Morea looked at her baby sitter. He was huge, looking twice as big as mama. The look he gave her wasn't the best. He seemed to dislike her for no reason. It made her heart hurt. She thought everyone loved her, thinking that someone did like her made her feel terrible. It didn't help that she was sick. “Mister Bukaera what is wrong? Did I do something wrong?” she asked in her innocent voice. Her steel eyes watched him with longing.
Bukaera hesitated. He couldn't stand hybrids, but this thing was a cub. He couldn't hate a cub. She didn't do anything wrong except be born. Carefully he shook his head. “I'm not mad at you.” he said giving her a soft smile. “What would you like to do until your mother gets back. She shouldn't be long, she told me she would be right back” If he had known he was going to watch a hybrid he probably would have refused. This hybrid was kind of adorable. More cheetah than leopard.
“I like to sing,” she responded with a smile. “My mommy taught me to sing when I was little. She sings to me when ever she can. I think it makes her happy to sing. She hasn't since daddy left though. I think singing also makes her think of him.” She frowned as she thought of her father. He had left recently, just before she got sick. He hated her more than anyone. No matter what she did he would not love her.
Once she ventured to get him some flowers to cheer him up and he got mad at her. Mommy had to stop him before Morea started to cry. Since than she was sure that he hated her. He wouldn't let her play the same games he let her siblings, saying she would get hurt. Really he just didn't want her to have fun.
In some ways Morea felt like it was her fault that he left. She thought that he hated her so much that he had to leave to get away from her. Mommy told her differently, but it still pained her to think about her father. She sometimes went as far as blamed him for her becoming sick, though she know that it is impossible.
“I would love to hear you sing.” Bukaera said. He wasn't too excited, but it was one way to keep her busy. Plus she might get tired from singing and fall asleep. Than he would have nice peace and quiet. This was the reason he didn't want a mate and didn't want cubs. He wasn't ready to have cubs He preferred to love and leave. He was sure by now he sired a few litters of cubs, but it didn't matter to him . The cubs would be happier without him in their lives.
She gave him a gentle smile before singing. Her voice was pure and she sounded just like her mother. Her eyes were closed as she sang. Her speech was a language she made up. She was sining about a bird she dreamed of. It was on fire, but it didn't burn. It sang beautifully. Than she sang the song it sang. The notes she hit was something she hadn't hit yet. Still she hit the notes gracefully.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Her voice was so beautiful he couldn't understand. How could something so wretched like a hybrid have a gift so wonderful? He never heard a voice so soft and pure before. “Keep singing.” he didn't want her to soft. He felt himself getting entranced with her young voice. “How in the world did you learn to sing like this?”
She was confused. Should she answer his question or continue to sing? She decided to sing his answer. “My mommy taught me. My mommy has a voice like you have never heard before.” she sang. She felt a little embarrassed. It was usually her mother who got attention for singing not her. When ever she sang she felt herself embarrassed when she sung. It was so different than singing along with her mother.
“When your mother comes back I'll have to ask her to sing for me. It would be lovely to hear you two duet.” He watched her sing. If she sung this well he wondered how well the mother sang. They both must be naturals with no outside training. It's amazing, he thought. He lacked any skills like that and so found it amazing when others had beautiful natural skills like that.
“Do any of your siblings sing or your father?” he asked curiously. It would be something if the whole family ended up musical. He would ask to travel with them for some time to just hear them sing. It didn't matter if they had some hybrids in the family. As long as they didn't get on his nerves it didn't matter.
“Only mommy and me,” she replied still singing. She saw a change in Bukaera's attitude toward her. He didn't seem to detest her as much and even seemed to enjoy her company. “Daddy and my siblings like to listen though. They are good at that. So are you.”
“I have no talent like you and your mother. I'm a bit jealous to be honest. You would think a leopard would have some sort of talent when a hybrid has a talent that is unbelievable. It's unfair in some respects. Luckily I'm not bitter. I enjoy watching and listening to your beautiful talent.” He said with a smile.
Morea was never called a hybrid. In fact her mother had banned that word from the family. She found it rude. “My mommy does't like the word hybrid. She thinks it is a dirty thing to call us. Please when you are around her don't use it. I don't want you to upset mommy.”
He nodded his head. “I'm sorry Morea. I'll be careful when I speak next time. Please continue to sing for me. I'll behave and stay silent.”
She sang for him every song she could think of, most of them she made up herself. She sung until Cay showed up with the other cubs. She said thanks to Bukaera and took the cubs to the lake. Morea waved goodbye to Bukaera as they left. She would miss him. Hopefully it wouldn't be long till they saw each other again.
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