SLOTH IN A RACE

Why Lions stay in their Pride. (Part 1-5)

Many years ago, all animals lived in peace. There was no king or subjects, it was just animals existing and going about their business. Animals didn’t hunt or eat other animals, all animals fed on grass, water and other natural food they could find.

This kept on until one day. A little cub, Zika was playing with little antelope, Flint. Zika has started growing little claws but obviously didn’t know what they were for.

Flint challenged Zika to a short race to prove his legs were very fast and he could beat Zika in a race. Zika accepted the challenge joyfully, hoping he would beat Flint instead and, he won’t have to brag again.

They both started the race with the intro “On your marks, get set…” before the “go” Flint had started hopping. Zika felt cheated and started running, Flint hopped and ran faster. Alas, Flint won. When they got to finishing line, Flint kept laughing at Zika. Zika was pissed and told Flint he cheated and should have waited till the sound of “go”. “You are too kind hearted my friend, you won’t make a good hunter with this heart, you go for your prey when they don’t see you coming” Flint said laughing even harder.

“Well no problem, you win” Zika said sadly.

While they were both walking back and gisting, Zika started smelling blood, it smelled good but he ignored it and kept laughing with his friend. Flint turned around and noticed two buffalos fighting, it looked so rough.

“Yo Zika, let’s go separate them” Flint said

“Nah, they look like brothers, they will sort themselves out” Zika answered.

Next thing, a big stone was thrown at Flint. Flint screamed in pain as it hit his hand and broke his bone. Zika turned and noticed the Buffalos that were initially fighting, now laughing. “How dare you, you disgusting animals” Zika roared.

“Flint are you okay” Zika asked his friend

“Zika I want to go home, my mum will help massage and fix the bone” Flint answered in pain.

While Zika was trying to help his friend up, the two buffaloes were in front of him.

“Hey you called us disgusting” Buffalo 1 said to Zika

“We will teach you what disgusting means” Buffalo 2 retorted

They both pushed Zika, making him leave his friend to the ground. “He’s in pain, I need to take him home” Zika begged

“Well that’s after we are done with you” Buffalo 1 said.

They both punched Zika and pushed him into the mud. Zika tried stopping them but they didn’t listen. He got angry and his claws came out. In defense, he scratched one of them and he bled, the other buffalo pounced on Zika and kept hitting him hard.

Zika roared in pain. Luckily for him, two bigger cubs were passing and heard Zika, they ran to where the sound was and saw a Buffalo on Zika. Flint saw what was happening, and decided to run for his life leaving his friend to his fate. The two bigger cubs ran to Zika and fought the Buffalo on him. Zika was so weak, he still tried to move so he could help his friend and then saw his friend, flint was hopping away.

Zika felt betrayed.

PART 2

(The abandonment)

At home, Zika kept thinking about Flint, he worried about his health but at the same time wondered why Flint left him that way at a point he needed him most.

“I have to not be selfish, he was in pain, there was not much he could have done anyways” Zika muttered.

“Zika, Zika” Nana called

“Yes mum” Zika answered

“Oh there you are, I have been looking for you, I need you to come help me carry the tools, we are going fishing today” Nana said.

“Um, I thought I could go visit Flint today, he had a bad injury some days ago and I haven’t checked on him, I am beginning to feel like a bad friend”

“My sweet boy, that’s so thoughtful of you but you already know today is our fishing day, and you have to learn to fish, so you can have food on your table” Nana said rubbing his head.

“Can we go now, you pamper this child a little too much, he’s a boy” Anto said as he entered.

“You have to learn to fish, one day you will have a family, and you will have to provide food for them” Anto said to Zika

“But, but Flint” Zika stammered

“You can go visit your friend once we are done okay” Nana replied.

They all set out for fishing. It was a fun experience because Zika parents always took their time to teach a lion’s instinct when fishing, and how to successfully catch as many fish that could last them for a few days before they go fish hunting again. At dusk, Zika went to Flint house to see him, while approaching the house, he heard voices of animals that obviously didn’t sound like Flint’s parents, he tried slowing his pace and observed one of the voices was Flints’. Flint was with the two buffalos who pounced on him few days ago and they seemed to be friends with the way they laughed and talked.

“Your friend was so scared, he looked like he was going to cry. Mummy mummy… help me” they all laughed

“Well we have to make sure he never has the guts to turn on us, my mum says Lions can’t be trusted” Flint said.

