Maurice & Friends

Tulip Tan quickly became a source of great comfort to Betty Simba. Despite her fun loving exterior, the orangutan was a caring and compassionate female. She sensed immediately that Shane Simba was a piece of work who was venerated by his wife. What Betty missed and Tulip caught (especially working between our offices on the computers) was Shane’s fascination with Caroline Cheetah’s appearance. She would see his light eyes slide across the cheetah’s sleek form as she entered the office for consultations on press interviews and conferences. Tulip would recline, eschewing modesty, on the floor adapting a computer cable and exposing a great deal of white cotton underwear. From that vantage point she would watch the president’s interaction with his anchor. She would see his paw on Caroline when it wasn’t at all necessary. She would also note the bulge in his slacks while he was with Caroline. Tulip missed absolutely nothing.

Chris Simba, in his efforts to refurbish his lifestyle, inevitably ran into Tawny Tigeres one evening at the Watering Hole Pub. The towering tigress, that carried exuberance to a high art form, came to where he stood at the bar. Chris looked up into her green eyes so filled with joviality and was taken aback in a rather nice way. He bought her a drink. As he was rather smashed himself, things turned amorous and the couple returned to Chris’ apartment in Lyon Towers. Chris, never having made love to anything larger than his black leopardess and lioness ex-wives, was unaware of the athletic abilities of a tigress. That is until Tawny picked him up like so much flotsam and jetsam and slammed him against a wall. There she proceeded to give him a blow job such as he had never experienced in his entire life. He was just coming down from that high when he was lifted again and thrown on his bed. There she mounted him and rode for hours. The first two sessions were heady and mind blowing but after the third, Chris began to feel a certain amount of weariness. Apparently Tawny didn’t share his sense of fatigue. She continued, unabated, for hours even though the male beneath her felt he would pass out at times. He was unable to lift his head from the pillow as Tawny left his apartment with a cheeful and heartfelt goodbye. The next day when he tried to rise for work, he fell back onto his pillow and called in sick. He remained in bed the entire day and rest of the night. Some things, he reasoned, could just be too exciting to endure.

Chris meets Tawny in the pub....

However, Tawny Tigeres, although filling her recreational hours with other males, was focused on her boss – the very married Sam Simba. The more Tawny worked closely with Sam in court and the offices of Simba Brothers, the more she fell in love with the introverted litter mate of Shane Simba. Sam was beginning to rely more and more on Tawny as the one capable of the best legal finesse in the firm. Being a perfectionist, Sam admired the tight and concise law work that Tawny put forth.

Sam Simba, head of Simba Brothers law firm....

Lachlan had just finished his cheese cake when he decided to put Shane under hypnosis again. He was in the president’s office for one of his weekly sessions. Shane had been a successful hypnotic subject on all but the issue of his late wife, Catherine. For the life of him, Lachlan could not get the lion to remain in a trance when Catherine was brought up. He would jerk out of the hypnotic state at the least exploration of his feelings for and marriage to her. Lachlan was perplexed at this aspect of his work with Shane. He decided, today, to explore more deeply his childhood and the disturbed relationship with both of his parents. He put Shane under and took him to a time in his life as a cub. Slowly, Shane told of leading a litter mate into the high grasses. Shane had been an impish cub and loved to explore. This litter mate, unknown to Lachlan or anyone else, had been named Solly. He was a male. Shane had led Solly into exploration of a sort he enjoyed. This particular day, they had strayed further than usual. In the tall grasses lurked the greatest danger to a lion cub astray – a hyena. The hyena had grabbed Solly, allowing Shane to escape back to the pride. Shane came out of the trance with a great roar and moan. When he calmed down, Lachlan was able to get the details from him. There had only been the three cubs from that litter – Shane, Sam and Solly, whose full name was Solomon. Sarah Lee Simba had never forgiven Shane for leading Solly away from the pride that day. From the time the hyena’s jaws had destroyed his brother, Shane had been despised by his mother and father. Lachlan realized a great deal that day concerning our troubled young lion president. When Lachlan told me of this, that evening in our home, swearing me to confidence, I remembered Shane’s patience with Maude Hyena and marveled.

