"Mom, I came to speak with you," he tentatively began, taking note of the lioness’ look of suspicion. The same one he had seen from his brother, Chris, just four days ago.

"Shane, what on earth is it?" asked Sarah Lee. After all this was one of her children and though remote as they were with one another, a mother still loved. And Shane looked very shaky and tenuous.

"Mom, I think I need to mend some fences with the pride. It needs to start with you. Will you let me do that?"

She heard the sadness in his voice and the aging lioness’ heart melted.

"Sit down, Son, I’ll get the girl to bring you some Scotch," she said, patting the sofa that she sat on.

Shane took a seat next to his mother. His voice wavered and at times trembled but he said many things to her that needed to be said. She listened and listened well. The girl came bearing a tray with a bottle of Scotch, a glass and cup of steaming tea for Sarah Lee. She noticed Shane’s hands shook as he poured another Scotch.

"Shane, bring your wife to see me. It’s time I met her."

Shane began to cry which caused the same thing in his mother. The two lions, mother and son, sat with their arms about each other for quite a while just absorbing and experiencing the joy of release that freed their souls from this terrible breach that had held them in its vise.

Shane and his mother, Sarah Lee Simba.....

The sun was shining brightly as Shane left his mother’s home, she seeing him to the front stoop where his car sat waiting with the guards and driver. It had been raining when he arrived. This was a good omen. He gave his mother a hug.

"I will come for you this weekend. You can have dinner with us and get to know Alex."

"I will be waiting for you, Son."

As they pulled slowly from the drive way, one Masai guard spoke up.

"Rais Simba, you look happy now," he said.

"I am happy, Abeeku....It seems I have my mother back," answered Shane.

"That is a good thing, Rais. The mother lioness is very protective of her young."

"I’m not terribly young, Abeeku, in case you haven’t noticed," laughed Shane.

"You are still a cub in your mother’s eyes, Rais. You will always be that."

    Another surprise was waiting for Shane when he reached the mansion that afternoon late. He entered the main drawing room and found his brother, Roy Lee sitting on the couch with Alexandra. Roy Lee put down his drink and came to hug his brother. The two stood there for a while still engaged in a warm embrace.

"Mom told me you came to see her today. She was so happy, Shane. It meant the world to her and I know she has her ‘ways’. Far from perfect is our mother," laughed Roy Lee.

"It felt good from my end too, Roy Lee."

"Oh by the way, since I seem to be the intermediary and switchboard operator for the pride, Chris called me and told me of his session with you too. I told him how shitty I thought that was---the things he said to you. Little Bro, none of those hold true. No one else shares his views," said Roy Lee clicking his glass to Shane’s.

"Thanks for saying that, Roy Lee. It was hard to hear but it did make me think and that’s why I visited Mom. Some good comes of these moments after all."

"You are doing a great job for Kenya and I think you and Lewis Lyon make a great team as long as you don’t get his pride to adopt you. We Simbas need you, Little Bro."

       Juma Mnyama gave a great heave and rolled off of Leah Simba. She was at his house on the river and in his bed after a dinner date. He got up, made himself another Scotch and brought it back to bed.

"What happened to you and Trevor? I suppose I should have asked before I made a date with you," he said, giving her breasts a massage with his new hands.

"Why don’t I turn the tables on you and ask about your defunct marriage to my cousin, Staci," inquired Leah, taking his dick in her hand.

"I thought you Simbas were in each other’s pockets and knew everything there was to know about the pride business."

"No, that’s not the case. If you have Trevor’s snotty attitude about my pride, perhaps we should stop this relationship right now before it goes any further," she stated.

Her green eyes were fiery and her boobs rose and fell in agitation.

He sat up and propped his head against a pillow and began to chuckle. This irritated Leah.

"Are we embarking on a relationship, Leah?" His tawny eyes held amusement and a degree of mockery.

"The ball is in your court but if you continue this haughty, patronizing, half-assed attitude with me, I will walk out of here right now with not so much as a glance over my shoulder," she snarled.

In answer, he rolled on top her again and began to do amazing things with his hands. Leah moaned.

"If the ball is really in my court, I say we give it a shot, Leah. But don’t expect commitment from me anytime soon," he said, pushing himself inside her.

"That is the reason Trevor and I broke up because I didn’t fancy commitment either," she said, with a half moan.

"Then we can make beautiful music together," he said, and covered her mouth with his.

"Oooooh, I think we already are...." she groaned.

Leah with Juma....

    Chris Simba was sitting with Caitlin Cougar in her new apartment upstairs from his in the recently constructed Lewis Lyon Luxury Complex in the Mara. They were having drinks and both smoking cigarettes. It was relaxing and Chris reached out for Caitlin’s paw.

