Life had slowed down a great deal for the yellow lion. His eight were all grown up and mostly starting to live their own lives, Manuku seemed to be the only one who wasn't able to let go. His six, or the five that he had met and known, they were off again. Gone home or living lives they had found away from home. And then there was Intombi. Intombi, who swore she loved him and would be able to adjust.. well, it just seemed like it wasn't going to happen. He was having a hard time moving on so for now, Wahabu was happy to cling to the quiet life. He did his job to the best of his abilities, spent what time he could with his family about the pride and overall just tried to relax.
Relaxing wasn't always easy, though. It was very early in the morning and Wahabu had been having a bit of trouble sleeping. He had quite a bit of control over his visions but sometimes there wasn't much he could do. Tonight, they were not making much sense but they were interrupting his night. He made it to the crack of dawn but he couldn't lay there any longer. Instead of lazing about, he decided to get up and go for a walk. He thought, perhaps, he could tire himself out. He knew the consequences of getting overtired, but that wasn't going to happen this time.
Shani's life had become unsettlingly quiet as well, but she was adjusting more happily. She was still very close to her cubs, though they were really her sister's and mother's. She had overcome her worries and allowed herself to be comfortable with Persephone out and about on her own- she was a tough girl, she could handle herself and she would be home. Through all of this, she continued to be oblivious to how much she was missing in her own life. She was happy to live for them, for all of them. To do everything to make them feel better, live better. None of this meant she never had time to herself, though. Used to getting up early, she was already up and about, heading for the waterhole. She thought of Enzi and his new friend, Kafara. It was no leap of the imagination that she could see them together, more seriously than perhaps they realized. It was a happy thought, one she enjoyed carrying around with her. She had done something good, and she knew her mother would be happy if she were here.
Wahabu had absently managed to find his way towards the waterhole. He didn't intend to end up there, but it wasn't a bad place to start your day. His eyes were open for any other early risers as he stood by the water's edge after taking a drink. There were very few lions out and about this early in the morning, but he wasn't surprised when he noticed one heading his way. He was surprised, though, when he realized it was someone he knew. He didn't really know her too well personally, but he knew exactly who it was. It was the lioness who spent her youth raising Mafuriko's cubs, that arrogant uncle of his that got himself into quite serious trouble before running away. Not that he didn't have reason to run, nobody could clear his name in time. Nobody had known until it was too late for him to stick around.
Wondering what she was doing out and about this morning, and about how everybody was doing, Habu saw no problem in him going and striking up a conversation. He stepped around the water and approached the dark lioness, a smile on his face.
"Good morning," he called out.
"Good morning, Wahabu," Shani greeted the brightly colored lion when he approached her. She also recognized him, though their personal interactions were limited. He was a cousin of her bunch, a large part of why they were not quite so bitter about Mafuriko and a good lion. He had visited with them every once in a while, though he mostly visited through Kubwa. They had been close friends once, Shani knew that too. Whatever the case, she had no reservations in stopping to chat with him.
"What brings you out here so early?" she asked curiously.
"I couldn't sleep," he answered honestly with a shrug and a pleasant smile, "It's no big deal, though. It just brings me out and about a bit earlier than normal." He looked out around them, really taking in that they were the only ones around at the waterhole now. It was rare, something to enjoy. This was one of the busiest places to go during much of the day, it was just so popular. Finally, he turned back to Shani, still smiling.
"What about you?" he asked. He had plenty of questions for her, he wanted to ask about everybody and what was going on with all of them but it would be impolite to overlook the lioness he was speaking to directly. He might not know her so well, but that wasn't her fault and perhaps it was something to be remedied.
Shani's eyes followed Habu's as he looked out around them. His response made her wonder, though she used it as an explanation for the slightly spacy behavior. She could appreciate the quiet and calm of the area now, it was a reason she often picked now to come to the waterhole. She would be back later in the day, it was almost a certainty, but there was something about coming early in the morning by yourself. And you rarely ever were completely alone when you did, just as she found herself today.
"I like coming out here in the morning," she replied, daring to comment on his sleep trouble despite his assurance that it wasn't a big deal, "I hope everything is OK."
So many things could cause insomnia, most of them were not good.
"Oh," he murmured, taking another quick glance around. Everybody liked different things, this wasn't one of those strange or surprising kind of things for someone to enjoy. His eyes came back to her quickly when she said she hoped everything was OK and he quickly smiled and nodded to her. She was just being polite, he figured, but he still didn't want to cause any unnecessary worry.
"No, everything is fine," he said firmly, though part of him felt that it wasn't- but this was hardly someone to talk to about it, "How about you? Is everything good? How are Enzi and the girls?"
Shani visibly jumped when Habu asked about Enzi and the girls, her immediate thought going to Enzi and Kafara since they were most recently on her mind. She bit her lip and smiled sheepishly when she realized what he meant in almost the same instant he thought of them. She realized that would require some explanation, she didn't even know why she reacted so much. Perhaps it was because it was so recently on her mind, because she wasn't really sure about all of it or because the idea of someone else noticing it would just have been too perfect.