Caroline Cheetah didn’t know quite what to do with her newfound knowledge that she was in love with Sloane Simba. She certainly wasn’t going to mention it to him and risk ridicule or rejection. She decided that the best course of action was to be what he needed. Of course, being the individualist that she was, she wasn’t going to become what he wanted to her personal detriment. She was also aware that she could have Shane Simba anytime it was convenient for him. She held off on that avenue, not wanting to get pregnant again. Shane was infamous for neglecting birth control. It was not that she wasn’t attracted to Shane Simba still, but simply a matter of wanting to have Sloane in her life full time. Therefore, she sidestepped the potential advances from Shane in order to investigate the Sloane issues more fully.

Mildred and Lisa asked Betty to go on another AIDS trip with them. She consented. After all, she needed her outlets and it was a worthy cause and very good for a president’s wife and her image. She also enjoyed her times with the villagers and AIDS team. She announced her intentions to Shane who didn’t seem particularly perturbed by the news. It unnerved Betty that he didn’t seem to care where he had once made an issue. He was jovial at dinner that evening, having all sorts of discourse with his children, including a discussion of where Staci would attend university. Shane was more than amenable to her going to England as she wished. After dinner, they watched some television and then it was on to bed. He undressed and got in beside her.

“Fifi, you seem very distracted these days. If you aren’t happy, I wish you’d say something.”

“I’m very happy, Shane. I just feel that you have someone on your mind besides me.”

“Oh come on, Betty, there’s not anyone. I work all the time, who the hell would it be? There’s no one around and I’m seldom out of the State House unless I’m home with you.”

“There is Caroline,” she whispered.

He was silent for a few minutes and then, “You know how I feel about her, Betty.”

He rolled away from her to his side. In a few minutes his even breathing told its story. He was sound asleep.

The helicopter lifted slowly from its pad on the grounds of the State House. Betty could see Shane below, still waving her off. The helicopter made its droning way to the government airstrip where the plane awaited the group heading for central Kenya and three villages there. Already on the Lear propjet were Mildred Lyon, Lisa Lyon Leo, Linda Cougar and Dr. Juma Mnyama.

Caitlin Cougar insisted that Sloane Simba stay for a drink when he brought Georgy home from her weekend at his bush house. He complied but continually sought his watch as if he had something pressing to do.

“Sloane, I can’t believe that Steve has never come to visit Carlin. His check comes regularly but not his presence.”

“Caitlin, you did a certain amount of game playing with both of us. Now, I was no day at the beach but you had a good shot with Steve and screwed up.”

She was lost in thought for a few moments until she realized that he was rising to leave. She stood up and came to him throwing her arms around his slim waist. He removed them.

“No, Caitlin, I have no interest in you anymore. For a while I did, but no more.”

“Is there someone else?” Her green eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

“I think there just might be. However, I want no more mistakes so I have to take it slowly. I’ll see you weekend after next when I pick up Georgy. Please have her swimsuit packed. We’re going to Mombasa.”

Then he was out the door and bounding to his sports car. He drove off, peeling rubber as he went. Caitlin stood sadly at the door watching.

The village of Maralal was hot and dry as Betty and Juma made their way through a line of people waiting for medications and injections. Betty would hand the lion doctor swabs and fresh syringes as he worked inoculating the villagers against the AIDS virus. She would give him the various medications in bottles as the villagers came through. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the various huts sitting with AIDS mothers who were dying. Finally it was time for a sundowner. She and Juma reached the gathering place before the others. The bottles of liquor were there on the table. Juma poured theirs into tin cups. He sat down next to her placing his long legs on another chair.

“You look tired, Betty. It’s been a long day. As always, you have been outstanding help to me. I wish you weren’t the first lady – just a nurse and AIDS worker. Then you would be available to me constantly.”

Betty looked at his face with the golden lion eyes. They were unreadable. Mildred and Lisa approached and poured their own drinks then along came Linda. The five chatted about the day’s work until time to go to the supper tent. Betty noticed that Linda Cougar seemed very enamored of Juma. He was kind but didn’t seem to reciprocate. Settled in her tent, her cell phone rang just as she lay down on her cot. It was Shane.