At this time, Zika couldn’t believe his ears, he moved closely to them and called out Flint.

“You don’t trust me” Zika asked

Flint was shocked, he didn’t know Zika had been listening. The two buffaloes leave them.

“Zika relax I just had to say something so they feel I am on their side” Flint tried to justify himself.

“Then why are you speaking to them, didn’t you see how they treated me” Zika was beginning to get angry.

“Yo chill, you lions are unpredictable. I need to go home and rest, you seem angry and a good friend shouldn’t be like that” Flint said while leaving.

Zika was confused. He couldn’t understand what was going on with Flint. He decided to follow him and apologized. It might just be that Flint was truly trying to make the buffalos feel he was with them. Flint’s mother saw Zika coming and immediately stopped him.

“Go home, my son is tired” Flint’s mother said angrily.

“I just want to speak with my friend” Zika pleaded

“You shouldn’t be friends with an antelope, you lions are unpredictable and could turn on us any time, you stay in your pride and act like Demi gods, you have claws that could tear animals up, you should stop being friends with my son, go away” This time she said sternly and walked away.

Zika turned around and went home.

PART 3

(New friends)

Zika stayed alone at home for days. He didn’t have other friends aside Flint. He would see other cubs playing around, and he couldn’t join them because he felt cubs always played too rough. He kept looking at his claws, ‘were they really dangerous’ he pondered. He tried scratching the floor and could see marks on the ground. He closed his eyes tightly and imagined scenarios that could make him so mad, there his claws became longer and fierce, he scratched harder and his claws marks were deeper. He opened his eyes and instantly got scared. He could hurt someone when he’s angry he believed, maybe Flint’s mother is right “Lions are truly unpredictable” or maybe dangerous even.

“Owwww, you have nice claws” Pika said

“I bet you are older than us or maybe you have faster growth” Park said

Zika who didn’t seem to notice that other cubs have been observing him tried to hide his claws.

“Relax, see… I have claws too” Pika said showing him hers

“Ahhh, ahm, okay but…” Zika stammered

“Our bad, my name is Park, and this is Pika, my twin sister” Park cleared.

“I am Zika” he said

“Yeah, we know you, you are beautiful Nana and Anto’s son, no wonder you are so handsome yourself” Pika said with a little blush

“Hey relax you are too young to be given out in marriage” Park said to his sister

“I am only trying to make him comfortable, c’mon” Pika said.

“Are lions unpredictable, dangerous and shouldn’t be friends with other animals?” Zika asked innocently

“Who said that? Well I don’t think so, I think we are smarter with a sharper instinct, plus other animals treat us like villains and I wonder why. My mother says we are amazing animals, and we protect our own, we can be friends with all animals but let’s always protect our own” Park replied

Zika felt relieved a bit, he obviously has a good heart and can’t imagine himself hurting Flint or anyone. The three cubs chatted a bit and everyone returned to their homes.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into a month Zika hasn’t seen or heard from Flint. He concluded Flint probably has new antelope friends and didn’t want him anymore. As he was about to head to the stream, he saw Flint, Flint smiled brightly, and hugged him. “I miss you Gee, and I am sorry for being an Asshole, I shouldn’t have said that to you” Flint apologized

‘Hey c’mon I am fine, I almost thought you hated me already’ Zika replied

‘Maybe a little hate and a big love to keep the bromance going’ Flint smiled

They both moved to the stream and drank water, played around the stream and catch up on old gists.

PART 4

(The betrayal)

Park, Pika and Zika’s friendship have grown stronger in the pride. Zika spends most of his home time with his new twin friends. They were fun to be with, he enjoyed their banter and sometimes wished he had cub sibling too.

One day, they all set out to go fish hunting, Zika didn’t tell his parents, he wanted to surprise them with a fish. He totally forgot his parent’s warning about fishing alone, he needs to be extremely careful so no one pushes him into the water to avoid drowning. He felt safe since he was going with two other cubs.

When they got to the big river, Zika tried to do what he always saw his father do, and just there, he caught a fish.

