“Don’t be so dramatic.”
“Hey you, listen to me! Avina was every bit as good as you, but gods, the horror of her face, the horror! I’ll never forget that face as long as I live! I can see that happening to you. I have nightmares about it!” He put his arms around her neck and waited a moment for his heart to stop pounding. Then he took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and began to speak to her fatherly. “I know we all have to die sometime, but I don’t want you to be frightened and in pain when you die. I don’t want you gasping out your life with your ribs stove in like Beesa’s.” He kissed her on the cheek and gave her a pat. “When the time comes, I’d want you to lay your head in my lap and drift away quietly. I would give you something for your pain. Then I would wait for Minshasa to come for us. I want it said that they found us together.” Rafiki turned away quickly, wiping his eyes. “I’ll get your Garu root now.”
“Rafiki?”
The mandrill did not turn around. He began soaking the Garu root in water. “I’ll just be a moment.”
“Rafiki, if you think it’s best for Makaka that I step down, I’ll do it. You are the person to train him, and I can’t be selfish and spoil his chances. And Misha would make a fine hunt mistress. I’m sure I could talk her into it.”
Rafiki took in a deep breath and let it out. “Please, Uzuri?”
“I’ll do it. For Makaka.”
“Oh thank God!” Rafiki bent over and began to cry uncontrollably. “Thank God! Thank God!”
Uzuri quietly stalked over and nuzzled him.
CHAPTER: THE FOUR OF US
Uzuri, having pledged to take care of Elanna, is playing with Makaka when suddenly Makaka says, "We're being watched." They are by the baobab at the time.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Uzuri."
"Where are they?"
"It's a lioness. I don't know her, but she knows you. It's coming from...." He began to scan a small region of brush and trees at the edge of the savanna. As if she knew the jig was up, Elanna came stalking out into the open.
"Lannie! I thought you were dead!" Uzuri started forward.
"Don't hurt me!" Elanna said, starting backward.
"Hon, I won't hurt you. I'm your friend, remember?"
"Well, I was hoping you wouldn't hurt me." She came toward Uzuri and nuzzled her desperately, "Oh Uzuri, I've been so alone!"
"Not any more, dear. Not any more."
"But I can't come back. The others--they hate me. I just know it. They'll never let me stay." She started to cry. "Uzuri, I don't know what to do! I've been alone for the longest time. I can't stand it anymore! I tried to join Mabongo's pride but his wife is insanely jealous. She tried to kill me!"
"Oh honey tree!" Uzuri nuzzled her again.
“It was in the hunt. She said it was an accident, but I know better! I almost ended up like Avina!”
"Poor thing!” She stroked Elanna’s cheek with her paw. “You remember my sons Togo and Kombi, don't you?"
"Yes. How are they?"
"Well Kombi's a king and Togo's his Prince Consort." Uzuri smiled. "Their father died, but his death gave them a new life. Life is like the wind--if you don't like the way it's blowing, wait and it will change." She kissed Elanna's cheek. "They will be glad to take you in, my dear."
"Really?"
"Yes, and you could have a fresh start...." She frowned. "No! Your home is here, and you're going to come home where you belong."
"But they all hate me. They'll never forgive me for marrying Taka."
"I think they will. Don't you want to see your sister Sarabi again?"
"Oh gods, I'd give anything to see her. But it will never work!"
"I don't want you give anything--just the effort to trust me and come back. Give it a try."
"But facing all of them alone...."
"You're not alone. I will be with you."
"Why are you so good to me?"
"Because I love you, and because I promised Taka that I would look after you the way you asked me to look after him."
"How is he? What happened to him?"
"He died like a real lion. You would have been proud of him."
"You are good, Uzuri. So good to me. If it's the two of us, I will give it a try. It can't hurt."
"The three of us," Makaka said.
"The four of us," Rafiki said. Rafiki threw his arms around Elanna's strong neck. "First Simba came back from death. Now my Lannie. God has been generous."
Bravely, hopefully, the four friends headed for Pride Rock.
THE EPILOGUE
Makaka looked anxiously toward the mouth of the cave. He was not used to being excluded from Uzuri’s presence, but Uzuri had a few words for Rafiki alone. And since she was so old and in such pain, Makaka was used to granting her every whim whenever possible. Later he planned to pour out many things from his heart--that is, if he could figure out where to begin.
Her last bout with fever had not been going well, and he resented every moment he could not spend by her side. Anasa tried to comfort her husband as well as she could, but though she was an accomplished shaman in her own right, she could not work miracles. And she thought it would take a miracle to bring the smile back to his face.
