Maurice & Friends

Shane's official portrait hanging in the hall of the State House....

“Oh my God,” exploded Betty Chimpo Simba in a voice redolent with orgiastic zeal. “He is the most gorgeous creature on earth.”

We were watching two men hang President Shane Simba’s official portrait in the main hall of the State House along side that of retired President Ralph Lyon. I had to admit that he was quite the looker. Bertram Baboon had joined us for lunch to discuss more fundraising efforts designed for the art’s council and Betty’s proposed school of journalism.

“He could be said to be quite the dish, Betts,” rejoined Bertram.

Shane had scoffed at our efforts to bring him to the hall, saying that all he needed was another look at himself. Bertram and I giving, up the battle to bring Betty out of her reverie, went our separate ways - Bertram to his studio and I, back to my office. I didn’t learn until later that Betty had ordered a personal version of the portrait for their home and her office.

His wife was still standing at the foot of his portrait when Shane passed by on the way to a meeting.

“Are you still gawking at that thing, Fifi?” he laughed.

“You have the most marvelous legs, Shane.”

“You can get a private viewing later,” he said, giving her a quick kiss, before rushing off.

The evening was lovely and warmer than usual. Caitlin was planning to serve supper in her walled terrace. Steven had bought a good wine. They were sitting with drinks among the birdsong of those seeking refuge for the night.

“Steven, I am so excited. We are to be parents of a son,” she told him.

He didn’t have the reaction that she expected, sitting there quietly lighting a cigarette.

“That’s good, Caitlin. I know you must be excited,” he finally said, exhaling a stream of smoke.

“What about you, Steve?” she asked, dismayed to her very toes.

“You have completely closed me out of your life, turning down my proposal of marriage, so why should I wax poetic? The chances of my seeing him are pretty vague at this point.”

“Of course, you can see him. I don’t deny Georgy to Sloane. He has her whenever he wants.”

“Parenting on an absentee basis is not exactly the same as first hand, Caitlin. I think you suffer from a good bit of naiveté if you think any male is going to be excited about a coming child under those conditions.”

“I don’t want to marry again, Steve. I love you though. Can’t we just be lovers and share our son?”

“I have someone else I see, Caitlin. I was all about you for awhile but I don’t want to be restricted now. I will pay support for our son and hope to have him sometime but I won’t be tied down to a non-responsive female.”

Caitlin burst into tears. Steven rose from his chair, and giving her a kiss on the top of her head, left before dinner.

The two brothers, Sloane and Steven Simba, met by accident at the Watering Hole Pub. Sloane had changed to his casual attire of semi-shabby chic with the open shirt front to almost the navel. Steven, having just come from a work day at Lyon & Associates, was in a business suit. The two stood at the bar and ordered drinks, eyeing the females that crushed around them. Tawny Tigeres entered the pub and came straight for the two. Sloane introduced her to Steve, who was not terribly interested in female pulchritude that outsized him. Another was also at the bar in a somber suit of a drab color. She was nursing a vodka and tonic. Sloane spotted her first and went to her.

“Dina, how are you these days?” he asked.

“Fair, Sloane. Thanks for asking,” answered Dina Myers.

Steven’s interest was perked. He recognized her to be the girl that had made recent headlines with Shane. After Sloane had joined him again he just had to ask:

“Isn’t she that lawyer that made headlines with Shane?”

“One and the same,” confirmed Sloane.

“Why don’t you hit on her? Didn’t she work for you when you were still at Simba Brothers?” asked Steven.

“Yeah, she did, but humans aren’t really my thing. I like fur and lots of it.”

“Mind if I try?”

“Go for it, Bro.”

Betty and Lachlan sat in his office at the mental health center. Betty could have her sessions without problems these days since it was known to the media that the proposed AIDS addition to the center was among her pet projects.

“Shane is back to his usual self these days, Lachlan – loving, sexy and attentive,” she reported in a pleased manner, lighting cigarette.

