Userkaf.
Userkaf-he shared a name with a pharaoh who was ancient even then, but rest assured he was nothing of the sort-was, as I've said, Kawab's son and and Khuit's brother, making him My cousin. Unlike his younger sister, he was a rough-and-tumble violent child. Because of that, we got along well.
He was one of My most reliable playmates; I suppose I might have considered him My best friend, back in the days where friendship was made of proximity and play sessions. We would play Thief-and-guards, chasing games, hiding games, hunting games, finding games. We were around the same age at the time of his death. I'm sure the older one lorded it over the younger, but I can't remember who was who. H-heh, funny.
Despite that, I have few concrete memories of our time together. My father disliked him because he encouraged Me into mischief; My mother liked him because of their relation, I think.
Let Me think... Ah, right. He collected rocks. Not impressive, valuable minerals and gems like those our parents stole and traded-just rocks he'd find in the sand or elsewhere. He had one with the oddest imprint on it like a leaf-Userkaf called it the "plant made of rock" and said this proved rocks grew from the dirt the same way trees do. He bragged that he found it that way and claimed it was worth enough to feed us all for weeks, but everyone in Kul Elna knew he was lying and assumed he'd carved it himself. It would have been surprisingly intricate carving for a child, but what else could it be? People teased him, named him the Liar, mostly because of how often he talked about the damn rock he'd obviously made.
Thinking back-it must have been a fossil. Userkaf the Liar may not have been one after all.
Userkaf was a smart boy, and a tough one, and had a good sense of humor. Most of all, he was good company.
I remember his home nearly as well as My own back then, a small house that was too crowded for their family but that always seemed to have enough room for Me to stay as well. Uncle Kawab and his wife, Senetnedjmet, were generous people... Perhaps I'll write about them next.