Maurice & Friends

Scandal finally burns itself out with its own intensity and enthusiasm. The anti-Shane Simba editorials died down and he was once again welcomed with enthusiasm by the citizens of Kenya. He had worked hard to settle the crisis and preserve Kenya’s sanity and economy. When he rode to parliament in an open convertible, crowds lined the street and cheered him. His invitee to the opening of the newly refurbished Parliament was Betty Chimpo, his ex-wife and mother of three of his offspring. Flash bulbs popped as Betty joined him for the ceremony and dinner. They made a handsome couple. As matter of fact, Shane was spending more time with Betty who was his intellectual match and soothing as well. He added rooms to her cabin on stilts by the shore of Lake Tanganyika. They spent another weekend there when it was completed. Their three sons accompanied them.

Former mates, Betty Chimpo and Shane Simba enter the Parliament building in Nairobi..

In another quarter, Dickey Simba was taken aback at Betty’s growing relationship with her ex-husband. He knew it could only be blamed on his lack of commitment. He started dating Cutty Sark who had several beaus on the back burner.

It couldn’t last long without causing waves. Ashley Lyon’s bed capers with Leah, his ex and the grieving widow of Jack Tarzan was bound to reach the ears of her first cousin and Ashley’s current spouse, Staci Simba Lyon. The fact that he was rather disengaged emotionally at home was also a tip off. There were rumors in the Simba pride and they reached Staci. Add that to the detachment and the shit hit the fan. Instead of holding down the fort in their home, Staci retreated to her father’s homes. Alexandra Simba having taken a powder, Shane Simba was virtually living alone now with the exception of his large household staff. He was glad to offer solace to his oldest child and first grandcubs. Ashley, over protests, weathered the departure of Staci and their cubs from their bush estate. He took to spending evenings in the Watering Hole Pub or with his best friend, Luke Leoparde and his wife, Jane.

Staci Simba Lyon holding one of her cubs, small Cathy Lyon...

On their third visit to Betty Chimpo’s lakeside home in Tanzania, she and Shane were walking on the beach when a lion’s roar sounded in the foliage bordering the lake. The couple froze in their tracks. A large figure approached them, jaws dripping, eyes wild. It was a male lion naked as the day he was born. He roared again before Betty recognized him.

“Jack, my God,” she screamed.

Jack Tarzan ventured closer fangs still bared. His yellow eyes were fierce but dazed. Betty, with great bravura, held out a slender hand and touched his shoulder. He stood still and gazed at her with that vacant expression.

Shane called to his Masai guards who came forward but not before calling on their radios. Jack collapsed on the sand and hung his head with the badly matted mane.

The medical helicopter landed on the beach dispersing sand as it did. They put a tranquilized and quiet Jack Tarzan on a stretcher and placed it in inside where medical technicians sought to evaluate any damage he had sustained from his boat sinking in the lake. His memorial service had already taken place weeks before. Shane called and advised Dr. Frank Tigeres to use caution in telling his niece, Leah, that her husband was alive. His second call was to Leah’s dad and Shane’s brother, Roy Lee Simba.

Medics load Jack Tarzan on to hospital helicopter....

The engaging and popular Leah Simba Tarzan....

Leah Simba Tarzan had endured a hectic day at JAGGERS making sure the new collection was state of the art. Duke, her partner and fellow designer, had fussed about in his usual frenzied manner. Leah was weary and melancholy once the frantic work day had peaked and ended. Now she had to face her lonely home and fatherless cubs. She had discouraged Ashley Lyon from coming over. She had been rather ashamed that she had succumbed to his charms in the bedroom in a weak and drunken moment. He was wed to her cousin and she was mourning Jack with all her heart and soul. Ashley had retreated from the rejection to the Watering Hole Pub.

Leah took a glass of wine to the patio. She smoked one of her rare cigarettes and enjoyed the breeze ruffling her fur. It was a beautiful night filled with stars and the song of cicadas. She had arrived home too late to see her cubs to bed. They had been tucked in by their nannies. Her phone rang and she almost didn’t answer. However, she got up slowly and managed to catch it on the last ring.

“Leah,” said the voice of Dr. Frank Tigeres. “You had better come to the clinic. We have some news for you.”

“Is it one of my cubs? Has Imani wrecked her car? What, Frank, what?”

“It’s Jack, Leah. He’s alive. He’s here.”

“Oh my God!!” she screamed and promptly fainted.

Ashley had no idea that the male he hoped to replace in his ex-wife’s affections was alive and kicking in the Tigeres-Lyon Clinic. He would have been horrified if he had. Jack Tarzan’s brief ‘death’ had been the reason for his being re-enamored of Leah, causing his current marriage to collapse. However, being totally unaware of the turn of events, he only felt temporarily rejected at Leah’s refusal of a visit from him. Cutty Sark happened to be in the bar that evening. She had decided to forego a date with one of her current male admirers in lieu of a quick drink followed by home and an evening of television. She had run into the attractive Ashley on several occasions his being her boss’s son-in-law. This was the first time he had ever turned his attentions on her. When Ashley switched on his unbeatable personality combined with his handsome countenance, few females could resist.

“Cutty, have a drink with me,” he invited, mischief and humor rampant in his khaki eyes.

Cutty knew from working in the State House, that Staci Simba Lyon was now living with her father. She felt a little nervous at this invitation.