“Betty, I have treated you for all of the periods that you were so obsessed and depressed over Shane Simba when he was still married to Catherine. I want you to remember these words. They are yours.”

He turned on a digital recorder with her sessions. He played segments where she had told him that if she was only married to Shane, she could withstand his playing around. I am so jealous of Catherine because he comes home to her and she has his children, she had said. I have nothing of him to hold on to, her voice moaned. Lachlan turned the recorder off.

“Betty, I want you to remember this if he ever fools around again. You are now in Catherine’s shoes. He comes home to you and you are the new mother to his children. If he hurts you again, try to hold onto these thoughts.”

“You speak as if you think he will, Lachlan.”

“I don’t know for sure that he will. He has much more at stake now than in the past but players are hard to change. You need to realize this.”

Linda Cougar was made assistant nurse’s aid to Dr. Juma Mnyama, pleasing her no end. She worked after her classes in the evenings, following him on his rounds. On the weekend, she went with him to the Masai villages where a great deal of infection from the AIDS virus existed. Some weekends they had to travel to Tsavo East and West to medicate infected populations. The lion doctor was friendly and seemed interested in her career, offering sage advice, but on a personal basis, he failed to respond.

Bernice Bear stood in Shane’s outer office. He happened to be conferring with his secretary when she came in.

“Mr. President, do you know where Betty is?” asked Bernice.

“I think she had a medical appointment,” answered Shane, knowing Betty had sessions with Lachlan. “Do you need her?”

“Dr. Juma Mnyama has called and especially requested her presence on an AIDS trip he plans to make.”

Bernice was not a grizzly bear for nothing. She noticed immediately a subtle shift in his light eyes.

“Dr. Mnyama cannot be making demands on the First Lady,” he almost snarled. “She has other duties besides those on his plate.”

“Yes, Sir, I’ll remember that.”

Bernice walked the halls back to Betty’s office realizing that Shane Simba was jealous.

Betty arrived back in her office, a bit on the despondent side by Lachlan’s feeling that Shane would remain a player. She lit a cigarette and sat to her desk. Bernice poured her a cup of tea and sat beside her.

“I think I witnessed the green eyed monster in your hubby today, Betty,” announced Bernice with a secret smile.

“Oh do tell, Bernice,” requested Betty with a big, heartfelt smile.

Bernice told of seeing Shane in his office and his reaction to Juma’s request. Betty was thrilled. It offset Lachlan’s thoughts of the day.

Sown seeds of the day played out at the state mansion when Shane arrived home. Betty poured him a Scotch to the specifications laid out by his doctors. He lit a cigarette and sat next to her, stretching his legs on the coffee table.

“The good AIDS doctor was arrogant enough to call your office and demand your presence on a trip of his devising,” he said, caustically.

“He’s doing a great deal of very good work, Shane. I assist him when we’re in the villages.”

He stood abruptly and stubbed out his cigarette.

“Just make sure you assist him only in his medical efforts, Betty.”

“He wants me to go to Turkana with him next week, Shane.”

“I need you here,” he snapped, his eyes flattened and cold.

Later in their darkened bedroom, he made love to her with an even greater ardor. It seemed as if he could not get enough of her. Lachlan’s warnings vanished entirely from her thoughts.

Chelsea Cheetah Cougar was having a bad day. Jean Pierre de Leon was sitting on the floor and weeping copiously. They were in the middle of rehearsals for Samson and Delilah, the slated ballet for the arts center’s next offering.

“You are doing all of the fancy footwork and leaving none for me, Chelsea,” he cried.

“It’s a female’s ballet predominantly, Jean Pierre,” she growled.

“My ass,” he piped, standing again and getting in her face. “It is Samson’s ballet. And I AM Samson.”

“If you are Samson, I am Lady Chatterley’s game keeper.”

Jean Pierre de Leon in rehearsal....

