Not for the first time in his life, Uri was strolling along with a beautiful female at his side. He’d been rather the charmer, always a gentleman but certainly a lover boy, back in the day. However, this was most definitely not a lady friend at his side and it was an entirely new thing to be wandering along with his daughter. It had been such a short time since Farli had found him…
“ – and of course old Afra …well, you know what she’s like.” He ended the story, smiling over at his daughter.
*
“Oh yes. My darling grandmother.” Farli laughed, managing to keep most of the bitterness from her voice and both her and Uri knowing what an effort that was. The old cheetahess had had a paw in making both their cubhoods miserable. It was an experience they shared that linked them just as much as their blood tie - horrible pasts as freaks in their homeland.
“Of course she never publicly accepted that but everyone knew. They only had to look at me, even if I favour mama...”
*
“You’re every bit my daughter.” Uri beamed at her, feeling his heart clench. He wished he’d been there to protect her and help raise her, although he knew it would never have worked out. Uri hadn’t even known Anana had conceived when he left and had he not he would have been killed. But wishes didn’t have to make sense.
“Anana and I were so careful. No one ever knew about us before you came along as I’ve said, not even me.”
*
“Not even sharp eyed sharp tongued old Afra.”
She shook her head ruefully and nudged her father with her head as they walked along. Comfort. For while she’d been hassled and hated, she’d not had it anywhere near as bad as her father. She at least was golden. He was smoky and in a place were everyone was golden, that had been a problem. Plus she’d had a mama, she’d had Anana. He’d not had a mama, he’d had Afra as a mother. That old hag…
“I can’t believe…I can’t believe she named you, that they used to call you Le-“
*
“Don’t! Don’t, sweetheart.”
Uri looked around at her abruptly in a panic at hearing the start of a name he’d thankfully not heard since he was younger than she was now. One he’d never wanted to hear again. Oh and he was ashamed that his daughter knew that name had once been his.
“I managed to forget that until you came and found me. Foul filthy name…And not mine. Not any more. Never really was mine because I’m not like that.”
*
“Sorry. But you know what I mean. You don’t deserve that and yes, you never did. You’re one of the best cheetahs I’ve ever known and I’m not just saying that.”
They reached the rocks and she leapt up into the slender opening first, delicately jumping up to the next level and waiting for him as he followed. She looked over her shoulder to smile and lead the way along the narrow rocky trail.
*
“That means a lot…that you think I didn’t deserve it. Some would be angrier at me as a father for the past, would think I deserved it.”
Uri took longer in getting up than the spry younger feline but not that much longer. He was older but not yet an elder. Even if the cubs did joke and he laughingly said it was their antics which had turned his fur this grey with worry.
“Still. If remembering that name is the price I have to pay to have my daughter alongside me.”
*
“It would be illogical to be angry with you. Especially when it took me so long to find you!”
Farli reach the top first of course for she’d lead the way and the trail was thin – you could only go up one at a time. Up here however there was room for several to rest comfortably, stretched out and still with room between them. More than enough space for the pair of them to find a good spot to rest.
“I should never have…I mean it’s not like my old name. Anana never meant to hurt me with my birthname.
*
“And Afra did with mine. Cold old thing. But that is the past and we can forget it now.”
Uri decided they were getting back to that old grivence again and decided to turn to lighter things. He and Farli often spent walks talking over everything under the sun. Just tonight they seemed stuck on the subject that made them both cringe. Time to slowly lead out of it onto happier subjects of conversation. Like, anything but Afra and her kin they’d left long behind them.
“…Oh the names I would have suggested for you as a cub! I love my sons, but I always did want a daughter.”
*
“Well, now you have a daughter now and you can call me whatever endearments you like…baba.” She smiled and added the childish name of her father on pointedly. They’d never be like a father and daughter who’d been together anyway. They were more like best friends. But they were still close and the term applied nicely. Baba. Daddy. Not just father.
“And if you and Tomoyo keep on as you are I bet you could have more at this rate.”
*
“My daughter is also my wingman and best friend.”
The older cheetah clucked his tongue as if he disapproved - he didn’t – and rolled his eyes. He settled down for they planned to be up in this lookout all night and laid back to get comfy, and gave a airy wave of his paw as if dismissing.
“Typical.”
*
“Speaking on wingmen did I tell you about the other day when I – “
And so the conversation continued on and on and on…
END
