CHAPTER 59:  UZURI AND MAKAKA

	Uzuri came to think of Makaka almost as her own cub.  She looked 
after him, gave Rafiki loads of unsolicited advice on taking care of 
him, and every chance she got she mothered him.  Makaka responded in 
kind.  In fact, he practically worshipped her.
	That's why she ended up telling him stories of the old times, of 
the gods and the customs.  Because from her came the undiluted leonine 
viewpoint.  She was the authority after all, being somewhat fond of her 
culture.  Rafiki contented himself with teaching Makaka the ceremonial  
and pharmacological arts.
	Once when Uzuri was talking with Makaka, she told him about 
tracks.  "When they are close, an animal was moving slowly.  When far 
apart, it was moving quickly.  How deep they are tells you how heavy the 
animal is.  Even sometimes if it is male or female.  The point is you 
can tell much about an animal from the tracks it leaves.  If you would 
know about Aiheu, look at his tracks.  He has marked this land and 
everyone in it.  When I look at you, I see his wisdom and beauty, so I 
have no excuse for ignorance of God."
	Makaka kissed her.  He yawned, tired from a long time listening to 
stories.  Snuggling down, he curled up with her as a pillow for his 
head.  Uzuri tenderly draped her paw over the child.  Rafiki came 
looking for him and found him asleep next to Uzuri.
	"Be very quiet," she said.  "He's asleep.  A little too much 
folklore, I suppose."
	"If he doesn't learn his herb medicine, it will be all your 
fault."  Rafiki was being friendly, but a little reproachful.
	"If he doesn't have love, his medicine will have no heart."
	"Well met," Rafiki said with an approving nod.  He knelt down by 
her and said quietly, "The boy needs a mother.  I try to care for him, 
but I cannot be a mother."
	"He must eat with you.  I know nothing about such things."
	"Agreed.  That and his herbal lore.  All else I give you.  
Frankly, I envy the child."
	"I can see that.  He has powers I can feel, but not understand."
	"Not the powers," Rafiki said.  He tugged at his chin whiskers.  
"Sometimes old Rafiki gets sad and feels sick inside.  I don't want to 
be young again, but I long to feel my mother's kind arms around me.  No 
one else made me feel that safe and contented--except you."
	Uzuri looked at him with her soft eyes and gently purred.