Steven Simba and Dina Myers had gone to her home in the bush. He had found her appealing and sexy in the same breath. There was an underlying characteristic in the young male lion that took to a damsel in distress. They had spent a night of love making. They had left for their respective jobs after a delightful breakfast prepared by Dina. He invited her for dinner two nights hence at OKAPIS. She was a more cheerful presence at work that morning. She had even donned a brightly colored blouse. Sam Simba caught sight of her primping in the hall mirror at the office.

Leah Simba Lyon was in her mayoral office in the Civic Building when Vonda Vulture, her new secretary, came in and announced that Ashley Lyon, Leah’s husband was lost in his plane. Leah screamed and almost fainted. Vonda was the picture of solicitation. She drove the stricken Leah to the hangar at the Leoparde-Lyon Safari Club where she found Luke Leoparde. Luke was waiting for Leah to fly with him in the search. Leah first phoned her uncle, Shane Simba, at the State House.

“My God, Leah, I’ll call the air force out to search. Ash was instrumental in finding me when I went down. We’ll find him, honey. You stay strong,” he had told her.

In the interim, Ashley had walked from his crash landed plane. He held a compass and map. He decided he must be somewhere in Tanzania. He had something of a sprained ankle which was difficult to matriculate on. Other than that, he was unscathed. Dark was beginning to fall and Ashley was rather apprehensive about encountering the less civilized animals of Tanzania. Lions began to roar on the savanna. Somewhere a leopard chuffed. He began to talk to himself to allay his nervousness.

“Maybe I should build a fire. They say lions fear them. What the hell am I talking about? I am a lion and fires don’t bother me any.”

He imagined Leah must have been told by now and hated the worry it would cost her. He sat under a tree to rest his ankle. A leopard called to him from above.

“Don’t bother to come up here. You’re a bachelor male and I have a kill up here,” the leopard snarled.

“Listen, dick head, I’m not a bachelor at all. I am from Kenya and don’t want your damn kill. I crashed my plane. I have some jerky in my pocket.”

The male leopard jumped from the tree and sat next to Ashley.

“I see you have on clothes. Only the damn fools in Kenya wear that shit.”

“I frankly enjoy my clothes if you don’t mind,” announced Ashley, taking some jerky from his pocket.

“Hey man, if you promise you won’t eat my kill you can join me in the tree for the night. There’s a pride of lions that live near here. They aren’t going to take kindly to you being in these parts. The males are nasty buggers and will think you’re trying to screw their lionesses.”

Ashley made his slow way up the tree, the leopard prodding him from behind. Ashley leaned against the trunk where the strong limb joined. The leopard became friendly asking about Kenya. Ashley told him of his best friend and partner, Luke Leoparde. Morning peeped over the far hills. The leopard left the tree and moved about the ground. Suddenly he called to Ashley who was still dozing fitfully.

“Hey man, there’s a helicopter with the Kenyan insignia on it flying real low.”

Ashley threw him a flare and told him how to use it. The leopard managed. In a few minutes the helicopter landed near the tree. The doors opened and Shane Simba emerged. By that time Ashley had made it down the tree and was standing with the leopard.

“Ash, thank God we found you,” he said, giving Ashley a big hug.

“Shane, I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my life. Is Leely okay?”

“Worried but the pilot just radioed her that you’ve been found. She was flying all over the place with Luke, searching.”

Ashley introduced the leopard to Shane.

“What if I decided I wanted to live in Kenya?” inquired the leopard.

“You will be most welcome,” answered Shane.

“But you have to wear clothes,” laughed Ashley, patting the leopard on the shoulder.

“I may come there someday.”

They all said pleasant goodbyes. The leopard returned to his tree for a snooze and a bite of his kill. Ashley took off with Shane in the official presidential helicopter. When the helicopter landed on the State House pad, there was a crowd to meet them. Leah, Daniel and Stella Lyon and Luke were there as well as others interested in the fate of Ralph Lyon’s son. Leah ran and wrapped her legs and arms around her husband. He swung her around. Then they were driven in the official Rolls for Ashley to be checked at the Exotic Animal Clinic.

devoted couple, Ashley and Leah Simba Lyon......