wondered where Adisa was as the young cub wasn’t there when he, Akase, and the other cubs woke. He thought over his second son’s whereabouts in his mind.

            “Baraka wakes up early, as he always does so where would Adisa go in the early -” He stopped, smiled and chuckled. “That furball… He gets that from his mother, always sneaking away for a moment either alone or with someone in need of support.” He sighed. “Adisa, you’re just too sweet. Now, that you also get from your mother… and me.” He smiled again and slightly turned to see Rafiki with a hand on his shoulder.

            The mandrill peered at him. “Everything okay, Arif…? You’re preoccupied.”

            “Yeah, I am a little.”

            “Are you sure everything is well with Akase and your cubs?”

            Arif nodded. “They’re all fine… It’s just…” He paused for a minute but Rafiki knew.

            “It’s Baraka, isn’t it?”

            The lion sighed and dipped his head.

            “Is he still having dose dreams?” Rafiki asked.

            Arif nodded again. “Yes, and they’re not stopping. He… he doesn’t seem too worried but I can tell he is. He has to be.”

            “Arif, Baraka will come to you when he’s ready. You know he’s dealing with a lot right now.”

            “Still, I…” The lion paused.

            Rafiki smiled. “Baraka is a smart lion. You are his shaman. Let de wisdom I’ve given you flow through you. But don’t forget to let your own wisdom and knowledge flow. You will know when de time is right for you to intervene, or when Baraka is ready to come to you for help and guidance.”

            Arif nodded at his teacher’s words and lowered his head. “I just hope he does. But I feel so… useless. I mean, he’s my brother. I’m supposed to help him and I can’t.”

            “Arif…” Rafiki began after a silence. “You know dat throughout de Prideland monarchy, dere has never been a king without a queen.” He paused, waiting for a reply but the prince was silent. He continued. “De Pridelands have been through much. Dey, have endured famines, fires, tyranny, de loss of an heiress and an heir. Remember when I told you of King Simba’s, little sister, Princess Shani?” Arif nodded silently. Rafiki stopped to reflect. “She was so beautiful like her mother… but it wasn’t supposed to be. She joined de ranks of de dead long before her time but she is in de stars. De same is for Simba’s firstborn son, Prince Kopa.”

            Again, the lion nodded silently but he spoke at first with hesitance. “Yes, he was accidentally killed… Simba blamed Zira for it and banished her.” He grew quiet and for a moment, his red eyes snapped. “You keep saying things happen for a reason but still… No one should have to go through the pain of losing a child and then blaming the next person you think is craving revenge. Zira had just lost her mate what, several months before? With Scar gone she was left to raise three cubs by herself.”

            Though he was bringing up memories of the past, a past he lived through, a past that still hurt, the mandrill rubbed a comforting hand across Arif’s back. “Dat is true,” he said softly. “And yes, things happen for a reason. De good… and de bad… We must make use of dese things to prevent de bad from happening in de future. You know this.”

            Arif shut his eyes, allowing his pained anger to die. “It still hurts…” he said in a soft voice. He shuddered. “I feel sorry for Baraka… When we were cubs, it was so easy. Then, growing up it became hard… for him… Then there’s Hasira… she wouldn’t leave him alone then, she won’t now and he’s told her time after time. She’s crazy. I wish I could help him with something, just something… anything!” He was getting frustrated and Rafiki couldn’t blame him. The mandrill couldn’t say anything to relieve the prince’s hurt and worry for his brother. He could only speak what he knew. Before he could, Arif whispered something. “What if I prayed for guidance of my own? Would the spirits answer me?” Arif lowered his head, a tear leaking out of his eye.

            Rafiki scratched his chin, musing. He walked up to the front of Arif, looking him directly in the eyes. “Arif, you are a shaman and the spirits have blessed you with a good family and many gifts. When they feel you’re ready to receive a message from them, you will know.”

            The prince was about to ask how but instead he gave a single nod and stared out at the lands. He pawed the ground. The day had gone well for him and already he was making himself feel horrible for not being able to help Baraka. But he would take his teacher’s words to heart. He would wait for a spiritual message and he would pray. He rose and walked away from the opening, back to the gourd full of water. His lips were dry. Rafiki watched him. After he drank, Arif felt a little better but his mind spun with the recent words given. He knew his teacher was right. He would just have to wait. It would be hard but out of love and respect for his brother, he would take Rafiki’s advice. It was the right thing to do.

            “I know I shouldn’t worry so much, Rafiki,” the prince said after a silence. “But he’s my brother, the only one I’ll ever have. I know that if we were in each other’s places, him in mine and me in his, he would do whatever he could to help me.”

            Rafiki smiled. “Are you sure about dat?” Arif drew a confused face. Rafiki walked over to him and placed his hands on the prince’s shoulders, staring at him with the expression Arif knew so well. “Arif,” the elder shaman spoke softly but firmly. “Baraka loves you too much to not want to come to you for help. Do not force him. Give him time, okay? He’d do the same for you, I know he would.”

            Arif pulled away but the baboon seized his shoulders. “Yes, I know,” Arif said at last. “I just wish he would find a mate… find happiness… have cubs of his own. I… hate it that I have this family outside of our parents and he doesn’t.” He grew quiet then looked at his teacher with fearful eyes. “There’s… nothing wrong with him is there, Rafiki?”

            Rafiki thought for a moment then brought his face close to the lion’s. “No, dere isn’t… He just hasn’t found de right lioness.” He smiled slyly. “Not everyone finds their soul mate de way you found Akase, or in the way your parents found each other. Remember, Simba and Nala knew each other from cubhood, den Mufasa died and we thought Simba had died with him. Nala, almost fully grown, left de Pridelands to find help during Scar’s reign and miraculously found Simba, de son of Mufasa, alive. De didn’t realize their feelings for each other until de reunited in de jungle of Timon and Pumbaa. Love… Finding dat other half dat makes you whole in one way or another takes time for others and sometimes dat wait pays off, other times it doesn’t. De Circle of Life isn’t always fair, Arif, you know dis as do I. But Baraka will find someone. I do not believe dat de Great Kings of de Past will allow him to live life alone. Dere is a plan. We just have to wait and be dere in a silent presence.”

            Arif lowered his head, going over the words in his head. Again, his teacher was right. He smiled sadly. He hoped to be this full of knowledge when he grew older, so he could pass on this wisdom onto his children. It would help them as they walked in the Circle. After a while, a few minutes, the brown colored prince raised his head to look up at the mandrill, who, began to sit in a sitting position in front of him, cross legged, hands on his knees and eyes closed. Arif smiled. Rafiki was meditating. He rose and lay down beside his