Gur’bruk and Kambra came to the cave, and they were allowed in at once. Rafiki ushered them in as if they were expected, but asked Makaka to be patient a while longer. Makaka went back to Anasa with a light flush of anger clouding his eyes.
Inside the cave, Rafiki sat bent over with age. In his lap was Uzuri’s head. She was too old and sick to pretend anymore, and when Rafiki put his hand down to stroke her cheek, she took his fingertips in her mouth and gave them a gentle squeeze between her teeth. Tears welled up in Rafiki’s eyes.
“Gur’bruk, Kambra, would you stand over there for a while?” Uzuri said hoarsely. “Be polite and don’t listen in, OK?”
The hyenas nodded respectfully and went to sit in the corner. Uzuri looked at Rafiki. “Honey Tree?”
“Yes, my dear?”
A tear began to roll down her cheek. “It must be hard to love someone the way you loved me and feel so helpless.”
“What?”
“Don’t pretend with me. A female knows these things, whether she’s a mandrill or a lioness.” A smile came to her face. “I thought you were such a fool, wanting to die with me. I didn’t understand then. You weren’t foolish at all. You were just in love.”
“You can’t die, Honey Tree. You mustn’t think of dying.”
“Now you ARE being a fool.” She coughed so hard that her whole body shook. “Don’t worry, my dear friend. Death is but a doorway to the world of Ka, and we will go through the door together. I’ll wait for you in the east. Then we’ll be together forever.”
“Forever,” Rafiki said, his tears splashing on her soft cheek. “That’s a long time to put up with me.”
“I’ve had practice.” She coughed again, this time weaker. “Maybe we won’t be so different on the other side.”
“How are you feeling, old girl? Did the herbs help you any?”
“I can’t tell,” she gasped. Her face clouded with pain. “No, they didn’t! Do you have anything stronger?”
Rafiki looked up helplessly. “Kambra? Gur’bruk?”
Old Gur'bruk came and looked deeply into her eyes. “What color are my eyes?”
“Don’t you know?”
“Come on, Uzuri. What color are they?”
“Well...hazel. No, brownish green...or green. Yes, green. Or is it the light in here? Now they look blue.”
“Blue?”
“Yes. Sky blue. No, there are clouds and...it's the sky!”
Rafiki stroked her head lovingly. “The sky?”
“Yes! I can see the clouds move!”
Gur’bruk smiled. “Are there birds in the sky, dear?”
“A red bird. Can you see him, Rafiki?”
“Yes.” He wiped away his tears quickly and began to fondle her shoulder and arm while there was still time.
“That red bird is your pain,” Gur’bruk. “It’s flying away. Can you feel it flying away? Getting less and less?”
“Yes.” Her jaw trembled. "Yes, it's going. Thank the gods, it's finally going. It's finally....oh look, it’s Ugas! Ugas! My beloved has come back for me! He’s come back for...." Her breath went out.
Gur’bruk looks up, heartbroken. “Rafiki....”
“I know.” The mandrill touched Gur’bruk’s cheek and fondled Kambra’s neck. “I need a moment alone with her. Please give me that, but don’t tell Makaka she’s dead. I want to tell him myself.”
Gur’bruk found Makaka still sitting anxiously at the mouth of the cave waiting for some word on her condition.
“How is she?”
“Resting peacefully,” Gur’bruk said.
“Well, is she going to be all right?”
Kambra nuzzled Makaka. “Ask Rafiki. But I wouldn’t go in there just yet--he’s very busy.” She slinked off with Gur’bruk, anxious to be clear of the cave before the tears started.
Makaka turned to Anasa. “I know Rafiki was close to her, but so was I. Tell me if I’m wrong, but I think I ought to be in there. I mean, those two got in.”
“They came to help,” Anasa said firmly. “You should show them respect.”
“I’m sorry.” He hugged her. “I don’t know what I’d do if she died. Really, I don’t.”
Meanwhile, Rafiki swept Uzuri’s eyes closed and gently sealed them with a small drop of Dwe’dwe resin. “You must look good, old girl. Your son is coming for a last look-see.”
He pushed her claws back in and smoothed her ears back. He gently put her tongue back between her teeth and lifted her jaw, bracing it up with an arm so that she looked asleep. Then from the locket around his neck he took some silverleaf and rubbed it between his hands, stroking it lovingly into her fur along with his tears. “I want you to smell nice, old girl. I wish I’d had jasmine--it was Penda’s favorite. There now, you look presentable.”
