Maurice & Friends

The citizens of the Mara, both human and animal, seldom agree on much. One thing they do see eye to eye on is the small daughter of Sloane Simba and Caitlin Cougar. It is the consensus of opinion that she will be a raving beauty and break hearts in abundance. She is seen about with one parent or another at the ice cream bar at the Watering Hole Pub. Georgia Leander Simba, known as Georgy, has the lovely face of her mother who is a cougar and the sumptuous and lustrous hair of her father who has the hottest mane of any male lion in Kenya. Another agreed upon item is the notion that she will be a well adjusted tyke despite her divorced parents. Her parents dote on her. She sits sweetly in church with one of her parents of a Sunday. Her wardrobe is handmade and exquisite except she has her head about wardrobe choices. She sits quietly, pretending to read a small prayer book. Either Caitlin or Sloane pat her small leg as they pay attention to the Reverend Saul Serval and his ornate sermon. Some Sundays, she will attend with her father and grandmother, Leander Simba, who also pampers the young cub. Others, she will sit on her great uncle Bernard Cougar’s lap when she attends with her mother. At all times she is said to openly love both parents. While dining on ice cream and ham burgers with Caitlin, she will look into her mother’s face and place her small paw there. Doing the same with Sloane, she will contently run her paws through his thick mane. Life is probably very good for Georgy Simba and likely to get even better.

Sloane and his small daughter, Georgy Simba....

Betty and Shane boarded Simba One, the official 747. Once they were seated with their contingency of guards, the press entered. The members seated themselves where assigned. Finally the boarding was completed and the captain gave the signal for immediate take off. The huge engines began to whine. The Boeing 747 taxied to the runway for take off. Betty held tightly to her husband’s paw, these things making her nervous. The plane rolled across the tarmac at great speed and then was ascending into a heavy cloud bank. They emerged and banked north toward England. They were going to visit the Queen of England at her invitation. While there, Shane was to meet with Prime Minister Tony Blair. Merriment broke out on the plane once the seat belt lights were turned off. Shane and Betty went among the assembled reporters, greeting them.

Sloane Simba entered Shane’s office. He was there to meet with me and go over some matters of importance. Shane was in England. He spotted a large body on the floor. It was Tulip Tan working with a mess of cables.

“Your knickers are showing,” stated Sloane, having noticed the great expanse of white where the orangutan had sprawled with little modesty.

“Like ‘em?” she giggled.

“They’re not my type, Tulip. I’m sure they must be very comfortable though.”

“They are. What is your type, Sloane?” asked Tulip, heaving to her feet.

He was saved from answering that particular question by my sudden appearance. I know he must have been greatly relieved.

The opening of Chicago at the arts center was nothing short of spectacular. The crowd rose to its feet at the final curtain, throwing endless bouquets on the stage to honor the fabulous and very talented cast. It was a night of triumph for Chloe Cougar, Micah Mbube and Simone Serval. Chelsea Cheetah Cougar, who helped with the choreography, took a bow. I had designated that all the proceeds from the first night go toward funding the new HIV and AIDS wing of the Mental Health Center. I thought the cocktail dinner was especially enjoyable with delicious food overseen by Ossie Okapi’s son. Chloe was jubilant. Roy Lee attended with the pregnant Janice. Chloe seemed to be happily chatting with both her ex and his current wife. She was certainly on top of her game. She had two very successful plays under her belt as well as a string of popular films. I don’t doubt she can probably name her ticket. I noticed Chris Simba was Simone’s date. Caitlin Cougar attended alone. I noticed she took a quick powder when she spotted Steven Simba and his pregnant wife, Dina Myers Simba. Sloane attended with Caroline Cheetah. Micah Mbube was to be congratulated. He had aced his first musical role.