“Wow Zika, you caught a fish” Pika said jumping

“You are going to make a great hunter my friend” Park said

“Hey c’mon try this technique, and see if you can catch one yourself” Zika told Park

“Um, I really don’t know how to fish” Park answered scratching his head

“How then will you provide for your family when you become a full grown lion” Zika teased

“Park try, if you catch a fish, I am certainly telling Elia, you might just get your crush finally” Pika said with a wink

“Okay okay for Elia then” Park said moving forward into the River

“Park has a girlfriend?” Zika asked in a whisper

“No a crush, and she’s my friend” Pika answered in a whisper

“I can hear you both” Park said loudly

Pika noticed three hefty buffaloes running to the River, she screamed at her brother to leave the water but he was to far off to hear. Zika tried to stop them, he recognized two of the buffaloes, and they were the same buffaloes that attacked him.

“You stay away from him” Zika roared at one of them

“Yes stay away from my brother” Pika roared

“I see you got your lonely self a new girlfriend” Buffalo 1 said

“We don’t want trouble, we came to fish hunt” Zika said calmly

“You both don’t seem like people who doesn’t want trouble, why will you hunt sea animals?” buffalo 2 answered

“I think we are talking too much, let me go teach the one in the river a lesson” Buffalo 3 said

“Hey you disgusting animal, leave my brother alone” Pika defended

In a twinkle of an eye, buffalo 3 threw her to the ground and she became unconscious. Park turned around and noticed his sister on the floor with Zika being held by two buffaloes. He quickly ran out of the river to fight off the buffaloes but all three of them pounced on him, they beat him so badly, Zika was tied and couldn’t help Park. Park was beaten so much with blood gushing out of his mouth and head. The buffaloes came closer to face Zika, and just then Flint appeared.

“Let him be, I don’t need any emotional blackmail” Flint said

Zika was shocked. “Flint you have a hand in this, you tell these animals to attack I and my friends”Zika said painfully

“Your friends, he said his friends” Flint mocked

The three buffaloes laughed. Flint moved closer and spat on Zika. “You will never have the guts to be bigger than any of us” Flint said disgustingly

Buffalo 1 moved closer to where Park was down and unconscious, stepped on him and carried a big stone

“Hey Zika watch as your friend dies” He let put the stone on Park’s head. Pika who was trying to gain consciousness, screamed when she saw her brother now lifeless after the stone landed on him. She lost consciousness totally.

Zika cried, he roared. He got so mad and his claws were out, he tore the rope into shreds. Flint and the buffaloes saw this and tried to attack him all at once. A big lion fought them back and they ran off. When Zika looked up, it was his dad.

“Why did you come here on your own” his dad asked

“My friends… pointing to Park and Pika” he ran towards them.

Anto quickly grabbed Park as he noticed a faint breath. Zika carried Pika, and they both went back to their pride home.

Nana saw Anto and Zika with cubs from afar, and ran to help them. She laid Park on the ground and made fire around him. She tried to resuscitate him but unfortunately, Park was dead.

Zika couldn’t console himself, it was his fault, Park never wanted to go into the river, and now he’s dead. Anto tried to reach the twins parents and when they saw Park, they were inconsolable.

Pika was still unconscious and being looked after by Nana. Days later, she woke up and asked after her brother, she was told he didn’t make it. Pika cried so much. Zika felt like a failure. He failed the twins and now one was dead.

“You are too kind hearted my friend, you won’t make a good hunter with this heart, you go for your prey when they don’t see you coming” he remembered Flint’s word. Flint was never a friend, he always saw Zika as a predator and so he attacked first, making Zika his prey. It was much clearer to Zika now. Zika swore to revenge Park’s death.

There was a quiet burial for Park. All lions gathered to watch. Lions started warning their cubs to stay away from other animals and not to leave the pride. Anto and Nana tried to be with Zika always. They could see Zika was in so much pain and blames himself for everything.

“Zika, it’s not your fault, you have always been a kind hearted child , one day you will understand the world doesn’t favour kindness, the fierce ones live longer” Nana said

“Park didn’t deserve that, Pika will be miserable, she probably hates me” Zika said sobbing

“Sobbing won’t do you good my son, you must become fierce, you are a big cub now and will be a full grown lion soon, don’t let no one get away with their s**t again, and henceforth Lions should stay in their pride unless they are the ones hunting” Anto answered.

PART 5

(The revenge)

Zika watched quietly as the buffalo brothers were playing, he also noticed they had a sister. He has been watching them for days, planning out his best revenge attack. When he was done watching, and was heading back, he saw buffalo 3, and he tried to run away but buffalo 3 already called out the two other buffaloes, and they all chased Zika.