"You shouldn’t have turned your brother down on that job in the Serengeti, Chris. A new scene could be refreshing," announced Caitlin.

"I have a life here, Caitlin. And besides that, you and I are beginning to get to know each other."

"Ever thought of doing something really off the wall and pulling up stakes?"

Her voice was vibrant - almost edgy - as she asked and the excitement was apparent in her eyes.

"What are you thinking, Caitlin?"

"Take that job from Shane and I’ll go with you, Chris."

"Are you serious, Caitlin? What about your kids?"

"I think Georgy can live with Imani Lyon. She’s going to be trouble unless she does. Carly can stay with Steve for a bit until he finishes this year’s school term. I feel a need to get out of the Mara for a while."

"I said some pretty nasty things to Shane. I doubt I can get that job now. I will have to eat serious crow."

    But he ate absolutely no crow. Shane was delighted to hear from him. He asked him to come to his office the following day which he did.

"Shane, I need to apologize to you, Bro. I said some pretty nasty......"

"No need, Chris. That’s all water under the bridge. This job in the Serengeti will be two years, most probably one, at the max. And after that, Lewis Lyon and I can guarantee you a huge job as financial director of our companies and you can return to the Mara," offered Shane. "Both salaries will far exceed what Sylvia Cougar pays you."

"That sounds like a win-win, Bro," enthused Chris, who was beginning to feel the excitement of a makeover.

"Are we on?"

"Hell yeah, Shane. We are definitely on."

"Good. Will you be at Mom’s Sunday?"

"Most probably since I will be leaving the Mara soon, why?"

"I’ll see you there," said Shane, giving his brother a bear hug.

"You? You’ll be there?" asked an incredulous Chris.

"You started the ball rolling," laughed Shane.

    Betty and Jack Tarzan were afraid to speak for fear they would jinx the wonder of their new life together. It was just so damn pleasant neither one could believe it. They scrupulously made sure that they didn’t infringe on the other’s privacy or step on assorted toes. They worked at the same newspaper and wrote almost side by side in Jack’s home office during the late evening hours after the house was quiet and the cubs and old Patsy were in bed. Both were writing on new book projects. Their sex life was unbeatable. Now they seemed to have a domestic situation in full tow and it was splendid also, thought the participants.

The weekends were a break for savoring their new existence. Sometimes Jack would start a room painting project, adding colors that appealed to Betty. Jack was not a believer in the art of hiring decorators. He liked the feel of doing his own chores such as painting and a bit of carpentry. He was, pardon the pun, a jack of all trades in that. Betty even began to participate in a bit of gardening with Jack and Patsy. She had never been one to sink her well manicured hands in dirt but now she felt a distinct satisfaction in seeing her efforts bear fruit in the fertile East African soil.

  Betty and Jack work in their garden..      

      Sylvia Cougar was sad to see her long time employee go from the Nathan Leoparde Memorial Foundation but Chris had been there a long time and Sylvia took his resignation in good faith. A going away party was held for him in the Foundation offices and Sylvia furnished the cake and attended.

     The last thing Caitlin Cougar Leo did before leaving the Mara was to make an appointment at Todd Tigeres Cosmetic Surgery Clinic to have hands replace her paws. They could only be helpful for a sculptress. Both she and Chris made arrangements and quickly sublet their new apartments.

Caitlin and Chris dive into a new life together....

Sylvia Cougar hired her dear friends’ lawyer son, Curtis Cheetah, to take Chris Simba’s place at the Foundation.

       Alexandra Simba, who was in the second trimester of her pregnancy with twins, was suddenly into full blown maternity clothes. But this didn’t dampen her enthusiasm laced with nerves while dressing for the dinner for Shane’s mother at the bush house. Shane was also a bundle of nerves as he drove his mother from her house to his. He had given the driver and guards an unexpected night off.

One cannot say that things weren’t tense in the beginning of the meal at Shane’s house. His boys were staying at Betty and Jack’s for the weekend so this particularly touchy meeting could take place without childish distractions. If all went well he was to pick them up from Betty’s and take them to Sarah Lee’s brunch on Sunday.

Alexandra Simba is a warm, loving and gregarious sort. She broke through the years long hatred of human’ beings that had lain like a hot coal in Sarah Lee Simba’s heart. That’s not to say that the lioness was going to hug every person she saw in the future or even like them but she certainly had warmed to her human daughter in law before the night was over. She had finally left after a cup of herbal tea. Shane had driven her home but not before she and Alexandra exchanged genuine hugs.

Alexandra and Sarah Lee Simba thaw and share a laugh......