Betty and Shane were taken to Windsor Castle to enjoy four days with the Queen of England and her consort. Betty noticed that her majesty took to her husband. Betty made her own particular hit by horse back riding with the queen. Betty had ridden horses on an official visit to Morocco in the past. She was not a stranger to the sport. Shane declined, saying that horses probably wouldn’t like him. He neglected to say that they were no favorites of his either. It was a very successful meeting with Tony Blair and a wonderful and relaxing time spent with the royal couple. The ball was wonderful fun, Charles and Camilla being a part. Charles invited Betty and Shane to Clarence House to dine with his wife and him. Shane and Betty boarded Simba One in a very contented mood, knowing that they had been well received. They were more then pleased to be going home. In the hold of the 747 was a horse that was a gift from the Queen.

Betty, Prince Phillip, Shane and the Queen at the ball.....

The sisters Simba were in arrears these days. Shane’s presidency was not as bigger perquisite for his mother as she had thought it would be. She was not a constant visitor at the mansion or State House. Sarah Lee decided to ban Leander’s son, Steven, from her Sunday brunches. He had married that human that had made headlines with Shane. If she didn’t invite her own daughter, Tookie, to them, she wasn’t going to relax her rules for Leander’s boy. Leander was miffed at Sarah Lee’s attitude. In Leander’s mind this was a day of great change in Kenya and she didn’t mind at all going with the flow. Her main concern was her son, Sidney, his new wife and their ongoing drug problem. She had planted some shrubs in front of the trailer so it wouldn’t be so blatantly evident that the couple, living within, was slovenly. Her nephew and police chief, Bubba, had told her that as long as Sidney didn’t openly do drugs, sell them or buy them from a dealer who was easily apprehended, there was nothing he could do about the matter.

When Betty called Sarah Lee and asked if she could come over, the lioness was surprised. She made ready the house, baking scones and brewing a pot of tea. Leander was there when the door bell rang. Sarah Lee saw the official Rolls pulled into the drive with the Masai guard. She opened the door and gave her two time daughter-in-law a mechanical hug. Leander was about to rise to go when Betty stopped her.

“Please, Leander, I want you to stay if you will.”

The lioness sat down again.

“Betty, will you have tea?” inquired Sarah Lee.

“I’ll bet Betty would rather have a martini, Sarah Lee,” piped Leander.

Sarah Lee threw her sister a scowl for all seasons.

“That would be wonderful,” said Betty.

“You make it then, Leander. You’re the drunk around here,” snarled Sarah Lee.

Leander went to the kitchen and returned with a martini for Betty that would have peeled paint from the walls. Sarah Lee brought the scones. Finally they were settled in their respective seats and tuned in for whatever topic Betty had come for.

“Sarah Lee, I need to know about Shane’s litter mate that he led into the bush. I’m sorry to have to bring this up but it still has an effect on him,” said Betty.

Leander gave a loud hiccup and spilled a bit of martini on her sister’s sofa. She quickly swiped it with a large paw. Sarah Lee began to groan and cry loudly. Leander rolled her eyes and looked at Betty.

“Shane was just a little tyke. He sure as hell didn’t do it on purpose. It almost killed that little cub. Sarah Lee and Sean made such a thing about it,” growled Leander.

“Shut up, Leander, he wasn’t your cub. Shane took him out in the bush and got him killed by a hyena. Oh my poor little Solly,” moaned Sarah Lee.

Betty was beginning to think this visit was a major faux pas.

“Can you imagine the guilt a little cub would have being responsible for the death of his brother?” asked Betty.

“He is guilty. He led my baby in the bush and got him killed by a hyena. His dad didn’t like him anymore either. Shane was always getting in trouble. I had to punish him all the time.”

“Sarah Lee, Shane was your baby too. What if it had been him instead of Solly that the hyena killed? What then?” asked an aghast Betty.

“Good question, Betty,” egged on Leander.

“Solly weren’t no trouble. Shane always was,” sulked Sarah Lee.

“See, Betty, she never liked that boy. He always came to me for any mothering he got,” reported a defiant and proud Leander.