CHAPTER 60:  TURN BACK THE SUN

	Makaka looked with great interest at the paintings inside the 
baobab tree.  "What's that?  It looks like an eye."
	"That's the eye of Aiheu, watching out for us."
	"Look at those monkeys.  That's you and me, and who's this?"
	"Well, that's me, but this is my wife and here is my daughter."
	"Where are they?"
	Rafiki drew his fingertips across the picture.  "They're in heaven 
with God."
	"You miss them?"
	"All the time."  He reached into a small hollow and pulled out a 
carved wooden ball.  "This belonged to my daughter.  Her name was 
Penda."
	Makaka handled the ball.  A strange look came over his face.  
"Whether it's a boy or a girl, it will be beloved."
	"I always suspected you could read markers."   He handed Makaka 
Asumini's digging stick.
	Makaka ran his fingers over it.  "Jasmine does not do well in 
direct sunlight."  He fingered the point and a pained look came over his 
face, and not because he pricked himself.  He began to cry.  "Give me 
back my daughter!  Oh gods, don't let it kill her!  Metutu, help us!"
	He began gasping.  He was having an asthma attack.  Rafiki grabbed 
away the stick and looked for Chi'pim.  A few deep breaths of the 
strong, musky odor settled Makaka.  But it took a long time of holding 
him close to stop his tears.  "Oh my precious boy!  Such a kind little 
heart!"
	There would be no more experimenting with markers that day.  In 
fact to be safe there were no more lessons in medicine or ceremonies.  
Rafiki sent Makaka to Uzuri to listen to her stories.
	Makaka loved her.  In fact, his love for her was so deep that it 
surprised those who saw them together.  And Uzuri returned that love.  
It was clear that they were for all practical purposes mother and son.
	The grief Makaka felt passed, and soon he was joking with her, 
trying to catch the tuft on her tail, and having a good time.  Uzuri 
found that she did not have to tell stories to keep his attention, 
though they enjoyed listening to the tales of long ago.
	One story of Uzuri happened not so long ago.  She chose it out of 
love.
	"Once there was a mandrill named Metutu.  That meant `plain one' 
for his face was not very beautiful nor was it very ugly.  But inside he 
had a great beauty that was plain to anyone who looked with the heart.
	"He came from a place far away in the forest to this very rock.  
Queen Akase was going to be a mother to twin sons, but she woke one 
morning in great pain and fever.  Her friends told her that she would 
not have her sons.  In fact, she was so sick they thought she would die.  
Then along came Metutu who looked at the sadness of Akase and her 
husband King Ahadi.  And he decided that he must save the mother and her 
two cubs no matter what.
	"He walked under the stars of night and prayed hard with his face 
to the ground.  And an angel came and brought him magic herbs that would 
save Akase and her cubs.
	"King Ahadi was so grateful that he kissed Metutu and gave him a 
new name.  Now he's called Rafiki, which means friend."
	Makaka smiled.  "Tell me about Asumini and Penda."
	Uzuri looked a little upset, but she checked her emotions.  "I 
didn't know them for very long, but they were both good people.  Maybe 
if you ask your Uncle about the leopardess he threw nuts at, he might 
smile.  That's when you can get him to talk."
	"The leopardess?  Is that a funny story?"
	"Yes, and worse, it's true!  You'll embarrass him, but at least he 
won't cry."
	Makaka yawned and stretched.  It was time for his nap, something 
he coveted every second of snuggled against her soft fur.  His eyes 
looked up and he saw Uzuri turn to look back.  His warm smile had the 
usual effect of starting a bath, something he always enjoyed more than 
Togo and Kombi ever did.  Makaka took nothing for granted, and he found 
the joy in everything he did.  But he felt suddenly as if something was 
wrong.  Very wrong.  
	"Uzuri, stop!"
	"What's wrong?"
	"I'm not sure, but I have to see Rafiki."
	"You're just having a panic attack."
	"No, it's real.  I'm sure."  He kisses her.  "I'll be back, I 
promise!"
	With his heart in his mouth, he ran as fast as his short legs 
would carry him across the broad savanna.  Gasping for air, he was 
heedless of snakes, a flock of noisy guinea fowl, or even a vulture 
picking at a carcass.
	Worn down, he finally stumbles into the baobab.  "Rafiki!  Come 
quick!  I need your help!"
	Rafiki was lying on the floor, curled up in a ball.
	"Rafiki, wake up!"  He shakes the limp mandrill, but there is no 
response.  "Wake up!  For the Gods' sake!"  Begins to panic.  He grabs 
an owl quill.  Holding the tip in front of his nose, the shaft did not 
twitch.  He held the small tuft of down fluff on the base of the feather 
in front of his nostrils.  There was a very slight stirring.
	Makaka went to the door.  "Uzuri!  Anybody!  Help!  Can anyone 
hear me??  Oh gods, can anyone hear me??"
	He began to sob.  "Don't leave me, Uncle!  Don't leave me!"  There 
was a gourd of Bonewort lying shattered beside him.  It was his usual 
medication--it had never affected him that way before.  He held up some 
of the herbs.  There was something else in there as well.  A small 
strand of a brighter green that he could not recognize.  Rafiki had 
evidently poisoned himself, but with what, Makaka had no idea.
	"Oh gods, please help us!  Aiheu, if you can hear me, please don't 
let him die!  Please!"
	Makaka realized he nearly spent his nap time blissfully curled up 
on Uzuri's side.  He fell over Rafiki and began to sob again.  He knew 
he'd never put the herbs in the gourds himself.  Though he gathered 
herbs, Rafiki always checked them before he put them in the gourds.  He 
racked his brains for one small hint of what to do.  He tried to stop 
crying, but he couldn't.  "Oh gods, please help us!"  Makaka's breathing 
began to be labored.  His stress had triggered an asthma attack.
	"Not now!"  He had to keep his courage up and fight it if Rafiki 
was to live.  
	Makaka bowed his head to the ground.  "Mano, protect him!  
Minshasa, comfort him!  Aiheu, save him!  Please, if you can hear me, 
somebody help him!"
	The wind shifted unexpectedly from the North to the West.  The 
smell of wild honey came wafting into the baobab tree.  As he breathed 
in the fragrance deeply, he relaxed.  It opened his lungs, numbed his 
pain and made him very calm, collected.  His hands began to glow softly.
	"Who are you?  What are you?  What are you doing to me?"  Makaka 
took in another deep breath of the honey fragrance and let it out 
slowly.  With that breath, his fear leaked out.  He took his hands and 
for lack of other ideas tried placing them on Rafiki.  A tingling went 
out through his fingertips and palms.  He felt like strength was flowing 
into Rafiki.
	Rafiki took in a sudden gasp.  His eyes popped open.  "What 
happened?"
	Makaka grabbed him about the neck and hugged him so tightly that 
he almost choked.
	Rafiki kissed him.  "I had left my body.  I was floating above, 
looking down on myself.  I remember saying, `Oh gods, send my Makaka to 
help me.'  And you came.  Somehow I knew you'd come."


