Much to Linda Cougar’s chagrin, not to mention Bop Boon who owned the condo, Steven and Sidney Simba backed out of the lease and rented a bungalow on the savanna that was bounded by much land, encircled with trees and approached by a winding drive.  They moved in lock stock and barrel and proceeded to party hardy.  There were wild squeals, grunts and roars of orgiastic pleasure to be heard during the late night hours.  It was hastily dubbed the Simba Fuck Farm by the locals.  Glenda Gorilla even made illusion to this on her weekly entertainment broadcast.  Alexander, who was quite envious of his brother’s sexual freedom, grew harried at the fact that their eyes were red and bleary most mornings after a night of orgies.  But being availed of the Simba brains as well as sex drives, they never missed their mark on law cases assigned them.  Sloane, growing close to them once more, decided to vacate his rental in Lyon Towers and move in with his brothers.  Sloane, Alexander, Steven and Sidney were all litter mates.  The first evening that Sloane brought Caitlin, his now avowed fiancée to the home, she was horrified.  She walked among his brethren and was very sensitive.

 “The testosterone level in this house is almost obscene, Sloane.  I don’t think you’re ready for marriage.  Let’s talk when you are,” she snarled.

 “Caitlin, you’ll see what I’m about,” said Sloane, holding her tightly. 

 She pulled away before answering.  “I am sure I will.  Let me go, Sloane.”

 He did and she wept numerous tears. But Caitlin Cougar was from a taut and very moral mountain lion family in the American Rockies.  She knew what she did not need as well as what she did.  Her father sent her more funds and she rented a place in Lyon Towers, the one Sloane had vacated.  It seemed more secure.  It had a lovely balcony and she would watch the sunset over the African savanna.  When Sloane came to seek her at her old place, a new tenant was there.  He had no idea of Caitlin’s location. 

            The pride’s initial benefactor, Roy Lee Simba, was getting multiple vibes of a negative nature. He paid his half brothers a visit one evening.  Sloane, Steven and Sidney were engaged in a big dating scene with the real signs of an approaching orgy.  Roy Lee accepted several drinks in a hail fellow well met manner.  Then he kicked ass.  He announced to the room full of brethren and female pulchritude. 

 “I am the one that with back breaking work and early hours, not to mention the sacrifice of a marriage with a female I adored, provided the money for your educations and the upgrade for the pride.  You will not send the pride back into squalor with your out of control larking about.  I mean this,” he said, stubbing his cigarette and walking out.  The sobered brothers looked at one another in a culpable manner.  Roy Lee Simba was known to be the savior of his pride and was one whose voice spelled real authority.  From the time they were cubs their mother’s had hailed Roy Lee as the one who provided them with all needs and education.  They knew when Roy Lee blew the whistle they had better get on deck.    

            Shane was going into the Christmas season in a state of depression.  Not only had he heard the vibes of his half brother’s shenanigans but he was still in arrears with his beloved daughter, Staci.  Betty was slightly fed up. 

 “Shane, why don’t you give everyone a break and emerge from the doom and gloom?”

 “Staci barely speaks to me, Betty,” he groaned. 

 She snapped.

 “Grow up, Shane.  If you behave disreputably shit happens.  You should know this.  God knows, you’ve done it often enough.  You should be familiar with the consequences.”

 “You sound very angry yourself, Betty.  I don’t think it’s just Staci,” he said coming up behind her and putting his arms around her waist. 

 “I suppose I am.  It seemed as if we had such a miraculous situation and then you proceeded to dust it.”

 Immediately she regretted what she had said and turned around to face him. 

 “I am so sorry, Shane.  I shouldn’t have said that.  I have told you that we’re moving past all of this.”

 “Betty, I can understand your rage because I have it toward myself.  But I can’t take any of this back.  I just hope Caroline will have her damn kid soon and we can really get past this.”

 “There’s another letter today.  You’re having a son with her, Shane.” 

“And I suppose you think that’s the apex of romance for her to have my son? I don’t, Betty.  It’s just a child that I didn’t want, to me.  That’s all it is or ever will be. Psychologically, I’m having nothing with Caroline Cheetah.”

 Betty helped Staci with her homework while Shane watched the David Letterman Show on satellite TV.  Then they were in bed with the lights off smoking their cigarettes.  Betty was far to the side of the bed.  He pulled her toward him.

 “Betty, don’t let this drag us apart.  I made a terrible mistake but believe me, it will never happen again,” he groaned into her ear. 

