sir.”

 

And with that, Nabila exited the den to join the pride.

 

Kufuzu then walked over to Hekima, the golden lion, who was still fast asleep.

 

“Hekima?” Kufuzu uttered quietly to his friend.

 

Hekima just continued to snore in his sleep without even hearing Kufuzu speak.

 

“Hekima.” Kufuzu spoke louder this time, but he still could not get him to wake up. All he heard was a very sleepy groan. That was when Kufuzu decided to use force.

 

“Hekima! Wake up you lazybones!”

 

Hekima jumped in surprise at the raised voice from Kufuzu and immediately opened his eyes and raised his head to look in directly in front of Kufuzu, who was looking stern at Hekima’s lack of attention. Hekima looked at Kufuzu apologetically and in embarrassment.

 

“Oh! S-sorry Kufuzu.” Hekima said with a guilty tone in his voice.

 

“You really know how to sleep a little too well, eh, partner?” Kufuzu joked. “Well, I didn’t hire you as a friend to become a professional sleep agent.”

 

“Would you just leave me alone?!” Hekima forced back, “I was just trying to get some rest. What about you? You were asleep.”

 

“Until I stood to my duties when Nabila came in to report.” Kufuzu replied back, seemingly playing mind games with Hekima. “As co-leader you must know when to wake up when there is a call.”

 

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Hekima replied with a slight twinge of guilt. “I just didn’t sleep very much yesterday. There was so much hunting to do; it was raining; and I couldn’t even…”

 

“Hey, hey, hey, relax. Relax, buddy. I was just teasing. You know I would never be that harsh with you. It was just a bit of friendly mind games.” Kufuzu smiled and lowered his voice to become gentle with his friend. Hekima was still not amused at Kufuzu’s actions, but he still smiled back and breathed out in relief. They both chuckled.

 

“Okay, okay; very funny.” Hekima therefore remarked. He then remembered about Kufuzu mentioning a report from a lioness. “Oh, um, what did that reporting lioness have to say?”

 

“Nabila informed me that Mwezi and the others have successfully made two kills to last us for a few days. So I just wanted to inform you of that. We are free to eat if you want to.”

 

Hekima was excited about the successful kills, but at the same time was still a bit more sleepy than hungry, and let out a big yawn to show it. “That’s excellent, buddy.” He said through the yawn. Kufuzu could tell very well that the yawn was from tiredness, not boredom. “You go on ahead. I am still a bit sleepy and I would like some more rest.”

 

“That’s fine, buddy.” Kufuzu replied in an understanding tone, “Do whatever you want. You go back to sleep and come out to eat later on when you feel like it. Take your time as it is no hurry.”

 

“Thanks, Kufuzu.”

 

And with that, Hekima went back to near the walls of the den and lay down again to sleep; while Kufuzu just smiled at his friend and co-leader of the pride and then turned around to step out of the den where the big meal was awaiting.

 

As Kufuzu stepped out of the den, he spotted his whole pride feasting on the two antelope carcasses that had been caught and killed earlier. He smiled in approval at the success of the kills and went over to the pride to join in. The entire pride caught sight of him as he appeared to them, and they all stopped briefly to greet him with a bow.

 

“Good afternoon, sir.” Tanya said to Kufuzu with a greeting smile.

 

“Good afternoon.” Kufuzu said to them all.

 

“Where is Hekima?” Asked Sashi, seemingly surprised at the lack of their co-leader’s presence.

 

“He needs some more rest; he didn’t get very much sleep last night.” Kufuzu replied. “We are to leave him alone while he catches up on his sleep. I must ask you not to wake him up.”

 

“Yes, sir.” Said most of his pride all at once; then continued to feast on the dead flesh.

 

Kufuzu nodded in satisfaction. He then turned to Mwezi, Tanya and the other lionesses that made the kills. “Very well done, all of you. I am very impressed by the vast improvement in your hunting skills.”

 

“Thank you, but we owe most of this kill to Mwezi.” Allia remarked; smiling at who she had just mentioned in approval, “She managed to spear-tackle and kill one antelope by breaking its throat. She killed it in less than a minute.”

