Maurice & Friends

I haven’t shared my life with you for such a long time – at least it appears that way. It has actually only been a brief span of several weeks but with the near catastrophic conditions Kenya has endured it seems a lifetime. Now, we have survived all of this and things are peaceful once more. The opposing tribal affiliations in parliament agreed to work together once again and we animals are safe, for now, from the horrors that occur when African countries go down the tube. Our focus now is on human families who have been displaced. The children, especially, need our attentions. Our former first lioness, Mildred Lyon and her daughter, Lisa Lyon Leo, have formed a committee for this purpose and are working diligently in the refugee camps in Nairobi to give solace and help to those people who have suffered so.

Things have calmed down at the State House where we are now trying to resolve some problems created by the upheaval. There is a rather upbeat air these days. Our steps are lighter, our brows less creased with worry and fear.

Kenya University in the Mara is popping again. Professor Betty Chimpo has been lauded by the chancellor, Dr. Terry Simba, for her clever and creative classes. Students have signed up in droves for her new semester offerings.

Betty's finesse as a professor increases....

President Shane Simba still seems a bit shell shocked at the recent mayhem in Kenya. Tired and drawn, he walks the path to his office early in the morning, flanked by his loyal Masai guards. I keep expecting the joyous interchange between his human wife and himself each day. It’s no longer there. I fear the human turmoil took its toll between the lion and his human mate. She has been an excellent first lady but all were surprised when she went to England to see to her twins who had been sent there in the care of her brother and his wife. The constant attentions of the paparazzi caught her riding horses and fox hunting with her brother in tow.

Dickey Simba sat and looked through the crystal wine glass at the waning sun through the plate glass window of his apartment. His bong was lit and he interspersed sipping wine with tokes from the hashish. He had just come from the office and was wondering what to do with the rest of the evening. He lifted the phone to call Betty Chimpo but dialed Simone Serval instead.

Dickey Simba.......

Betty had not heard from Dickey since their night in Eldoret where he had declared his love for her. Then there was nothing. If she hadn’t been so wrapped up in her new career, Betty would have been shattered by the neglect. She was brought out of her reverie by her twin cubs, Jalil and Tarek Simba.

“Solly forgot to pick us up and we are supposed to eat dinner with Dad tonight,” complained Jalil.

“I’ll take you there, boys, no problem,” she answered, taking her purse from the desk chair.

The lonely, slightly forlorn figure of Shane Simba walked down the steps to go to the mansion. He was the sight that greeted the threesome as Betty pulled in the circular State House driveway. Shane stopped and greeted them.

“We have a dinner date don’t we, boys?” their father asked the twins.

“Yeah, yeah,” they agreed as they piled all gangly adolescence from Betty’s car.

“Fifi, why don’t you join us?” asked Shane, using his old pet name for his ex-wife.

“Are you sure, Shane?” she asked – must make sure.

“Absolutely,” he said, helping her from the car. “Let’s walk to the mansion. The evening is so lovely.”

Lachlan and I engaged in a fishing frenzy. With the pressure off, we stocked Lachlan’s pearl diving boat in Mombasa and took her out. There, in an offshore spot known for its great angling, we saw Jack Tarzan and his recent bride, Leah Simba Tarzan. We moored out boats together and pooled our picnic supplies. Leah, Jack, Lachlan and I swam happily between bouts of partying and fishing. We more or less blew it out our respective asses in a sense of relief at the cessation of our country’s violence. We partied long into the night, prudently bringing our boats closer to shore in case of sudden squalls. I can’t speak for the others but I had one terrific hangover the next day which Lachlan dosed with liberal amounts of vodka mixed with orange juice – “hair of the dog,” he laughed.

my Lachlan with his first catch of the day......

Lewis Lyon and his wife, Gina, gave a birthday party for his half-brother, Ashley Lyon. It was in Lewis’ Mara mansion. The evening glowed with fireflies, abundant stars and bright moonlight. Cicadas sang loudly as tree frogs echoed from the deep bush surrounding the Lyon home.

The invited gathered and drank multiple toasts to the healing Kenya. Shane arrived with Ashley and his daughter, Staci Simba Lyon. It was a magical evening made even more so by our delight at the cessation of national problems. Lewis had created a dancing space in one of his larger salons. There we danced the night away, drunk with delight and hope for a brighter future. Ralph Lyon played the piano and sang “My Way” to outlandish applause. We are all in love with each other and besotted with happiness this particular evening. Lachlan and I had brought Betty Chimpo. She spent a great deal of the evening dancing with her ex-husband, President Shane Simba.

Ralph Lyon and son, Ashley share moment at the party..............Staci Simba Lyon arrives at her hubby's bash.....

The sisters Cougar - Lucy and Chloe in a moment at the party for Ashley.....

The next day - both of us with aggravating hangovers - I saw Shane off on a trip to France to join the European leaders in a global warming summit. I was to hold down the fort at the State House. Dickey Simba seems preoccupied these days. We worked amicably together to clear up the loose ends that had resulted from our recent national problems. Dickey is a brilliant justice minister and certainly knows the ropes.