“Sarah Lee, I wish you could tell Shane you forgive him for that. I think it still bothers him. You two have a very thorny relationship and that’s why you’re not invited to the mansion. I’d like to see you two make it up.”

Sarah Lee rose from her chair with an expression of martyrdom that would have done Job proud. She went to her room and closed the door behind her.

“Betty, it’s no use. Sarah Lee never took to Shane and our husband was a shit head. I know you meant well coming here.”

“I think I did the wrong thing interfering, Leander.”

“Oh it won’t make any difference. Sarah Lee is a hard ass. She always was.”

“I wish you’d call me sometime, Leander. We would love to have you come to the mansion. Shane loves you so much.”

“I always loved Shane too. I hated the way his parents treated him. It was always Roy Lee, Bubba, Sam, Chris, Stuart and Sefu for Sarah. Shane got the short end of the stick. He was a roguish little devil but cute as an acorn. I took to him and he took to me. He used to suckle me when Sarah Lee wouldn’t let him at her teats.”

“He’s told me all about that, Leander,” said Betty, patting the lioness on the knee. “You will call?”

“I sure will, Betty. I’m glad you came. Maybe it’ll set her to thinking.”

Alexander Simba and his wife, Lucy Cougar Simba, were still at odds. Alexander would call his wife and beg a late night at the office. Then he would go to Cameron Caracal’s condo in the Salt Lick group and have a few stolen hours with her.

Since Shane Simba had coughed up the long suppressed memory of his litter mate’s death under hypnosis, he was feeling worlds better. He was jolly at home, laughing and joking with his children and wife. He seemed to be able to concentrate more on the problems of Kenya. His next excursion was a trip to settle a cattle dispute between two villages on Lake Turkana. This had been a quarrel of many years. Many government underlings had tried to soothe the ingrained and very hostile feelings and failed. Shane thought that as president, maybe he could make a difference. The train rail went the entire distance so he planned to take Betty with him. The children were back in school. Staci was in her last year before going to university. It had been established that she would go the same university as Arlon in London. She and Arlon filled the internet with excited emails on the subject.

Not having managed to land the married Micah Mbube, Chloe Cougar refocused on Sloane Simba. She drove at break neck speed to his house in the bush. Chloe had treated herself to a new Porsche. It ran like the wind and then some. She felt great this sunny morning. She rang his doorbell. The houseboy led her to the room where Sloane was working at his computer. He had a cup of coffee beside him. Smoke rose in slim vapors from his cigarette. He turned but didn’t unseat himself.

“I thought all my friends knew the cardinal rule, Chloe. I detest drop-ins.”

She put her arms around his neck and placed her chin on his head among the thickness of his truly incredible mane.

“Don’t be so grumpy,” she purred.

She ruffled his mane with her crimson tipped paws. He stood up.

“Another thing I detest is having my mane fluffed about. You’re hitting all the wrong notes this morning, Chloe.”

She followed him to the kitchen where he got another cup of coffee and offered her one.

“I’d rather have a Bloody Mary.”

“You might stay too long if I give you one of those. I’m truly working this morning. I’m working on a prospectus for my ministry. I can’t afford to be disturbed.”

“I’ll leave if you promise you’ll come to my place this afternoon or evening,” she chortled.

“Okay, you’ve got a bargain.”

Hours later, when the crimson son lay low over the savanna, he drove to Lyon Towers. He summoned the elevator. When it arrived, he stepped on and punched the floor that held Caroline Cheetah’s flat rather than the penthouse where Chloe dwelled on the opposite side of Simone Serval. Caroline answered the door and pulled him inside. She put her long, slender arms around him and held him close, kissing him. Little Shane, Jr. was napping in the room he shared with his full time nanny. Caroline made Sloane a drink. They went to her den and watched a bit of soccer before heading for their favorite spot – her bed. There they made love for many hours. They fell asleep so Sloane stayed the night, holding Caroline tightly. The next morning they arose, had a light breakfast and went to the State House together.