"He ain't heavy.  He's my brother."

							-- Anonymous boy

The fur rose in hackles along Togo's neck as he glared at his brother.  
"Idiot!  Why did you blame ME for it, Beebee??  Now Mom's mad at me, 
too!"
	"Hey, I didn't hear you complaining while we were sneaking up on 
her."  Kombi grinned smugly.  "Admit it, you enjoyed it."
	"Did NOT!"
	"Did too."
	"I did NOT, Kombi!  And Vianga laughed at me, too!  Why did you 
tell her about the song I was trying to make for her?!  It was a 
secret!"
	Kombi burst into fresh laughter.  "`Oh, Vivi,'" he said, eyes 
fluttering.  "`Your fur is like the sun to me, that sets my heart on 
fire!  Your eyes are like two sparkling pools that fill me with 
desire!'"
	Togo's vision doubled.  "SHUT UP!"  he cried suddenly.  "I HATE 
YOU!"  He buried his head under his paws, for a moment his sobbing the 
only sound in the shocked stillness.
	Kombi felt something stick in his throat.  "Well I hate you too, 
then!"  His chest hitched, and with a choked growl he swatted blindly at 
Togo.  A sudden flurry of paws exploded at him, and the two rolled about 
haphazardly, squealing and growling epithets that would have shocked 
their mother.
	A loud snarl ripped the air, and they separated abruptly.  
Sarafina stalked quickly toward them, her eyes flashing in anger.  "Stop 
it right now, you two!  What's going on here?"
	"Komb-b-bi's making f-f-un of me!"
	"He said he hated me, Aunt Fini!"
	"I DO hate you!"
	"ENOUGH!"  Sarafina shook her head.  "I've heard all I'm going to 
listen to of this.  You two apologize to each other."
	Togo's lip stuck out and he set his shoulders.  "No."
	Sarafina stared at him disbelievingly.  "What?!"
	"I'm sorry, Aunt Fini, I'm not being disrespectful...but I can't."  
Togo looked at Kombi venomously.  "I've had it with him.  He always 
makes fun of me when I say what I mean."
	"Oh yeah?  Well you always make me feel stupid with your fancy-
tail songs and poems." Kombi looked ready to burst into tears again.  
"You think you're better than me.  Well, you're not!"  He looked at 
Sarafina.  "I'll never apologize to him!  I swear!"
	"Don't say that."  The lioness sighed and lay down, motioning to 
them to approach.  They did, warily keeping her bulk between them as 
they drew close to her.  "I'd like to tell you two about two brothers 
who had the same problem."
	"N'ga and Sufa?"  Kombi made a face.  "I know about them already."
	"Me too."  Togo shook his head.  "We're not like them, Aunt Fini.  
We're SERIOUS."
	"And so were these brothers.  It is not N'ga and Sufa of whom I 
speak."  Sarafina settled back, remembering the long ago lioness who had 
held her in her paws and told her the story of two brothers who never 
forgave...	
	Duma and Obade were brothers and were fond of each other.  They 
had a sister, Asherati, by their father Jadi's remarriage.  Obade lusted 
after Asherati and went to great lengths to seduce her, though it was an 
unholy thing.  He finally forced her and she ran sobbing to her father.
	"Forced her?" Kombi asked.  "Forced her to do what?"
	"Something naughty," Fini said.  "Then King Jadi set out to punish 
Obade, but the punishment--that he would not be King after him but would 
defer to Duma seemed too weak a punishment to Duma.  Duma wanted blood.  
Duma argued with his father, but Jadi told him that the judgment was 
final and sufficient, and that in good lion fashion, he should forgive 
his brother.
	But Asherati kept inciting Duma to hate Obade.  "You must kill him 
to avenge my lost virginity."
	Togo shuddered, and crept close to his aunt, who laid a forepaw 
across his small shoulders, covering him in welcome warmth.  Kombi 
paused uncertainly, then did likewise on Sarafina's other side.
	"Oh, I get it!" Kombi said.  "Kind of like Taka and Elanna were 
doing the other night."
	"Kombi!"  Sarafina was all huffy.  "I ought to tell your mother!"
	"I was just passing by," he said.  "I mean, they were at the 
spring.  Anybody could have seen em.  Please don't tell Mom!  Please??"
	"Well, I guess we'll let it slide this time.  OK, I won't tell 
her.  Still, once you knew what was going on, I hope you didn't hang 
around."
	"Well, how was I supposed to know!  He was saying, `Come out, you 
naughty little bunny.  There's nowhere else to go."
	Sarafina began to giggle nervously.  "Naughty little bunnies??  
Don't you tell another living soul what you just told me, understand??"
	"I promise."
	"Uzuri is going to die.  She's just going to die!"
	"Please don't tell my mom!  You promised!"
	"Oh, that's right.  Darn it, I got the scoop of the year and I 
can't tell my own sister!"  She tried to regain her composure and go on 
with the story.  "Duma swore a mighty oath by Aiheu that he would avenge 
her.  Then Aiheu appeared suddenly from the clouds.  "What is this evil 
thing which you have done?"
	"And he was afraid but said, `Milk and mud are easily mixed, but 
once together, who shall separate them?  Thus is the oath mixed with my 
blood, and only spilling my blood can release me.'  
	"Aiheu rebuked him saying `I am the Lord who made the soil and 
made the mother's milk.  And to those I anoint comes the power to 
separate mud from milk, that they may also separate foolishness from 
righteousness.  What mother would vow to give her cub mud instead of 
milk?  How then shall you vow to slay your brother when it is evil?'"
	"But Asherati came to him day after day, rebuking him and accusing 
him of having no love nor courage.  "You must kill him to avenge my lost 
virginity!"
	"Duma plotted Obade's murder.  He lay in wait for him.  He 
successfully overwhelmed Obade and then as he was about to strike the 
fatal blow, Aiheu came to him angry and upbraided him.  "Did I not tell 
you this was an evil thing??"
	"He felt ashamed that he tried to kill his brother and begged 
Aiheu for mercy, which he received.
	"But Aiheu also upbraided Obade and told him that he was banished 
into the Big World there to be a rogue until he had learned forbearance 
and duty.
	"Obade went out into the Big World and he was gone for five years, 
the time of bitter wandering foretold by Aiheu.  Finally when he was 
allowed to return, gaunt and worn but much wiser, he found that his 
father was dead and Duma was King in the land.
	"'Much have I suffered, brother.  Much have I learned.  May I stay 
here?'
	"'You may live here, but so does the acacia tree and I do not love 
it nor do I speak to it when I pass.'
	Obade turned started to leave, but Duma wept and ran after him.  
"Do not listen to my words of anger, my brother!  I have lost my father, 
but my brother who was gone has returned again!"
	Sarafina fell silent, peering down at the two cubs under her paws.  
Togo and Kombi lay quiescent a moment, the raised their heads to gaze 
uncertainly at each other.
	"Kombi?  I'm sorry I said I hated you."
	"Me too.  I didn't mean it."  Kombi looked at his brother a long 
moment.  "Actually, I thought your poem was nice--actually."
	"Really?"
	"Yeah."
	Togo nuzzled forward under Sarafina's gentle weight and pawed his 
brother's cheek.  "Friends?"
	Kombi grinned and pawed Togo.  "Yeah."

Bookmark/Search this post with:

delicious | digg | reddit | newsvine | furl | google | yahoo | technorati