Maurice & Friends

Arlon Lyon (left) with his half brother Joshua Simba (right) in Sam's Mara River home....

When D. H. Lawrence wrote his involved and erotic novel, Sons And Lovers, he must have had Betty Chimpo in mind. She has a real asset in caring friends and family but her biggest plus are six loyal lion sons. Arlon Lyon, her oldest from marriage to Ashley, is a smart and caring young male. From the original smart ass stage in his extreme youth, he has become a handsome, studious and intelligent male whose mane thickens more each day. The same can be said of Joshua Simba, her second born with Sam Simba. Arlon and Joshua now attend the same university in London and are home for the holidays. Sam Simba, uproariously and happily married to his tiger wife, Tawny, was rather aghast at Betty Chimpo’s latest peccadillo with his nephew, Sean Simba.

It was in Sam and Tawny’s rough, tumble and merry home on the Mara River that Arlon discussed their mother with Joshua.

Tawny Tigeres, Sam Simba's wife and law partner....

“Have you seen Mom since she returned from New York?” inquired Joshua.

“Glad you brought it up, Josh. I think we need to go there and see her. I haven’t seen Mom since she was in the hospital with the miscarriage. I’m sure that hurt Jack as much as Mom fucking around with Sean.”

The two young lads arrived at their mother’s home on Leoparde Drive. They found her sitting before a warm fire, smoking a cigarette, drink by her side and typing on her laptop computer. Betty welcomed her sons happily offering eggnog.

“Are you writing another book, Mom?” teased Joshua.

“I certainly am, darling, on a subject that I know well…..being a cougar,” she giggled.

“A what?” asked Joshua.

“It’s a pop culture term in America, sweetheart, meaning older females that date and marry young things,” she continued to laugh.

Her sons exchanged glances and shrugged their broad shoulders. This mom of theirs was difficult to get a bead on.

“Mom, maybe you had better give up being a cougar for the time being, it doesn’t seem to be going too well at the moment,” observed Arlon, who was aware of the term ‘cougar’ in today’s global culture and it had nothing to do with felines.

“Oh, honey, this is just a temporary setback with Sean. I am so excited about this book. I think it will be a best seller again,” soothed Betty.

Delamere manor house in Wiltshire......

“Lord Delamere and Lady Delamere, your guests have arrived,” intoned the butler of many years.

The Rolls Royce carrying Shane, Alexandra, Sacha, Tanya and the two nannies had pulled in the stately drive of the manor house in Wiltshire County, England. Ian and Margaret Delamere stood in the great hall elegantly attired to greet Ian’s sister and her lion husband and offspring. Ian Delamere was relaxed as was his way; his wife was as tense as a fire iron holding Yule logs - her mouth was dry and devoid of spittle. The large doors were opened to welcome two beautiful children and Alexandra coming toward the couple with opened arms. Margaret gave her sister-in-law a perfunctory greeting for she was not a woman imbued with great warmth – the term ‘stiff upper lip’ had been coined by folks who were familiar with types like Margaret Buckley Delamere.

That was about to change!

Margaret wiped the wet kisses that the children had planted on her cheeks and looked up to see the most devastatingly gorgeous creature she had ever been privy to. She gave a great gasp as Shane Simba shook her hand. Now Margaret had, on the rare occasion, been known to take her children when tots to the London Zoo. She had even strolled with her two weary children to where the lion enclosure held a small pride with a male lying in what sun he could find, looking extremely bored and yawning. This was not one of those. This was like something Margaret had never thought to see. Shane Simba’s great height, his impeccable dress, the Dolce & Gabbana scent from his immaculate mane, was about to give Lady Delamere the vapors. One look at his green eyes and she had to lower her head immediately should she swoon. Could this be a touch of bestiality coming on, she wondered? No, this was certainly no beast yet he was not human either – but was bi-pedal, intelligently vocal, charismatic and to die for.

“Margaret, my deah,” cut in Ian's voice snapping her back in the moment. “Shall we escort our guests to the library and have our libations before the fire?”

Margaret led the guests along with Ian to the decorated and lofty room. The shoe was on other foot now, she thought. Margaret, the human being refrained from drooling as she walked with the tall form of Shane Simba to their destination.

dinner in the dining room at Delamere estate.....

Jack Tarzan had company in his home in the Cholulu Hills. He sat at the head of a lively table. Solly Simba and his brothers, Jalil and Tarek were giggling at one of Jack’s stories. Old Patsy was wreathed in good cheer. The lovely Leah Simba sat to the side of Jack, occasionally taking his hand and squeezing it. Later, after dinner, Luke and Jane Leoparde arrived with their brood as well as Ashley and Staci Simba Lyon who were retrieving their premature cubs from the clinic two days hence.

Betty tried to raise Sean Simba on his cell phone. He answered amid a hullabaloo suggesting to Betty that he was most probably in the Watering Hole Pub.

“Yeah?” he answered over the din.

“Where are you, darling?” asked Betty from the vantage point of her bedroom fireside.

“At the Pub, why?”

“When can I see you, Sean?”

“Uh, I don’t know….I have practice all this week, Betty.”

“I thought you didn’t have practice until after Christmas, darling, at least that’s what you told me when we were in New York.”

“Well…..the coaches changed that plan….I have to go, Betty. I’m hanging with the guys.”

Sandi Sandcat gets schmoozed by Sean Simba in the Pub.....

