Maurice & Friends

President Shane Simba issued an order for this month to be one of mourning for the valiant American race horse and Kentucky Derby winner, Barbaro, who lost his valiant eight month battle for life. Shane has ordered all Kenyan flags at half mast for the entire month.

“We are a government run by animals and allowing full rights to all. We, as nation dedicated to this ideal, should always salute one as heroic as this horse,” he stated in a televised message to the citizens of our country.

Flags fly at half mast for corageous winner, Barbaro

Betty was seeing Gerald Giraffe daily, strengthening herself for her future delivery. The lanky giraffe, adorned impeccably in Adidas sportswear, would put the pregnant first lady through a regimen of strength building but mild exercises and then she would go to the treadmill where they would dish and gossip with one anther. Gerald, who had once resented Betty, now discussed with her his love for her ex-husband, Montecore.

Betty at RUNNERS trains with Gerald Giraffe.....

Sloane Simba sat in the living room of his ex-wife’s home. He had come to get his daughter, Georgy, for the weekend. Caitlin Cougar brought him a double Scotch, having noticed her former husband’s depressed state. Georgy came running out and bounced in her father’s lap giving him kisses all over his face.

“I needed those, Georgy,” he said, hugging the cub. “Your dad is very unhappy these days.”

“Want to talk about it, Sloane?” asked Caitlin, lighting a cigarette.

“I’ve been an arrogant and insufferable fool and lost Caroline Cheetah.”

“You have been that, Sloane. I believe you really love Caroline. .What happened?”

“I told her I didn’t want any of my kids to have spots. I blew the whole thing. I suppose I was so full of myself that I thought nothing would break us up.”

“Oh, Sloane, how terrible! Was she pregnant?”

“Yes, she was and I felt she’d sort of tricked me. It all went to hell in a bucket. How is your love life these days, while we’re discussing the issue?”

“I don’t see Steve anymore. He is trying to make it with Dina again since she’s pregnant by that French thing they do at the clinic.”

“It’ll never work. Dina is something of an ass and she’s still in love with Shane.”

“Does anything ever work out in this trying world, I wonder?”

“Want to have dinner Sunday night. You can come to the bush house and bring little Carl. We’ll cook out. Then you can bring Georgy back with you.”

“That sounds like a plan, Sloane. I’d love that.”

Sloane and his daughter, Georgy Simba.

Sloane took his daughter to the Watering Hole Pub to indulge in a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cone. He spotted Caroline with her new husband and son. He saddened remembering the times they shared here with Georgy and little Shane, Jr.

The next day Sloane received a call from Shane Simba inviting him to join his family at their bush house. Shane was beginning to rely heavily on his half-brother as his minister of justice. The two had become very close. Shane had listened while Sloane vented his heart break over Caroline Cheetah’s abrupt marriage.

“This must be Georgy,” said Shane, picking up his niece.

“Yes, I am,” answered Georgy giving her presidential uncle a pat on the face with her small paw.

“I’ve never seen a female cat with a mane but you are almost there, Georgy girl,” laughed Shane. “You have the incredible hair of your dad. You like horses?”

“Oh yes, Uncle Shane, I do.”

“We’ll take you to the barn where Staci is saddling up to ride. She’ll let you take a turn with her.”

Shane and Sloane took Georgy to the barn where Staci Simba was chatting with and grooming her horse. Later, the two rode out, the little cub hanging on behind her older cousin. Sloane kicked back and enjoyed the wonderful terrace of Shane and Betty’s bush home. The day was cloudy but warm. The servant brought Bloody Marys to the group. Sloane relaxed in the loving ambiance of his brother and Betty’s retreat house.

Caroline was relaxing even more in the caring environment of her new husband’s devotion and affection towards her. He suggested that they ask Shane if he could adopt Shane, Jr. now re-dubbed, Sunny. Caroline felt herself to be very sanguine at this suggestion. She tamped down any urges to get an abortion with Leland’s litter and the days passed pleasantly. After a busy day at their jobs, she and Leland would drive out, taking Sunny bouncing about the back seat, to check the progress of their bush home which was in close proximity to Luke’s. Lewis Lyon’s construction crew would gladly show them the advancement they were making on the elaborate structure. Caroline, although not pinched for money, was enjoying being married to a male for whom money was no object. Leland as a Leoparde family heir was as rich as Croesus.

Caroline's illegitimate son, Shane, Jr, nicknamed Sunny....

“Leland, what the hell were you thinking of?” shouted Luke Leoparde. “She is a Simba males’ groupie. You could have waited two weeks for me to come off my safari before you took the drastic step of marrying Caroline.”

This harangue was taking place in the bungalow of Luke Leoparde in the safari club compound. Ashley Lyon was present and trying to smooth the atmosphere between the two agitated brothers.

“Come on, Luke, be fair. Caroline Cheetah isn’t that bad,” soothed Ashley.

“She got pregnant and has a kid by our new president and I quit dating her because she was so in love with that asshole , Sloane,” snarled Luke.

“Hey, Luke, cool your heels, you just don’t like the Simbas,” argued Ashley.