Shane with his Parisian dalliance...

Two days later, I was handed a European newspaper which showed Shane passing the time with a very attractive female of the human persuasion. Bernice Bear, Alexandra’s private secretary was the culprit. Bernice was wiping tears from her eyes with a lacy hanky.

“Look at this picture, Maurice, he will be caught up very soon in the scheme of things if Alex doesn’t return,” she bemoaned.

I gave my bear friend a kindly pat on the shoulder. I was crazy about Bernice with her caring and slightly flaky approach.

“It’s okay, Berry,” I soothed. “We’ve been there with Shane before…..we can go again. I love Alexandra but Shane has gone through a tough time with Kenya and has steered us on the right course. Alex needs to be at his side, not out and about fox hunting.”

“Oh Lord, Maury, those poor foxes, what have they done to deserve being run down by a bunch of horseback riders with murder on their minds? I will never understand humans.”

This time, I knew my friend and I were very much on the same page with our lion president who had worked diligently to save our country and its citizens. Shane Simba had gone through the fire and saved the day. In Kenya he could do no wrong.

Alexandra Delamere Simba....

In the small Wiltshire village where her brother and sister-in-law lived, Alexandra Delamere Simba sat in the elegant bedroom with the roaring fire and gazed upon her husband’s image with the woman in Paris. Her half lion twins sat near the fire with their coloring books having no idea of the complicated lives of their parents. She put the paper down and lit a cigarette as the servant arrived with a tray of tea and small sandwiches.

The late afternoon sun slanted on the steps of the State House. It was that time of day when we who worked there, happily went to our homes – at least some of us did. Dickey Simba stood on the stairs and lit a cigarette. Taking out his cell phone he called a number.

“Betty, I know you must be furious with me, but let’s have coffee and I’ll try to explain.”

“I am grading papers but I suppose I can stop for a break - where?”

“The Watering Hole Pub.”

Sean Simba, the jock son of Shane, had heard with horror that his human squeeze, Dina Myers, was pregnant with his natural child. He had hastily moved out of her apartment, returning to the home in the bush that he had shared with his first cousin, Troy Simba. Dina, with small sobs, had gone about righting the horrific mess caused by her live-in-footballer lover. Sean had managed to strew his belongings and anything else he touched about the usually neat apartment that belonged to Dina Myers.

Sean Simba reels at paternity....

Dina, not minding the fact of sharing her personal life with the media, had announced her pregnancy. The doctors at the Tigeres-Lyon Clinic had no choice but to release the tantalizing tidbit that Dina was, indeed, naturally preggers by Sean Simba. For the first time in a while, the newspapers headlined the strange pregnancy rather than Kenya’s tribal problems.

The day waned with an approaching sunset of pure red and gold when Betty arrived on the deck of the Watering Hole Pub. She saw Dickey Simba sitting there but with no coffee on the table in front of him. He stood to greet her.

“Alcohol instead of caffeine?” he asked.

“I suppose that would be better,” she acquiesced.

Dickey ordered their drinks, lit a cigarette and narrowed his yellow lion eyes.

“Betty, I am sure you have wondered why I didn’t call or maybe that is totally presumptuous of me to think at this point.”

“Yes, quite frankly, I did wonder and it hurt like hell.”

“I’m sorry; I suppose I succumbed to an intense bout of cowardice over you. Betty, I have never felt this way toward a female in my life. It’s so new to me that I simply retreated behind my bong and a few females…….”

“So, the question is still larger than the answer. It seems you are not ready for anything of a stable nature, at least relationship wise. You seem to have your more intense moments with your hashish, Dickey,” she snapped, lighting a Kool.

He leaned back in his chair and studied her. “I truly deserve that one, Betty. Do you want to go with me to my apartment so we can continue this discussion?”

Betty exercised every microscopic ounce of will power and spoke.

“No thank You, Dickey. I have to continue grading papers tonight - perhaps another time.”

She stood, almost knocking over the remnants of her martini. Leaving the deck, she headed for her car. Dickey put money on the table and rushed after Betty’s retreating form. He caught up with her as she opened the door to her car. Turning her around and wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her resoundingly. She felt that tell tale tingle sweep her body and went limp.

“Betty, reconsider and go home with me,” he insisted.

“No, you go home with me this time. At least that would prove to me that you cared a little bit,” she murmured into his mane.

“Of course, I’ll go with you, Betty. I love you.”

The rhythmic beat of the local hip hop stirred the youthful crowd in the sports bar of the Watering Hole Pub. There Sean Simba sagged against his cousin, Georgy Simba’s chair in drunken fashion. The group included Troy Simba, Georgy and Imani Lyon.

“I saw in the paper where you knocked up that Dina chick,” remarked Imani Lyon on one of her caustic rolls.

“Shut up, Imani,” said Georgy who was a total sucker for her sexy cousin. “Can’t you see Sean is upset? Don’t be such a bitch.”

“Oh yeah, he seems absolutely devastated,” giggled Imani.

Georgy glared at Imani who had shone on one more magazine cover than she had this month.

Sean and Imani in the pub....