There was a click and the phone went dead. Sean was not exactly hanging with the guys if one was to be absolutely precise about the matter. Of course there were guys present, but also a number of chicks he was eyeballing. Among that number was the stunning Sandi Sandcat who was there with Troy Simba and apparently enjoying that fact. Sean wanted Sandi in the worst way despite the fact that she was his cousin’s date. Another cutie hunkered against the bar was Delilah Dik Dik. Sean gave her a long and intricate look but decided he had never boned a sheep, or whatever she was, and was not about to start now despite the soulful doe eyes. Sean began to down his drinks seriously. He was getting tipsy. He gazed across the room to see that Troy had left with Sandi. Georgy was probably with the lion doctor. There was a good bit of older stuff at the bar gazing his way with heated eyes and then there was Delilah, his sister’s school friend. His phone rang. It was Betty again. He sighed. If he was going to engage in older types, he might as well do Betty. She was a good lay and he needed to get laid. He answered took the call on his way out of the pub.

Lady Margaret Delamere tossed and turned in her bed with the hot water bottle and goose down cover. She had ceased to share a bedroom with her husband some years ago. She looked down at the ruffled granny gown that encased her. She cursed it and wondered what delights Alexandra was undergoing in the main guest room down the cavernous hall. She gave an involuntary moan. Her mind returned to the evening’s meal where Shane Simba had spoken so eloquently of his dreams for Kenya. Margaret had sat at table absolutely mesmerized by the lion she had thought would be such an ungainly guest. Now she only wished he would remain within her walls forever.

Ashley and Staci Simba Lyon excitedly gathered their new cubs and took them to their home. To welcome them was a gathering of wonderful friends. Jane and Luke Leoparde had planned the impromptu homecoming bash. Sloane Simba was there with his arm around Lucy Cougar. Jack Tarzan and Leah Simba were among the gathered. In addition, there to welcome the couple and their newborns was Carson Cougar, Ashley’s cubhood friend. With Carson and his wife, Monica Margay Cougar, was their oldest daughter, Angelina Cougar, a recent graduate of business school in her mother’s home country of Belize. Angelina is a beautiful feline that melds her mother’s petite beauty with the solid body color of her father’s cougar line. She is just home and will join the staff at Jackal Realty as an agent.

Jerrilyn and her husband, Oscar Scar.......

Jerrilyn Jackal Scar looked lovely as she welcomed Lachlan and me into her home on Lyon Avenue. Her husband, Oscar Scar, now a millionaire grocery entrepreneur, stood at her side. Their offspring, gotten via the French Procedure, number two female jackals and a male lion, all in school now and doing well. Inside the main rooms, guest milled about amid Christmas decorations. Carson Cougar and his wife, Monica hailed us. The occasion was a celebration of the merger of two names to be co-owners of the realty business started years ago by the sharp and attractive Jerrilyn Jackal now married so successfully to her lion husband. Jerrilyn invited us out of long friendship when Jerrilyn and I were tenants of the original Watering Hole Apartment group. Jerrilyn, the cutest of the cute, had been a go getter and mere secretary at that point in time and I was living with Bertram Baboon and a partner to Janice Jaguar at JAGGERS. So much had changed – so much water under the bridge. Now Jerrilyn was allowing her best and longtime agent, Monica Margay Cougar, to buy into the business she had started and nurtured. It was to known henceforth as Jackal-Cougar Realty. We all drank a toast to the new name and wished it success as usual. I suppose the reason that Jerrilyn has loosed the reigns a bit is because, due to her husband’s additional financial success, they want to travel a bit. Jerrilyn and Oscar are two industrious and hardworking animals that have finally made it; happy as clams together and sharing a delightful home and children - a nice touch these days.

Margaret Delamere clutched her arms across her amble bosom in order to stifle any ungainly sounds that might emit as a result of her distress. Shane Simba and his family, having almost a week with the Delamere’s, were leaving for Kenya and Christmas with their own. Much to her horror, mixed with strange delight, she had fallen madly in lust with her sister-in-law’s intriguing lion husband. The staid English rose had never experienced such a tingling feeling of excitement as she had during Shane’s visit and constant presence. She had been gifted with his exclusive company in front of a warming fire while Alexandra rode horses with Ian. He had charmed the living bejesus out of her with his astounding conversation and deep intelligence. Now the Simba's car was rolling down the long drive and she wondered how she would manage a bit of cheer in the face of her boring husband and children. Oh dear, what to do. Margaret took to her bed for the rest of the day begging a cold. Her red nose, from frustrated weeping, was sufficient testimony to that malady.

Betty's not ready for Sean to leave her bed....

Sean Simba rolled off of Betty Chimpo’s receptive body and headed for her shower. She, still being aroused, wanted another round. The water ran through his mane and over his body in rivulets.

“What’s the bloody rush, Sean?” she asked, trying to keep her tone light.

“I need to get home and see if Troy has brought the beer. We’re having a late night bash at the house.”

“That will be fun; shall I just on jeans and join you?"

He turned off the water and stepped out of the stall, grabbing a towel the towel she held for him.

“It’s just blokes, Betty, no females will be there,” he said, hastily dressing then toweling his mane.

“So I will be the only one - that’ll work for me,” she stated, trying to adjust her vernacular to his.

He leaned over and brushed her hair with what might pass for a kiss and was out the door. She heard his car start and the engine hum. She was about to go to the door and see him out, when she was blocked by Wilda’s girth.

“When are you going to learn, Betts? This little bastard is a no-no – a complete dick.”