"Grow old along with me.  The best is yet to be."

							-- Robert Burns

Once when Ugas was lying under the night sky, Uzuri his wife came 
alongside and laid next to him.  It was often her custom to leave the 
hunt when things were slow and she would not be missed.  She would spend 
those times next to her husband to feel his closeness and watch the 
stars proceeding overhead.
	"Look, it is The Brothers," she said.
	"That is easy to spot," Ugas said with a chuckle.
	"No, there is a significance to The Brothers.  They are your sons 
almost exactly.  Togo and Kombi were twins, and they have been trying at 
times."
	"Do they fight each other a lot?" Ugas said, worried.
	"No.  They are--well--high spirited.  In many ways they are like 
N'ga and Sufa."
	"A little high spirits won't do them any harm," Ugas said, draping 
a paw across her chest and feeling her heart beat.  "Just as long as 
they're not at each other's throats.  I picked one out for Togo and 
another for Kombi.  Amara is a little shy.  She would be perfect for 
Togo.  Togo is the shy one, isn't he?"
	"Yes."  She thought a moment.  "He got it from you."
	"Me, shy?"
	"About some things.  About things that mean a great deal to you."  
She rolled over and pawed his cheek softly.  "You're my shy little cub, 
and I want to hold you next to me and protect you from anyone who would 
hurt you."
	Ugas looked at her, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight.  "Protect 
me then.  Stay with me, Uzuri.  Bring our sons.  Please?"
	She gave him a slow, lingering kiss on the cheek.  "Soon, 
Darling."
	He rubbed his cheek with a paw.
	"You wiped off my kiss?"
	"It was an accident.  Now you'll have to replace it."
	She kissed him again, and he nuzzled her and cuddled her cheek 
with his paw.  
	"Tell me about N'ga and Sufa again."
	"You know that story so well."
	"I love to hear you tell it.  And I like to watch your mouth form 
those round little vowels when you say `Sufa.'"
	"Sufa?" she asked.
	"Ooooh, there you go again!"  He gave her a kiss.  "Precious 
little mouth, so deadly on the hunt but so wonderful to kiss!"
	She could never refuse him.  She rolled on her back and looked at 
The Brothers.  Their sparkle brought memories flooding back of her 
cubhood when her mother taught her about her heritage.
	"When Ramallah was ruler of a great kingdom, his wife Chakula 
conceived twin sons.  They were the brothers N'ga and Sufa of whom many 
stories are told.  So bold were N'ga and Sufa that even within their 
mother's body they would struggle, and she would eat herbs to dull the 
discomfort."
	She shoved him with a paw.  "Quit watching my vowels!"
	He grunted and shoved her back.  "Your consonants are kind of cute 
too."
	As soon as she could regain her composure, and he had stopped 
watching her mouth, she continued:
	"When time came for her to give birth, she called them N'ga and 
Sufa after the sun and moon, for they would chase each other as the sun 
chases the moon.  Though they often fought each other, their hearts were 
good and they walked with Aiheu.  Queen Chakula consulted the shamans 
about them, and was very happy and sad at once.  For they all agreed 
N'ga and Sufa would live happy yet short lives.  From that moment she 
was afraid to leave them with anyone but her sister Alba for she worried 
about them constantly."
	Ugas looked at Uzuri.  "I know how she felt."
	Uzuri kissed him.  "Don't worry, Darling."  She looked back at the 
stars and continued.  "Once when the Queen was aprowl, Alba took the 
cubs to her cave to sleep.  And that night the earth shook, and the 
entrance of the cave was sealed.  When Chakula returned, she found the 
rubble and tried to dig them out.  But all her efforts and all her 
mother's love was not enough to clear the entrance.  So the other 
lionesses took turns digging, and the work went on as the moon rose and 
the sun rose.  One, two, three days, then four days passed and still the 
cubs were beyond reach.  All hope had gone, and Chakula was left alone 
to dig, but she was faithful and kept working into the fifth day that 
she might see their bodies one last time.  She was sure this was the 
fulfillment of the prophesy.
	"On the fifth day, she opened a passage to the inside of the cave.  
And N'ga and Sufa emerged weak and unhurt.  Chakula wept with joy, and 
gave thanks to Aiheu.  But when she looked inside, her sister Alba lay 
dead.  Alba, who was not in her milk, had opened the deep veins of her 
arm and nursed the cubs with her own blood so they might survive.
	"Alba's body was dragged to the fields, but along the way where 
each drop of blood fell there grew a beautiful red flower which to this 
day is called Alba in her memory.  There is a medicine made from this 
plant called `the blood of mercy,' and it has great power to heal and 
instill gentleness.
	"N'ga and Sufa grew in power and size until one day they were 
ready to take a mate.  It was at this time a white lioness named 
Minshasa came into their kingdom, and N'ga and Sufa were both smitten 
with her great beauty and the powers she possessed.  
