“I’m looking for my father.” Chunuka blurted. He was becoming desperate now, impatient in his failed attempts at finding Amari, who had left the Pridelands in his grief months ago. “Please, please tell me I’m in the right place.” Though part of him wished he wasn’t. Not a single trace of his father’s scent lingered here. Nothing.
The female he addressed was a member of the Kusini. Her name was Hababuu, a new mother who was preening just outside of her den. Normally she wouldn’t leave her cubs’ sides when they were so vulnerable, but she had craved fresh air and sunlight. So there she lay, sunbathing and grooming with a purr at her throat.
That was until a young gold male came blundering across to her.
“Excuse me?” She looked taken-aback. “Your father?” She rose slowly, aware that this was a strange male. A strange male near her cubs.
“Just who are you?”
“Oh…” Chunuka’s head dipped shamefully, his ears pinning back into his mane. “I’m sorry.” He tried to gain control of himself. “I really do apologise.” He sat, looked suddenly mournful. “I’ve come all this way and I think it was for nothing.”
Seeing him look so pitiful Hababuu drew closer. She was a motherly sort and her first instinct was to comfort this mournful looking male who was obviously clearly upset about the loss of his father. Seeing that he hadn’t answered her question she decided to introduce herself first.
Break the ice, so to speak.
“I’m Hababuu. I’ve lived here all my life, just as my mother and father did.”
The golden male shook his head sadly. “I’m Chunuka. I’ve come from the Pridelands to find my father. I thought he would be here. His friend lived here. His name was…Asikari. Do you know him?” Realising he was making no sense the male stood, paced back and forth and then gained his composure.
“I’m sorry, let’s start again.” He forced a smile onto his face. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Chunuka. I’ve come here to find my father who disappeared a few months ago.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Haba smiled. “Yes, I know Asikari. He’s my grandfather.” She curled her tail. “What does your father look like? I don’t recognise his name but I certainly would have seen him if he had come to visit recently.”
“He’s rusty brown, with hazel eyes, a caramel mane the colour of mine and an anchor shaped mark on his nose.” He nodded. “He’s a big lion, thick in muscle though a bit greying at the chin.”
She thought long and hard, but she couldn’t conjure up anything at all. She shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry Chunuka, I don’t recognise his name nor his description. We have a lot of brown lions here but most of them were born and raised here.”
“I wish I could help…”
“No, it’s okay. I knew it was a pointless effort.” The gold lion shook his mane, looked briefly tormented. “I’m such a letdown. How can I return to mother without father at my side? Where did he go if not here? Where else would he turn to if not the Pridelands or his oldest friend?” He squeezed his eyes closed, almost looked as if he wished the ground would swallow him whole.
“Please, don’t give up hope…” Hababuu ventured, reaching a paw out to comfort him, to try and ease his pain. She knew what he was going through. To lose one you loved was such a terrible feeling. She remembered it all too well and even now the pain still shone through.
“If you give up hope then you have nothing. Hope is all that keeps us going.”
“Then I can’t go on any further.” Chunuka blurted. “My hope is gone.” And he turned and swept away from her, not even looking where he was going.