“Just one,” she countered.

“So be it,” he answered and ordered another of what she was drinking.

Leah had been driven to the clinic by her parents, Roy Lee and Janice (Jaguar) Simba. The three stood at the bedside of Jack Tarzan while Dr. Ted Tigeres reported on his condition. Jack was heavily sedated with several bandages encasing his brawny arms.

“He’s has severe memory loss, Leah. He also sustained injuries from his boating accident in the lake. We suspect he had a run in with some crocodiles but don’t really know. The good news is that his vital signs are fine and Jack is a remarkably strong animal and survived this ordeal.”

“Just so he’s alive, I can deal with the rest, Ted. Oh, Jack, my darling, I can’t believe this miracle,” said Leah, bursting into tears of joy and amazement.

The lights were dim in Cutty’s bedroom. She was rather tipsy and giggly and Ashley Lyon was in the process of undressing her. She put her hands in his mane and drew his head down for a kiss. This led to other things such as Ashley taking off his own clothes and leading Cutty to the bed. The rest is history. Cutty woke up truly in love for the first time in her life and Ashley Lyon had forgotten all about Leah and his current wife.

MASAI MARA JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR FOUND ALIVE IN TANZANIA’S GOMBE DISTRICT.

These were the headlines for the major newspapers in Kenya the day after Jack’s rescue. There was much joy in many places. Jack Tarzan had made a name for himself and garnered many friends in the process, Luke and Jane Leoparde among them. A slightly hung over Ashley Lyon read the headlines at work in the hangar of his main safari club in the Mara. He was glad for Jack, whom he liked, as well as Leah. Ashley’s main focus, as of last night, was the attractive and sparkling human female, Cutty Sark.

As for Cutty she dreamily went through the work day, arranging two press conferences. One was for President Shane Simba, the other for justice minister, Dickey Simba.

In the heat of the Kenyan Highlands, Alexandra Simba was on horseback and riding through her main coffee plantation. She was in a somber mood having seen a picture of her husband and his ex-wife as they entered the parliament building in Nairobi. She wiped the perspiration from her forehead and decided to hang it up for the day. She had the twins and cocktails on her porch to look forward to this evening. Nevertheless, that was all she had by way of negating another lonely evening without her husband.

Alexandra and her horse in the Kenyan Highlands....

The following weekend, Ashley Lyon invited Cutty Sark to spend a weekend with him in his Mombasa digs. How fortunate for him that the luscious Cutty also enjoyed water sports. In an unfortunate turn of events, the paparazzi were about and trying to catch Shane Simba with female companionship and possibly titillating sexual gossip. Shane wasn’t even there that weekend. In his place was Shane’s press secretary in the company of his son-in-law, Ashley Lyon. On top of that, the couple seemed to be rather captivated with each other. This was evidenced by their cozy body language while enjoying lunch at Wally Warthog’s beach pub. On a roll, the paparazzi followed Ashley to his home and caught shots of the twosome obviously shacked up for the weekend. Now this was news! The President’s son-in-law making whoopee with his press secretary –how sweet it was.

Above: the lovers catching lunch at Wally's Beach Pub....below: caught entering his house in Mombasa....

Dickey Simba sat before Dr. Lachlan Lion, having decided to take the bull by the horns and get his life together. A good head straightening was in order. Lachlan perused the new file and minimal information that Dickey had given the mental health center before making an appointment.

“You have a high ranking job,” noted the lion psychiatrist, looking up.

“Yes, but what I need is a well integrated life, one free of drug addiction and lack of commitment,” sighed the justice minister.

“Tell me where you’re coming from on this, Dickey.”

“I have a hashish habit. I also love a female very much and for the first time in my life want to make a commitment of sorts. I just don’t seem to get past the torpor and make it real.”

“Commitment of sorts?”

“Yes, living together, steady dating…..something to indicate that I really love her,” said Dickey sadly.

“Marriage is not included among those options?” probed Lachlan with his usual skill.

“Oooph….marriage scares the shit out of me,” declared the patient.

“Well then, let’s start by seeing how well you can deal with this drug habit of yours. First things first,” said Lachlan taking a prescription pad and scribbling on it. “This is for Valium and Lexapro. You seem a bit down. The Valium is for getting off the hash. You know not to abuse this stuff. You’re a grown lion. And you have an impressive post as the justice minister to make you even more cautious.”

Lachlan, having counseled Dickey for his full hour, rose from behind his desk and handing Dickey the prescription said, “See you two days from now. I think you need sessions twice a week until we see some changes.”

“Thanks, Dr. Lion.”

“Call me Lachlan.”

Dickey Simba finally seeks counseling..

Staci Simba Lyon sat weeping in the library of her father’s home in the state mansion. She was being comforted by her father’s guest and Staci’s former stepmother, Betty Chimpo. Shane, not being terribly good with others’ emotional disrepair, would occasionally offer a word of solace. Betty had also been married to Ashley Lyon, Staci’s current hubby.

“Staci, Ash is worth fighting for….he’s a wonderful lion,” soothed Betty.

“No, he’s not. He’s a player. I hate players,” sobbed the distraught Staci.

Shane was not comfortable with this declaration or the conversation in general. He was the biggest player of all. An additional conundrum was the fact that his press secretary – and a damned good one – was the curvy cutie who had shacked up with Ashley Lyon and been caught by the paparazzi in Mombasa.