 “Oh, Shane, I love you so much my darling,” she cried. 

 “Let’s take the children to Nairobi and do some Christmas shopping this weekend.  Stay in a great hotel and have fun,” he suggested.

 “I think they will love that, Darling.”

            Roy Lee’s main source of joy these days was his renewal of romance with his ex-wife, Janice Jaguar Gorilla.  Chloe Cougar Simba was taking shopping trips to Paris and London with her dear friends, the gay leopards who starred with her in Some Like It Hot and are under contract to Baboon-Simba Studios.  She didn’t mind leaving their newest litter, Tarek and Lucretia, to the nannies and gadding about.  Chloe, Roy Lee, Bop Boon and Old Scar were starting rehearsals for the new film, The Paradine Case.  They were to begin filming after Christmas.

           Bop Boon has always been an aggressive sexual predator where male lions are concerned.  I must add that there has not been a terrific amount of success with the exception of the comic book reading bush pilot, Trey Tembo.  Bop, to do a quick go over, was married to Lawrence’s brother.  They divorced over his affair with the farcical Willie Warthog.  I heard that he has moved to Paris, leaving the delights of the Mara behind him.  Bop kept the wonderful home on Leoparde Drive that she had built with her film monies. 

             Bop is a female baboon of acidic moods and tempers.  She first brought herself to the attentions of those in the Masai Mara when she went to the still unmarried Sefu Simba’s condo and attacked him physically for spurning her attentions.  Bertram discovered her for the movies. Having been a lap dancer at Tony’s Disco, she was grateful for the upgrade.   

             She felt it very keenly that the two new Simba brothers had backed out of leases on two Watering Hole Condos owned by her.   She accosted them in the pub one evening, taking note of their good looks. 

 “I’m Bop Boon and you just broke leases on two condos I own,” she began.  “What do you have to say to me about that?”

 She adopted a stance midway between coy and aggravated.  Steven and Sidney were a bit perplexed and, quite frankly, wanted to make it brief with what they considered a very unattractive female in their faces.  Bop had other plans. 

 “We don’t plan to do anything about it.   I believe we paid the first month’s rent which was the penalty, so why are you standing here?” asked Steven Simba. 

 “Aren’t you going to invite me to sit down for a drink?” she asked, putting a hand to her rather fuzzy hair. 

 “No, we’re not,” stated Sidney. “We’re waiting for our dates, so please, if you have no further business, let’s conclude this conversation.”

 “You shit!” she screeched, causing diners and drinkers to swivel many a curious neck in their direction. “I guess you think you’re too good for a baboon.”

 “That’s right, sister, we don’t do apes,” snarled Steven, who had had quite enough of this enraged creature.

 “There IS one Simba that does apes and he is pretty high in government.  You’d do well to follow his example.  I am a film star,” screamed Bop. 

 At that moment, the brothers were saved by the arrival of Dr. Carey Caracal and Linda Cougar.  They put money on the table and hastened out with the females.  Bop screeched all the way to the door. 
 

            Sloane Simba was not very happy about the state of affairs with Caitlin Cougar.  He went to the offices of the Masai Mara Daily and found Jane, the lioness there. 

 “Can you tell me where Caitlin moved, please, Jane?  I really want to see her.  We were engaged very briefly.”

 “She told me, Sloane.  Caitlin comes from a very stable American family and she’s not going to involve herself with someone she knows, instinctively, will hurt her.  She may cry her eyes out but she is a very wise young female.” 

“I love her, Jane,” declared Sloane. 

 “Are you really ready to settle down, Sloane?  From what Caitlin told me, it didn’t seem that you were.”

 “Just please let me know where she moved.”

 “I’ll give you a hint.  You left there when you moved in with your brothers to the Simba Fuck Farm,” laughed Jane.

 Where did you get that name?” asked the horrified Sloane. 

 “All the locals call the place you rented by that name.”

 “Oh, no wonder Caitlin was upset.  Thanks for the info, Jane.  She obviously moved into my place in Lyon Towers.”