	"Their father Ramallah spoke with them, having seen the lioness 
and spoken with her.  `I have known this strange vision.  Minshasa, 
cloud white, borne upon the breast of the savanna like a dream of love.  
Who that bears the mane shall look upon her visage and remain unsmitten?  
Minshasa, the voice of tender longings.  Minshasa, beloved of the gods.  
Beware, my sons, her awful charms!  She is not of this world, and it is 
better that you choose among the daughters of Mamaan.'"
	Ugas' paw ran down her chest and ventured a bit too far down for 
casual grooming.  "Beware, my sons, her awful charms!"
	She popped his paw with hers.  "Do you want to hear this story or 
not?"
	"I'll be good," he said with an innocent smile.
	She gently fondled him.  "You good?  I'll believe it when I see 
it."
	"At least I'll listen."
	Uzuri smiled.  "Their father Ramallah spoke with them, having seen 
the lioness and spoken with her...."
	"You already said that part."
	"You got me so confused!"
	Ugas said, "It serves you right.  You have the same effect on me."  
He added, "Because they were both strong and determined...."
	Uzuri cleared her voice.  "Because they were both strong and 
determined, the brothers fought for five days and nights without sleep 
or food.  On the fifth day, they both collapsed in a deep sleep, and  
while they were unaware, Minshasa left to find Mano whom she married.  
And when N'ga and Sufa awoke, they felt sore and foolish and swore 
before Aiheu to end their days of fighting forever.  To seal their pact 
they prayed to Aiheu that neither should outlive the other to succeed 
his brother, but that both should die on the same day...."  
	Uzuri fell silent.  She was looking at Ugas and tears began to run 
down her face.
	"Uzuri, are you all right?"  Ugas looked into her pain-filled face 
and wiped the tears that streamed down her cheeks with his paw.  "Honey 
tree, speak to me!  Dear?  It's my age again, isn't it?"
	"You are handsome to me," she said.  "I will never stop wanting 
you just because you're older."
	"But my path grows short, and you don't want to grow old alone--I 
can understand that."  Ugas kissed her.  "If I can come back from the 
stars and comfort you, I will be there for you whenever you need me.  I 
swear it."
	"You're really very sweet," Uzuri said.  "That's one of the things 
I love about you."  She looked away solemnly for a moment, but added, 
"With all the glories of heaven, would you really come to me?"
	"Of course I would--you are my heaven and my earth.  But I'd be a 
lot better company if you'd come to me now.  I'd spoil you rotten every 
day and whisper a thousand loving names in your ear and paint your world 
with a thousand loving dreams."  He looked into her eyes, a hint of 
sadness in his large face.  "I wish this night could go on forever, but 
it won't.  Let's make the most of what path lies before us.  Uzuri, stay 
with me."
	"Soon, my love.  Soon."  She pillowed her head on his soft mane 
and closed her eyes.
	"What?  No end to the story?"
	"Mmmmm," she grunted, snuggling closer.  "N'ga died fighting a 
pack of wild dogs.  His brother had been napping, and when he found the 
body and grieved to death, thus fulfilling the vow."  She added, "Love 
can make you do strange things.  I never heard about N'ga or Sufa ever 
taking a mate or having cubs.  Maybe N'ga was all he had."
	In a moment, Ugas raised his head suddenly, dumping Uzuri to the 
ground with a thump.  "We have to get one thing straight, my dear.  I'll 
be very disappointed if you don't marry again."
	"What??"
	"When I'm gone, I expect you to follow your heart.  You're very 
beautiful, and you're also very young.  I wouldn't blame any lion for 
wanting you, and I wouldn't be jealous, as long as he treated you well.  
But God help him if he mistreats you!  You tell him I'll be watching him 
very closely."
	"I don't want to think about that."
	"Neither do I.  I'm not greedy--I don't want to live twice, for 
God has been good to me over this lifetime and I'm ready to see Aiheu 
face to face.  But I don't want you to be left alone, and I certainly 
don't want you to die young.  No, I want you to hunt your game and watch 
the sunrise.  I want you to get as much out of life as I have.  And I'd 
be grateful--truly grateful--to anyone who helps you do that.  You must 
not grieve too much for me.  Try to remember the good times we had--let 
them be happy memories."
	"Well, I'm glad you told me that.  Fact is, there's a rogue lion 
to the north.  He's handsome, young, and Isha tells me he's quite an 
accomplished lover."
	"Hey, wait for my body to cool off, for God's sake!"
	Uzuri laughed and kissed his cheek.  "I'm glad you're not the 
jealous type."  She rolled over, draped her paws over his chest and 
rubbed his soft mane.  Drawing near to his face with hers, she 
whispered, "Beloved."
	He reached up with a paw and gently rubbed her cheek.  "I love 
you, Uzuri.  Oh gods, girl, I wish I could see your face every morning.  
You could make my days begin!"

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