 

“Mwezi? Really?” Kufuzu looked at Mwezi in awe and surprise; but he was also somehow very proud of her. Mwezi just blushed slightly and smiled at him. He smiled back. “Well, I think that you have just about reached professional standards, Mwezi. I told you that you could do it some day.”

 

“Oh, please stop!” Mwezi replied in a shy and loving tone. She had always had a soft spot for Kufuzu and she felt like he meant the world to her. They had known each other ever since Kufuzu ran away from his original place of birth and resided with this pride at Tsavo National Park.

 

Kufuzu wanted to join in with everyone on the feast, but something came up in his mind. He wanted to speak to Mwezi about something. So he walked up to her. “May I speak to you in private for a moment, Mwezi?”

 

“Uhh…sure, Kufuzu.” Mwezi replied, who turned towards the others. “We will be back in a moment.”

 

“Not a problem; go ahead.” Sashi said with a mouthful of antelope meat; and the others continued to eat as Kufuzu and Mwezi walked away from the feasting pride to speak to each other alone.

 

8

 

Kufuzu and Mwezi walked several miles north away from the pride into the long grass within the open canopy. The grass rose to just above the line of their bellies; and this savannah grass was long enough for lions to hide and camouflage themselves in when either hiding or hunting. This grass was also highly flammable due to excess rainfall and extra fuel loads as a result; and so savannah fires would not be uncommon within this landscape.

 

The two lions lay low in the long grass so that they could have some private time with each other. Kufuzu believed that hiding in the long grass was not just good for camouflage, but also provided privacy.

 

“Well done today on your catch,” Kufuzu began, looking into Mwezi’s eyes as she was blushing at his charm, “I suppose all of that training that we did together finally paid off.”

 

“I think that it was mainly out of pure instinct; but I’m very flattered by the gesture.” Mwezi replied, smiling proudly at him.

 

“Oh, come on. This is what us lions were built for,” Kufuzu replied, “It just takes a few simple lessons: courage, confidence, determination, agility, ability, strength, and endurance. And you have developed all seven in such short time. I’m very proud of you for what you have accomplished.”

 

“You are?” Mwezi replied.

 

“Of course I am. I have always been proud of you; even before you started hunting. You have always been someone very special to me, and it doesn’t matter what or whom you are.”

 

At this moment, Mwezi was looking deep into Kufuzu’s eyes as though he was trying to tell her something important.

 

“Let me tell you something, Mwezi;” Kufuzu began, “You and I have been together ever since childhood. Ever since joining this pride, I had hoped for a better life and a loving family than what I previously had. I knew at the time that it would be hard to find; but you have helped me to find it, because you took me in as a friend. I have never forgotten what we went through together during childhood: The games we used to play; the nights that we went stargazing; the great feasts: We had everything. But more than anything, you showed me the ways of family connection, and how that helps everyone survive in this world. What I see in you is great wisdom and nobility; and that is why…” He found it hard to get the next words out of his mouth, because this was one of the hardest things to say. “That is why…uh…uh…” But he was still struggling.

 

“Yes?” Mwezi replied with a hopeful and somewhat nervous tone in her voice.

 

Kufuzu then decided to break it down into detail to deliver what he was saying more clearly.

 

“Well… I remember how our friendship was great when we were just cubs; and I do remember one time when someone once said that we were going to be married one day, and we thought that since we were friends it just couldn’t happen because it would be too weird.”

 

Mwezi nodded at Kufuzu and smiled as if she knew what was coming.

 

“Well, that was a long time ago, now; and I think that we have both seen past that. The truth is, Mwezi, you are everything to me. You are the reason that I am still here and why I am leading this pride. There are not many other lions like you that I know. And that is why I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

 

“You really mean that?” Mwezi replied, completely lost for words and immediately warm-hearted at her long-time friend’s proposal to her.

 

“Mwezi,” Kufuzu began nervously and lovingly, “I love you.”

 

“I love you, too, Kufuzu!” Mwezi immediately replied, jumping

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