Suddenly he began to sob. “Oh gods, you were always beautiful to me!” He grabbed her paw, giving it a squeeze, kissing it and holding it to his cheek. “Uzuri, my beautiful Uzuri! Remember when we first met? How young we were? Soon we’ll both be fresh and new, my beloved. Your shoulder won’t be stiff anymore.” He laid her paw down and gently ran his fingertips over her bad shoulder. “I bet half the time it wasn’t even hurting, you little trickster. You just wanted my attention.” Tears coursed down his cheeks. “I didn’t mind it one bit. Not one bit. We had an understanding, you and I.”
Makaka sat in anticipation for several more minutes, but loyally he had not moved a single inch. Nor would he if it took days.
“Rafiki?” he called. “Can I come in now? Will she see me?”
The old mandrill came out of the cave. He had a relieved look on his face, and Makaka breathed a sigh. “Good news?”
Rafiki said, “Yes. No more pain. It’s over.”
“Over so soon? You’re a genius, Rafiki! How did you do it?”
Seeing that Makaka did not understand, Rafiki said, “It’s over. Over for good.”
“Over?” Makaka pushed past him and ran into the cave. “Mother? Mother??”
In the dark, he encountered Uzuri’s still warm body. Instinctively he knew the truth. “Oh Gods!” He fell on her body, stroking her neck and kissing her still face. “Mother! Oh Gods! Don’t leave me! Come back, Mother! Don’t leave me!”
Makaka felt the familiar hand of Rafiki on his shoulder. “Son, it was her time. She lived a long life. She was happy. She was loved. You should remember the good she did and be glad.”
Makaka looked around at him in the dark. “How can you say that like it was nothing? I thought you loved her as much as I did! I thought she was your friend!”
Rafiki looked at him, a soft smile on his face and a light in his eyes that made his plain face absolutely beautiful. “Maybe I know something that you don’t. Maybe your mother isn’t out there somewhere.” He patted his chest. “Maybe she’s right in here.”
Tears flooded Makaka’s eyes and he took the frail mandrill in his arms. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“I know.”
“I have a father too. I love him and I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings.”
“You keep talking like that and I WILL cry.” Rafiki kissed him on the cheek. “I must go now, Makaka my son. You stay here with your mother and pray over her, then you get Misha and Swala to help you move her. You’ll also want them to tell the pride sisters and the King.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going on a journey. I had to delay it because of Uzuri, but now I can’t wait any longer. Take care of yourself, my son. You’re in charge till I get back. That might be a very long time.”
Rafiki left the cave without looking back. He didn’t want Makaka to know it was the last time they would meet in this world.
Anasa was waiting for him. “Does he know yet?”
“No. And just you remember what we discussed.” Rafiki kissed her cheek. “Wait until the next full moon, then tell him that Zazu found me by Elephant Kopje.”
She ran her fingertips around Rafiki’s eye and touched him beneath the chin. “Aiheu abamami.”
“Aiheu abamami,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it. “No tears now. You must be strong for his sake. Watch over him for me. And remember, not a word.” Rafiki took the locket of Mano’s fur and placed it around her neck. “Give this to him later. I won’t need it where I’m going.”
The old mandrill took up his staff and turned toward the east. He looked ahead, not at the trees or even the horizon, but beyond the sun and moon where Minshasa waited for him.
Come gentle night, stealing through the rushes;
The sun is sinking lower in the sky,
Stars wink in amid the azure heavens
And I can feel that God is very nigh.
My path grows short, home is drawing nearer;
Soon I will be laying down to rest.
Do not mourn, for it is Aiheu calling
And I will find a place among the blessed.
THE END: UNDER THE ACACIAS
LEGAL NOTE:
This original copyrighted work is based on Walt Disney's feature film, "The Lion King." Elements taken directly from “The Lion King” are the property of The Walt Disney Company. "Under the Broad Acacias" is distributed free of charge excepting reasonable distribution costs. Quoting passages from our work, writing original pieces based on our work, or using characters we created is fine as long as you secure prior approval. That begins by sending either of us a copy of the work.
Our e-mail addresses are:
John H. Burkitt: john.burkitt@nashville.com
David A. Morris:damorris@wilmington.net
Your comments on our work, pro and con, are always welcome.
This story is a fictional work, but we don’t claim that any resemblance to any characters living or dead is purely coincidental. With love and respect, we acknowledge the debt we owe to those who taught us how to laugh and cry. Without acting as clear models for any one character, many great souls, some non-human, have been woven deeply into the fabric of our lives only to end up in “Under the Acacias.”
