John Burkitt - The Spirit Quest

"No, just say good bye for me." She sighed. "Poor Taka, I would not live long enough to say what is in my heart. Promise me you will try and look after him. He is so dependent. Promise me you'll look after him."

"I promise I will do what I can."

"Whispering about me behind my back, old girl?" It was Ahadi, much improved.

"I was just telling Rafiki about the surprise. You haven't felt well, and now that the medicine is helping you, you can take a little trip with me to see something special."

"Yes, I am much improved. I won't have to be dragged out, and that is a pleasant surprise. Don't think I didn't know my time was up. Death has been stalking me--now it rushes in for the kill." He regarded her gently. "He gave you the marks of Aiheu. I take it old girl that we are in this together?"

"As always." She nuzzled him gently.

With a heavy heart, Rafiki gathered dead grass from the savanna and made a pile of it in the middle of the cave. He put ferns on top of it and a sprinkling of powdered Alba. Then he took a clay pot, and emptied from it a few glowing coals on the tinder.

The coals satisfied their great hunger, raising a cloud of smoke that quickly filled the cave with its bitter incense.

"Fire! Fire!" It was Taka. He rushed into the cave, coughing and wheezing at the smoke. “Is anyone in here?”

"You must leave," Rafiki said.

"You foolish ape! What do you think you are doing?? Have you lost your mind?? When Mom and Dad see this, they will cuff you senseless!"

"They will never see this," Rafiki said. "It was the Koh'suul. Flee. You are in great danger here."

"Koh'suul?" Taka's eyes widened. "But that’s fatal. You mean Dad is dying? Does Mom know?"

"Akase has gone with him."

"Hffff!” He stiffened up. “She was well. I saw her this morning. She was well! What do you mean she has gone with him? Without telling me?? She’ll catch it too! Where is she??"

"You cannot see her. It would be death to you. I'm sorry, but she had it when I got here. Death had already placed his mark on her."

"But I must see her!" He pounced on Rafiki and held him to the floor of the cave with his paws. "Tell me where she is or I'll crush the life out of you!"

"Your mother made me promise to care for you. If you must kill me, you must. "

Taka looked confused, sad, and finally released Rafiki. He turned and sat facing the wall. “Sassie doesn’t love me. My brother doesn’t love me. The gods don’t love me. All I had left was here. Now I’m alone. They are killing me one small piece at a time. This time they killed my heart.” He trembled. “I walk, I speak, yet I am dead inside. Dead.”

"There must be something I can do," Rafiki said, getting up.

"Haven't you done enough?"

"That's not fair, Taka. When I was young, my mother died of Beh'to. Before the end, she was banging her head on a tree, trying to force the headache out. I watched her die in the most dire agony. That's when I knew I must be a shaman. I would never have to feel so helpless again.”

“Then why not help them?”

“As my knowledge grew, every answer raised new questions. I cannot heal every wound. So more important than my herbs and spells is knowing something to say to comfort the Ka when these bodies of Ma'at crumble."

"Then say something comforting to me."

He stroked Taka's mane. "I think about the prophesy. I think about it a lot. Oh, I knew where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do in a year, in five years, in ten. Now I am committed to fight this thing. All my hopes and dreams have been turned upside down. In this way we are alike, my friend. Our childhood dreams are over. The morning has come and we awake to face reality in the light of the sun. Let us find something real in the sunlight, something that pleases us, and hold on to it. All else is vanity."

"You are a foolish ape," Taka said. "But even a fool may say the right thing at times."

Later that evening, Zazu reported the death of the King.

Rafiki came and put his arms around Muffy and whispered, “It’s time.”

Mufasa climbed slowly up the precipice of Pride Rock and when he reached the tip, paused for a moment. Then he lifted up his head and roared. It was a sad and terrible roar that rent the evening sky, and the lionesses joined in. The King was dead. Long live the King.

The following weeks took their toll on both Mufasa and Taka. The death of Ahadi and Akase left them without guidance and they had to become self-reliant. The emotional toll was especially bad on Taka, but Mufasa nearly crumbled under the the weight of ruling a kingdom. He found himself increasingly turning to Rafiki for advice.

The mandrill chuckled lightly, arms crossed. “Why ask me? You are the king; I am just a simple old monkey.”

“You are not simple. You’re a whole lot wiser than I am.”

Rafiki shook his head vehemently. “No! A whole lot older, I’ll grant you.”

Mufasa shifted uncomfortably. “You are gifted, Rafiki. You can see the future. Can’t you tell me what the right course will be?”

“Ah, so that’s it.” He grunted as he sat down on a low rock. “Come here, my boy.”

Mufasa obligingly padded over and sat next to him. Rafiki reached up and patted Mufasa’s shoulder. “Gods, you have grown. I still remember the young cub who used to come to me for jerky.”

“It was good, too,” Mufasa said.

“Let me give you something to chew on that is not as tasty, but fills the empty spirit.” Rafiki leaned forward. “Mufasa, it is better not to be tied to the future. It is the natural way of things to happen as they will. Your brother is bound to the future. It has crept around him like a small vine. But look what happens as the vine gets larger.” He took out one of his walking sticks, the top of which was coiled and curved. “It will grow to dominate your life, and twist your path in many directions. You will stop ACTING and go through life REACTING. You will be like a stone that lies around helplessly, waiting to see where the future will toss it next.”

Mufasa sighed. “I guess you’re right. I just...I’m afraid of making the wrong choices.” He looked at Rafiki, his face open and honest as ever. “I don’t want to ruin someone’s life because of an ill-thought decision.”

The words stung Rafiki. He had a vivid recollection of young Taka cringing in the corner of the old baobab, crying out in terror: “No! Tell me it’s not so!” He gasped and dropped his staff.

Mufasa blinked and peered at him. “Are you OK?”

Rafiki took a deep breath. “I’m fine, my boy. I don’t think it is wise for me to coach you on every small decision. Still, I don’t guess it would hurt THIS ONCE to look out for a major crisis?” Rafiki took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Meet me at my tree this evening. Come alone. Tell no one.”

The time seemed to drag on interminably. Zazu made several reports to him which Mufasa only half heard, his mind on the coming evening.

Rafiki was also restless. He spent his time in prayers and preparation. Set lovingly by the scrying bowl was a large dose of deadly euphractus. At the first sign of trouble, he would take it immediately and silence himself forever. No more would the makei use him as a weapon against the ones he loved.

Mufasa found himself urging the sun to hurry along its path in the sky. Finally, the cool of evening encroached upon the land, and Mufasa excused himself from the others. Slipping quietly into the night, he wended his way along well known paths through the grassland until he reached the soaring baobab. Rafiki greeted him warmly, then bade him wait outside.

Rafiki entered his home and crossed to where his scrying bowl sat, the surface of the water lightly rippled by the slight breeze that blew through his home.