Zika observed a big cub running towards him, he looked harder and saw it was Pika, he was shocked, and stopped running. Pika was running towards the buffaloes. The buffaloes seeing Pika was surprised and scared at the same time, they tried to retreat but Pika caught up with one. She angrily tore him with her claws, she looked fierce. Zika ran towards her to stop her but he couldn’t as she held her weight on the neck of the buffalo and scratched harder. She left buffalo 3 for dead when she saw him bleeding terribly.

“Pika, Pika, I am sorry about Park” Zika followed her

“It’s fine, it’s not your fault” Pika replied

“Are you better now” Zika asked concerned

“You saw me tear at a buffalo, I am totally perfect” Pika answered while not still maintaining eye contact

“I didn’t expect to see you” Zika said

“Well you are lucky I came, you might be dead if I didn’t, you owe me one” Pika replied

“Yeah, I don’t think I am ready to fight them” Zika said

“That’s because you aren’t the one who lost a twin. I lost my only brother and twin because you are a coward and couldn’t fight, you are so scared of hurting people who won’t blink if you died right now” Pika answered angrily

Zika stopped following her after the statement and she went away.

Zika couldn’t sleep, he kept thinking about what Pika said earlier. She was right, if he had died, those buffaloes won’t blink. He tried to look for his mother to ask questions but Nana wasn’t home

‘This is unlike her, where could she have gone’ he thought. He went to meet his father, and met Anto sleeping. He decided to search the pride for his mother, and when he couldn’t find her, he went into the woods. He searched everywhere he thinks she might have gone to but couldn’t find her. He decided to go the river ‘Mum wouldn’t go fish hunting without dad’ he thought.

He went to the river anyways, he couldn’t find her either as he was about leaving, he heard a faint roar, and followed the sound. He saw Nana tied and looked beaten. He immediately ran to save her, and the two buffaloes emerged, this time Flint and one other antelope was with him, three others buffaloes were there too.

“You dare attack my mother” Zika roared

“Next time you will tell your petty girlfriend never to come close to a buffalo, a female for a female”

“How dare you” he attacked buffalo 1, other buffaloes came close to stop him. They were about pouncing on him, when Flint stopped them.

“We can’t kill him, the whole lions will come for us” Flint said

“You coward, his girlfriend almost killed our own” buffalo 2 said

“I don’t even know why you listen to an antelope, he’s a scared brat obviously” buffalo 4 said

“He’s going to kill you in one fight, there is no point being a friend now, you already betrayed him from the first day you brought him into the woods and made us throw a stone at you, you acted like you broke a bone but all along it was planned just to beat up your friend” buffalo 1 fired at Flint

Zika was shocked to hear those words. He wanted to confront Flint but realized Flint wasn’t who he claimed to be. While the buffaloes were at Flint, he untied his mum, and just then a lion attacked the buffaloes, it was Pika. She pounced on one with her claws and others ran to fight her. Zika roared and joined the fight. When the other buffaloes saw they were loosing, they ran off leaving the buffalo brothers. The antelope that came with Flint also hopped off leaving Flint to Zika.

“Which one of them killed my brother” Pika asked angrily

“Him, him” Flint pointed at buffalo 1

Zika looked at Flint, he pounced on Flint, you betrayer! A wicked enemy! You came for me, my friends and now my mum! No one comes close to my mum. He scratched Flint hard.

“Please Zika, I beg you” Flint pleaded

“Next time I set my eyes on you, I will kill you” Zika said angrily

He stepped away from Flint, and flint ran.

Pika was still tearing at buffalo 1, buffalo 2 was unconscious. Zika realized while he faced Flint, Pika and his mum fought the buffaloes. Pika picked a big stone.

“This is for my brother, hey you, watch!” She said to buffalo 2 who was on the ground in pains

She took the stone and smashed his head, she tore his stomach into two, and left him for dead.

Buffalo 2 screamed in pains. Zika couldn’t stop her, it was her revenge, and he let her have the satisfaction.

All three lions, Zika, Pika and Nana head back to the pride.

The news of the death of the buffalo and Park had spread round. Animals started warning their kids, and some left the kingdom and live among human beings. Ever since then, the pride became a city on its own away from the other animals. Lions all stayed in the pride unless they needed to hunt.