            Shane and Betty took Arlon, Staci and Sean to Nairobi for the weekend.  They went to the five stars Stanley Hotel off of Kenyatta Boulevard.  The group was able to stay together, having booked two major suites.  The first afternoon was spent shopping in the new boutiques that abounded in Ralph Lyon’s upwardly mobile Kenya.  Staci even put her arm around her father’s waist as they walked along, flanked by the Masai guards.  Betty and Shane had agreed that they would focus on his disillusioned daughter.  Later, the children were taken by the guards to shop for their Christmas gifts that were to be secrets from Betty and Shane.  At dinner, they ate together in the lovely dining room of the hotel.  Staci and Arlon had heard of Carnivores and wanted to dine there.  The next evening they took the group to enjoy the marvelous feast of meat dishes offered by that famous restaurant and disco.  Unseen by Shane or Betty, Maggie Gordon sat with her farmer beau at a far booth and watched sadly, the new family Shane had created. 

Betty and Shane dine in the Stanley Hotel in Nairobi……

            The weekend proved to be healing for the family.  They returned Sunday afternoon with a renewed sense of pleasure.  Staci came to her father in his study and putting her arms around his neck, said: “I will always love you so much, Daddy.  I’m sorry I’ve been so terrible lately.”

 “I deserved it, Staci. Believe me this kind of thing will never happen again with me,” he promised, giving his daughter a kiss on her nose.

 “Just keep your guards with you all the time, Daddy,” giggled Staci. 

 "That was bad, Staci,” he laughed, as she left the room. 

            Sloane rang the doorbell to Caitlin’s apartment in Lyon Towers.  She opened the door and was about to close it again but he pushed his way inside. 

 “Please, talk to me, Caitlin.  We need to talk.”

 “There’s nothing more to say, Sloane.  Who told you where I lived?”

 “I got the information on the net with a lawyer’s program,” he lied to protect Jane. 

 “I don’t want to see you anymore, Sloane.  It’s just too painful.”

 “If where I am living upsets you, Caitlin, I can move somewhere else.  I know you don’t like my brothers.”

 “It’s not that, Sloane.  They just seem to be all about parties, drinking and sex and you moving in with them says the same for you.”

 “Caitlin, please.  I do want to marry you.”

 “No, Sloane.  I would get hurt badly.  I know I would.”

 “Can you just give me a chance to prove myself to you? It’s hardly fair to judge me before you even know what the fuck I’ll do,” he shouted. 

 “Okay, what if I do?  What’s the next step?  Do I join you and your brothers for evenings in the Simba brothel?  Tell me, Sloane, I want to know.”

 “I will move out, Caitlin.  I can find another place to live.”

 “Just stay there with them but don’t expect me to join you there.  We can start dating again and give it a try.  But we won’t be engaged.”

 “Whatever turns your cranks, Caitlin,” he almost snarled. 

 “You are so filled with arrogance, Sloane.  I just can’t see you making a decent husband.”

 “This is really going well.  I come to ask you to marry me and you seem like your ancestors must have looked when they were hunting antelope or whatever they hunt in that neck of the woods.”

 “White tail deer.”

 “White tailed what?”

 “I knew you would catch the word tail, Sloane.”

 “Oh give it a break, Caitlin.”

            The evening of Sylvia and Bernard Cougar’s youth oriented party was clear and warm.  Their walled garden was filled with small lanterns hung in the many trees that overhung the area.  The short rains had freshened the many flowering shrubs and blossoms planted in urns and rock enhanced beds.  The fragrances mingled to create a potpourri of tropical scents.  Lachlan and I had been invited so we could, most probably, entertain the hosts.  Caitlin’s requested guest, Micah Mbube, came with his squeeze Christine Cheetah.  This would have been more upsetting if Caitlin had not been ensconced, once again, with Sloane Simba.  The two new Simba males, Steven and Sidney came bearing good wines for their hosts.  Sylvia feeling sorry for her dear friends’ daughter, Caroline Cheetah, invited her.  Ashley and Leah Lyon, although firmly wed, were invited so the point of the evening wouldn’t wax too obvious.  Daniel Lyon arrived sans date with Ashley and Leah.  Steve and Sid Simba could be said to have made a hit.  Linda already knew them carnally as did Dr. Carey Caracal who had been invited.  The one that hadn’t made them yet was Caroline Cheetah.  Since Daniel Lyon was not going to fall in her bed again, she zeroed in on Sid and Steve.  Caroline, being long and lean of form, showed no signs of pregnancy yet.  She looked gorgeous and went home with Sid. 

             Later when the guest had departed, leaving Lachlan and me with Sylvia and Bernard, we laughed about the outcome of the party.  Linda already knew the Simba lads and Caitlin, instead of getting hot and heavy with Micah, was glued to Sloane Simba all evening.  Daniel Lyon had gone off with Janice Jaguar’s niece.