Instead of the official helicopter waiting for her on the tarmac, the presidential Rolls with the Kenyan insignia sat nearby. At the foot of the stairs to welcome her was Shane. She got off after her Masai guard. He pulled her aside and held tightly to her as he also greeted Mildred, Lisa, Linda and Juma Mnyama. The others had their individual rides home. Larry Leo was there to pick up his wife, Lisa, and mother-in-law, Mildred. Juma and Linda went to a car waiting from the clinic. Shane held her close in the car on the way home. They ate a quiet dinner in their room, the children being with friends.

“Fifi, we need to do something special together. We are so busy these days we have to keep in touch with each other emotionally.”

“What do you have in mind, darling?”

“How about a visit to the Queen of England on her special invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace?”

“Oh, Shane, how wonderful. What an honor. When will that be?”

“In two weeks, Fifi. Get Janice to make you some special gown. She’s honoring us with a ball.”

“Oh, darling, that is so exciting.”

He was his old self that night. He held her closely as he slept after lovemaking that seemed more ardent than ever.

When Betty had her regular session with Lachlan at the Mental Health Clinic, she sat down and seemed very contented. They chatted initially with her divulging that Shane seemed to be back at himself since her return from the villages.

“Betty, I don’t know how kosher this is for me to tell but I think you should know this about Shane. It might help you shed some light on his personality.”

Betty drew in her breath in apprehension. Lachlan told her of the incident in his past when his brother had followed him to be killed by the hyena. He was detailed on the fact that from that day forward Shane had been hated by his parents.

“Has he ever told you of this, Betty?”

“Oh my God, Lachlan, how horrible. He has never mentioned a litter mate other than Sam. He has never told me this terrible thing. He has only told me his mother didn’t love him as she did Sam since he was a bad little cub.”

“I think I can understand him a little better – not much but every minuscule bit helps. Moreover, he was probably a cub like many others. This is the thing that caused the parental hatred. I will say this to you, Betty; no other animal understands what it is to grow up in a lion pride. A lot of the old males were horrific fathers. They were there just to insure their bloodline went on. Mine was a complete bastard.”

“Ashley turned around, Lachlan. When he met and married Leah, he did a complete about face.”

“Ashley and Shane are not even remotely like one another. You should know this- you married both. Ashley comes from a very doting mother and even handed, laid back dad. He had a wonderful childhood. Shane had anything but that. Shane is also infinitely more complicated than Ashley. I counseled Ashley once. He is pretty straight forward. They are both very smart males but I think intellectually, Shane has the more complicated, convoluted mind.”

“May I tell him you told me this, Lachlan? I don’t want to cause problems for you.”

“Yes, you can tell him this. He can only fire me, leaving me more spare time,” he laughed.

Over cognac in their room, Betty told Shane of what Lachlan had divulged. He stood up and went to the fire place. He was so quiet for a few minutes she was afraid she had caused a possible crisis by telling him. He turned facing her, his back to the dying flames. His eyes were wet as he spoke.

“I saw that damn hyena take him in her jaws. He was screaming as long as he could. She bit him in two. His cries stopped. I ran for the pride. I was so filled with horror…….”

He stopped for a moment in an attempt to control his emotions. He failed to do so. As he continued, the tears rolled down his face. Betty sat there staring at this husband she so adored, her mind reliving the horror with him.

“Mom was already looking for us. When I told her what had happened, she ran to find him. I followed her. There he was lying on the ground, bloodied and half devoured by the hyena. The hyenas were nearby. You could their maniacal laughter in the bush. They are such horrible and deadly animals. Mom just lay by his side, licking him and moaning the way lions do in the depths of their suffering. I just sat aside wishing it had been me instead of Solly.”

Betty got up and went to him. She threw her arms around his neck and drew his head down. There he wept for a long time. She stayed silent while he cried his grief into her. Later, in bed, he reached new levels of tenderness in his lovemaking.

Chloe Cougar and Micah Mbube were on the last leg of their rehearsals before the opening of the musical Chicago. Excitement was high at the arts center. The invitations and tickets were sold out at high prices. The Leoparde-Lyon Safari Clubs in Mombasa and the Mara were booked as were the Simba owned hotels. Gerald Giraffe worked with Chloe to get the last bit of plumpness from her already honed frame.

“Move your ass, miss bitch,” he would cry to the amusement of the others frequenting RUNNERS.

“Shut up, Gerald, I’m running as fast as I can.”

Chloe Cougar in the upcoming CHICAGO to play at the arts center......