"Everybody is doing very well," she said, laughing quietly at herself and explaining, "Enzi, he has a new friend. A girl. I'm sorry for the jump, I guess that's what was on my mind."
Habu was a father and a grandfather, he didn't need an apology to understand why she might be so jumpy about Enzi and his girl-friend. He chuckled and beamed at the lioness, hoping that it showed that he understood. He had a fairly close relationship with Kinya and her family, and he had seen more in his visions. He wasn't entirely sure of it all, but from what he could see and guess about.. it was likely to be Pepo. His oldest son, his only son in his six.
"Don't apologize," he said, "Good for him, what is she like? He must be the first in the bunch.."
Her sheepish smile deepened when he laughed. She knew he had cubs, she figured he might understand, but still. She felt guilty talking about it when it was really her own imagination filling in the gaps after she learned that Enzi had really gotten along with that pretty lioness she had pointed out to him. Now Habu knew and was asking about it, though, she had to keep talking.
"Oh, he probably wouldn't like me talking about it," she said, "I haven't met her but she sounds nice, Enzi is certainly spending a fair bit of time with her. He is the first of them that I know of, I don't know if his sisters have realized it, though." Shani laughed to herself thinking about the reactions the girls would have to this knowledge. Perhaps Enzi realized it and that was why they hadn't really gotten a chance to meet Kafara yet. Or maybe he didn't see what they saw, they couldn't go making things too awkward for him. He was doing extremely well, Shani was very proud of him.
"I understand," Habu said with another laugh, then smiling at Shani, "I won't tell anybody. I have cubs and grandcubs, I know exactly what you mean."
He decidedly took a seat, curling his tail around him. Their conversation wasn't very deep or personal but that was no reason to try to cut it short and bail. He was enjoying the conversation, it was nice to just chat about happy things and not worry about anything that might be bothering you.
"Once his sisters find out, you won't be the only one with suspicions," he assured her with a small laugh, "Of course, you'll be the only one tactful enough not to say.. much about it." No parent could stay quiet about such a topic forever, it would take enourmous willpower and it certainly wasn't something he himself possessed. Though perhaps Shani did.
Shani knew Wahabu was a father, but she didn't know he was a grandfather. She wasn't even entirely sure how many cubs he had, but she knew he had quite a few and that they were all grown up. It shouldn't have come as such a surprise that he had grandcubs, the way things were going she would be a grandmother soon too. Well, in a way. She certainly was old enough to have cubs old enough to have their own cubs, half of them were her sister's after all. She thought sadly of her mother, wondering what she would think about Enzi and Kafara, what she would do and say to them. And then she thought to Ghali, her estranged sister who would rather chase a perceived evil-doer than take care of her girls. What would Ghali think if one of her girls found someone and started a family? But none of that mattered. Shani was the one who was always there, who had acted as a mother to all six of them. She would continue to do so as long as they allowed her to. She was happy to be their mother.
"Sorry," she murmured when she realized she had fallen quiet for several minutes, looking up from the ground to Wahabu again, "I was just thinking about them, my sister and m-my mother. What they would think, what they would say."
Wahabu noticed the change in Shani's expression and the silence, and he let her have it. He sat patiently, watching her. It was hard not to stare, and he wondered if he might be best off leaving her be but he knew sometimes it was nice to have someone around, especially someone a bit disconnected from it all. He smiled sadly at her when she apologized and revealed where her mind at gone. It struck him then that Mafuriko, too, was missing out on a great deal. His cubs were all grown up, his only son quite possibly had a girlfriend. The great idiot probably didn't even realize it, and Habu knew better than to bring him up to the lioness who was raising his cubs.
"I think she would be proud," he said daringly, referring only to her mother, "Of them but especially of you, if you don't mind my saying. You've done a very good job, I can't imagine your mother would be anything but proud and your sister anything but grateful." He didn't dare comment on how the responsibility should not have fallen on her, how his uncle and her sister should have been able to step up rather than running off. He didn't witness everything, but from what he saw, what he knew.. Shani did a very good job and she shouldn't doubt it.
Her ears turned and she smiled sadly at Habu when he offered his opinion. She wasn't sure of her own opinion exactly, but she never had wanted anything more than to make her mother proud. She wasn't sure if it was because someone was saying it out loud or because that someone wasn't someone who would just be trying to make her feel better and stop worrying, but it did make her smile again. But not without a sigh and a fleeting thought to Persephone.
"Thank you," she murmured.
It was hard not to notice that things were getting a bit awkward, but taking your leave could sometimes make it more awkward. So he got to his feet again, shaking the dirt from his legs and stepping back a bit. The conversation wasn't going to get anymore pleasent from here so he figured he would walk, and invite her along. That was what they were both there for so, why not? He offered her a friendly smile.
"I think I'd like to get moving again," he said, "Care to join me?"
Shani took a deep breath and looked out in the direction she had been heading. She was here for a walk and there was no reason she couldn't change her route or accept some company. He wasn't a complete stranger or that bad to chat with.
"Sure," she agreed, and waited for him to lead the way.
Fin.