“Remember you are talking about my pregnant wife, Luke,” added Leland.

“Oh, pregnant is she? Have you checked the paternity yet?” growled Luke.

Ashley did some fancy foot work and managed to get between the two brothers before fisticuffs broke out. Finally, the former president’s son got the two seated in chairs opposite and refreshed their drinks. Tempers began to cool.

“Lewis is building us a house in the bush very near yours, Luke,” said Leland.

“I hope you two will be happy, Leland. I just don’t want to see you get the short end of the stick.”

I winced outwardly as Maude Hyena entered Shane’s inner office unable to be stopped by either of his secretaries, so persistent was she. Shane and I were studying a proposal on his desk and deep in thought with matters of consultation. He looked up abruptly, his eyes widening and fiercely green, the pupils flaring.

“What do you want in here, Mrs. Hyena?” he asked with an all hoarfrost and glacial freeze in his tone.

If Maude had suddenly become encased in a block of ice as in some fantasy film, I wouldn’t have been surprised, so frigid did the atmosphere suddenly become. Shane is an animal that can heat up a room with his charm and charisma but if he feels otherwise, the opposite is true. With Maude Hyena, he felt ‘otherwise’. She took a seat without leave. I saw his light eyes show a further degree of chill.

“President Simba, as you may know, I live on Lyon Avenue in the Mara. Harold and I have put a great deal of money into our home to have it become a street of very close housing. My proposition to you is to change the zoning on that street and do not allow such restricted lots which push our homes too closely together.”

My involuntary groan was audible. I saw Shane cast me a hurried and amused glance.

“Mrs. Hyena, I am the freaking President of Kenya – I don’t deal with zoning laws in the Masai Mara. That’s for your office to play with. If I’m not mistaken, haven’t you recently been elected as Deputy Mayor?”

“Yes, I have, Mr. President, but I thought you might handle the matter with your superior clout.”

“Was that your thought, Mrs. Hyena, or are you just into needling the hell out of me with your bullshit?”

“Why, President Simba, of course I don’t want to needle you.”

“Then, get the hell out of my office and do not darken my door again short of a major revolution going on.”

Maude got up, lips twitching, eyes tearing and left just ahead of Shane’s guards who were prepared to toss her at any sign from him.

“Where were we, Maury?” he asked, signaling the houseboy for a Scotch.

Shane Simba puts a glacial stare on Maude Hyena....

Lachlan sat across from Cary Caracal Simba, his former coworker in the mental health center.

“Cary, do you love your husband or did you two marry in a stoned state and not realize what you were about?”

“We were stoned when we married, Lachlan, but I do love Sid. He’s very contented now with his garden center but I long to return to my profession.”

“We discussed psychiatry not being the right avenue for you, Cary. Some can’t take this field. I believe it is adding to your angst.”

“You suggested a return to medical school for HIV and AIDS work.”

“Only if you have any interest in this, Cary. It will be a tough field too – lots of suffering among the patients. Can you cope?”

“Lachlan, you are in the process of building an AIDS wing to this center. I think I would like to remain in psychiatry and work with victims of HIV and AIDS. It’s the patients who are truly cracked mentally that give me this feeling of hopelessness. I believe I would be good counseling those with AIDS and HIV. What should I do to accomplish this?”

“I first need to see you thoroughly clean from drugs and seeing out your allotted time here. Then Dr. Juma Mnyama has a class that he is conducting in the nursing and treatment of AIDS and HIV patients. You could attend those. I would be willing to take a chance on you again as a counselor in the new wing if you would swear to me that you would notify me if you felt stressed. I would need to see you every six weeks in a serious session to make sure you were not falling into that same mindset again. However, Cary, if you and your husband want to stick it out, he is a good example to you of someone who is clean now because they are happy in their life and work.”

“Lachlan, I love Sid. I don’t share his fixation on botanicals but I respect him for it and the nerve it took to change his field from being an attorney. I think we can be happy together as long as we both have careers that make us content and fulfilled.”

“Good, Cary, let’s go for that idea. I think we may have a plan for you. I’ll talk to Juma today and see if he has room for you in the class now. I will give you a pass to attend from here.”

In his need for release and his loss of Caroline, Sloane turned once again to Chloe Cougar. Chloe would blather on about fan magazines, French underwear, nail polish and film roles while Sloane humped away, sometimes placing his paw across her mouth to shush the drone of her words. It tended to delay his climax, something he didn’t wish since the less time he spent in Chloe’s company, the better was his thought.

Bernard Cougar received a call from his brother, Carl Cougar, in Montana. When he left the phone he went to the garden where his long time wife, Sylvia, sat reading the paper and having her sundowner.

“Syl, guess what? Wonderful news – Carl and Georgia are moving here to the Masai Mara. Since that recent mauling in Colorado, he says things are getting too tough for cougars in America.”

“Oh, Berns, how wonderful, darling. I’ll bet they would like one of the new townhouses that Lewis Lyon is building on the watering hole.”

“That would be splendid, Syl. I’ll get a membership for them in the sporting club. Ralph and Mildred love to golf with Carl and Georgia too.”