand on his cheek. "I think it's time we had a talk."
Kamau nodded as he wiped away his tears. "I think so too."
Sarabi sat next to him at the edge of the base where they remained in silence for a time. Kamau looked over at his mother and admired her. She was a well set lioness with a sense of pride he could see in her stance and in the glisten of her eyes. Her smile lit mountaintops, and he could just barely remember the warmth he felt from that smile when he was an infant. Sarabi finally broke the silence.
"Kamau, you have come alone. Where is Yetunde? I would very much like to speak with her."
Kamau looked away from Sarabi before replying, "Yetunde passed some time ago in a valley we roamed on our travels."
Sarabi sighed and let a tear escape to the ground. "May the gods rest her soul. I am truly indebted to her."
Kamau looked back at her and asked, "Can you tell me anything about yourself mother? About my family?"
Sarabi sighed and looked at him. "I'm what you call the life of this pride. I suppose you could say they look to me for guidance and understanding. I was born many years ago in this valley, the only child to my family. I loved my life. I loved the cubs I grew up with and the lions we came to be. Life seemed perfect for me. But then everything went down and all whom I loved I lost. The tyrannical ruler Scar was bloodthirsty and merciless, and I suffered above everyone else. When things went from bad to worse, I knew you could not stay with me if you were to even reach cubhood. That's why I gave you to Yetunde, in the hopes that you would find a better life. And by the looks of things, you did ok."
Kamau smiled and nuzzled her affectionately. Sarabi nuzzled him back before continuing.
"I suppose Kamau that it would be impossible for me to hide from you what family you have," Sarabi said as she sighed deeply.
Kamau waited.
"Growing up, I was betrothed to a wonderful lion, and that lion was destined to become King of the Pride Lands. I loved him deeply, and our love for eachother produced a healthy cub, our future King. All was lost when his brother Scar killed him and banished our cub. But our cub returned and regained the throne in the name of his father. His father Mufasa."
Kamau's eyes widened in shock as he tried to comprehend what Sarabi had just told him. "Y-you mean…Simba…Simba's my brother!?"
Sarabi nodded slightly. "Your half brother at least."
Kamau sat dumbfounded, and in complete disbelief. He was the King's half brother? It was unbelievable! That made him the Prince!
Kamau just stared at Sarabi for the longest time, yet Sarabi stared out into the plains, almost regretting what she'd told him. Kamau then understood.
"Simba doesn't know about me then…does he?"
Sarabi shook her head. "No. He has no idea that I had another child."
Kamau felt almost hurt. "Why?"
Sarabi opened her mouth to speak, when she heard a voice from behind her.
"Yeah mom, why didn't you tell me?"
Sarabi and Kamau whirled their heads around to see Simba standing there speechless, and in disbelief. He stared at Kamau, and the young lion felt a newfound horror as Simba asked the next question in the coldest voice he'd ever heard.
"Mother, who is his father?"