CHAPTER 61:  MAKAKA'S COOL PERIOD

	Makaka was anxious to play with someone roughly his own size.  
While Togo and Kombi were not quite his size, at least they played 
roughly.
	"Hey, fellows!" Makaka said.
	"Yo, Makaka.  Wanna play?"
	"Gee, that would be swell!"
	Togo looked at Kombi.  "Is he speaking in simian?"
	"I don't think so.  We have a serious problem here."
	Kombi felt of Makaka's forehead.  "Stick out your tongue, Master 
Makaka."
	"Aaaah."
	"Now belch!"
	"Buuurrrrrp!"
	Kombi said, "Uhhh!  Gross!  I love it!  There's hope."
	Togo shook his head.  "I'm not so sure.  Walk around, Makaka."
	Worriedly, Makaka paced back and forth.  He watched Togo's long 
face.  "What's wrong with the way I walk?"
	"That's not walking, it's just going from place to place.  We have 
to perscribe some therepy.  It's the only humane thing to do."
	Kombi put his paw on Makaka's shoulder and gave it a reassuring 
pat.  "Leave it to the doctor.  He'll clue you in."
	Togo stretched, letting his claws snap out full length, then 
yawned.  "OK, first of all, I want four in the floor!"
	"Drop down," Kombi said.
	"Now do like this."  He started forward with a syncopated slide.  
"A one and a two and a one-two-three.  If you wanna be cool, gotta walk 
like me.  Keep your chin turned up and maintain your pace, or your not 
really walkin, you're just a changin your place."
	Makaka put his heart into it.  "A one and a two and a one-two-
three!"
	"More bounce," Kombi said.  "Keep a slinky slide that's the mark 
of the pride.  Oh baby, you're cookin now!"
	"Gee!  This feels swell!"
	Togo abruptly stopped and Makaka ran right into him.  "Let's do 
something about that `swell' thing!  This is a full-blown cultural 
emergency!"
	Kombi said, "Repeat after me.  Cooool!"
	"Cooool!"
	"All right!"
	"All right!"
	Kombi began to smile.  "Can you dig it!"
	"Can you dig it!"
	"He learns fast!"  Kombi said, "This one takes real effort."  He 
held up his paw and, being quick on the uptake, Makaka high-fived him.
	"How does that feel, ape dude??"
	"Gee, it feels swell!"
	Kombi shot Togo a pained glance.  "I hate to see the little guy 
suffer.  Cancel all my other appointments."
	Meanwhile, Togo and Kombi's mother was getting her stiff shoulder 
rubbed by Rafiki.  Uzuri half closed her eyes and purred as the 
mandrill's skilled hands massaged the pain away.
	"Today Makaka ground his own Campa root," Rafiki said.  "You know, 
that boy is headed for great things.  When I was his age, I was out 
playing with my friends.  He's probably saying his morning prayers right 
now."
	"I don't know about that," Uzuri said.  "Children have to be 
children.  They're not just small adults.  I give him love--and that's 
not to say that you don't--and you give him wisdom.  But he needs to get 
out and play.  And I don't mean alone.  He needs to learn from other 
young and growing minds.  He needs to burn off excess energy.  He needs 
to have a life."
	"And you don't think he has one?"
	"I didn't say that.  I only meant that everyone needs to do some 
service, but they all have to be served too.  Makaka is a child.  He 
needs a childhood."
	Rafiki put his hands under Uzuri's ears and began to rub in little 
circles.  She purred again, closing her eyes.  "Oh yes!" she murmured.
	"You make a valid point, old girl.  Maybe I forget sometimes how 
it felt to be young.  Do you think the cubs would accept him?"
	"All right!" Kombi shouted.  "We've created another masterpiece!"
	"Too cool!" Togo answered.
	"Just gotta get with the program," Makaka said, slinking about 
with a swaggering flip of his tail.  "Cool isn't a thing, it's a way of 
life."
	"It just gets me right here," Togo said, patting his chest.  
"Another soul snatched from the jaws of utter geek-dom."
	Later that day Rafiki returned, tired but refreshed by his time 
with Uzuri.  "Hello, Makaka."
	"Yo, daddy-o."
	"Huh?"
	"You look beat, dude.  Why don't you chill while I raid the 
pantry."
	"Chill?"  He watched the way Makaka slinked to the cache of fruit.  
"Is there something wrong with your legs?"
	"Man, my dogs are barking!  You know what they say--sometimes 
life's a...."
	Rafiki clapped his hand over Makaka's mouth.  "TOGO!!  KOMBI!!"

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