Njiti made her way back to their den, questions on her mind. The brown lioness had just had an interesting talk with a serval. Njiti hadn’t planned on talking with the small feline creature. It just sort of happened. She was taking a walk, getting some time away from her brother who was being annoying as always, and had happened upon the beast. It was a curious thing, Njiti had not come across one before, and it seemed like it was a curious creature as well, because it was very interested in talking to her.
They spoke about all sorts of nonsense, as one is want to do, however, one question stuck with her, and she wanted to know the answer to it, because she could not tell the serval because she didn’t know. Njiti found her mother in the den and dived into her question.
“Mother, who are we?” she demanded to know, her tail flicking, awaiting a response.
Mwujuzi had been happy to have a moment’s peace. Now that the cubs were old enough to wander about by themselves without hurting them or anything else, Mwujuzi was finding her moments of solitude particularly pleasing. This afternoon she had taken the time to clean herself, and to clear away some of the muck in the den that having 4 cubs was no doubt a result of. She hadn’t been expecting her brown daughter back so soon, but of course she was glad. She always enjoyed the company of her children.
“Who are we? Why, we are lions Njiti,” she turn her head, not quite sure what her daughter was asking.
Njiti shook her head. Wrong answer!
“I met a serval today and she told me all about her family, their history, and all kinds of cool stuff! Who are we? I want some cool history behind me too.” Njiti looked at her mother expectantly, perhaps she was a long lost princess! The descendent of a god?! Her mind had really gone quite crazy with ideas on her way home.
Mwujuzi nodded with understanding. Her daughter wanted to know about their family history. She had wondered if any of her children would one day wonder how they happened to be in the roguelands, why they lived alone and without the company of a pride.
“My daughter, what an interesting question, I hope the answer will satisfy you,” she replied, teasing her daughter.
Njiti scowled in reply. She wanted to know now! It definitely sounded like there was something interesting in her family’s past and she wanted to know what it was now.
“Mother, tell me!” she whined.
Mwujuzi smiled at her daughter. She was a bit of an impatient one. She would have to teach her the importance of patience one day.
“My daughter, come here,” she said, motioning with her paws for her daughter to sit between her forelegs. She was no longer a cub, but she was still small enough to fit somewhat comfortably in her arms.
“We come from the Kuisini’Mwezi,” she said, leaving it at that. She would tell her daughter, but she would take her time doing it.
“The… Kuisini’Mwezi?!” Njiti exclaimed. She didn’t know what they were or where that was or what it was, but she knew it sounded cool and impressive.
“Well? What is the Kuisini’Mwezi??” she demanded. Her mother couldn’t just say something like that and then not tell her any more! Njiti scowled at her mother. Sometimes she could be so frustrating!
“Njiti, you need some patience,” scolded Mwujuzi. “Not everything happens in an instant.”
Mwujuzi thought for a moment about where to begin. There was quite a lot to tell, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to tell her everything. Not that there was anything bad to tell, but it was quite a long story and she doubted her daughter would remain entirely interested for too long.
“The Kuizini’Mwezi are lions of the swamp! They are a pride of lions some distance away, where there are lots of lions that have colours like you,” she said. It was true, many of the lions of the Kuisini’Mwezi had brown fur.
“A lot of them are part of our family. We actually have ties to the royal line!” she revealed, wondering what her daughter would think of that.
“Swamp lions? Yucky! Why would they want to live in a swamp,” she protested. She much preferred the savannah and its plains.
“Family?” she asked, curious now. All the family she knew were her 2 sisters and her brother and her mother, but there were more out there? She didn’t know how she felt about that.
“Royal family??? I am a princess???” Njiti leaped up from the ground in her excitement. How cool was that! She’d have to find the serval and tell her. That would be something she’d sure find interesting.
Mwujuzi laughed. She knew he daughter would respond like this. Didn’t every little lioness dream of becoming a princess? She sure did.
“Not quite. You have the royal blood in you, but it’s quite diluted, we are a long way off from the main branch. Still, isn’t that a fun piece of information for you?” she bonked her daughter on the nose, hoping that would be enough to satisfy her.
Njiti was indeed satisfied, more than so! She had to go and tell the serval NOW what she had found out. She was part of a royal line, and that meant she was fancy. She was a fancy lioness cub who had something to tell a silly serval.
“Thanks mother! I have to go now, bye!” cried Njiti as she raced out of the den, eager to flaunt her new information to whomever was about.
Mwujuzi nodded a motherly nod as her daughter left. Perhaps one day she would tell her, and her siblings, more about her past. But only if they were interested, she wasn’t a great story teller, and she considered her life quite unremarkable. But still, they might get a kick out of it someday.
Mwujuzi wondered briefly what everybody was up to back at the Kuisini, she hoped they all were well.
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