Kako was worried about presenting Mabatu to the King. She had seen only compassion and kindness in Taka’s eyes, but she had also heard--and overheard--a lot of things about him that distressed her.
There were always the hyenas. It struck Kako as unnatural that they would be sharing the rock with lions. Certainly Mufasa would never have permitted such a thing. Everyone spoke of Mufasa like some sort of Mano with golden fur. Everyone, that was, except Taka. Once when coaxed to speak of his brother, Taka told Kako that Mufasa was dull witted and more obsessed with popularity than with handing down the hard decisions that a King should make. “He sat watching the wildebeests while I paid attention to my lessons. Alas, cruel irony of fate, he was trampled by them. The one good thing I can say about him was that he loved his son.”
Kako had noticed that Taka was a little odd. He had a certain intensity when he stared at her right in the eyes, and he possessed a lot of strange mannerisms. But she tried to convince herself that the other lionesses were unfairly prejudiced against him. And of course, she did not dream that Taka had driven out his nephew and murdered his own brother!
Kako finished Mabatu’s first meal, then she took him gently by the scruff of the neck and carried him gingerly back to Pride Rock to her favorite haunt.
The king came running down the trail. When Taka first caught sight of young Mabatu, he was elated. “Look at him! Isn’t he a looker!”
Kako looked up and smiled pleasantly. “They say love makes the child beautiful,” she replied. “I gave up everything for him, and it shows.”
Indeed, after the hunt was divided, all the lionesses filed by to pay their respects and many of them mentioned his good looks. It was a saying among the lionesses that handsome cubs often grew up to be plain, and sometimes the homeliest cubs grew up to be stunningly beautiful. But it didn’t keep them from hoping he would one day live up to his promise.
Taka’s sense of duty compelled him at the sight of the proud stranger caring for her child in a strange land. As ruler of the pride, he felt responsible for them and went beyond what was necessary to insure their comfort. During the days of Mabatu’s milk, Taka would save choice portions of the kills for Kako so that her milk would be wholesome and plentiful. And when Mabatu began to try solid food, Taka would bring him tempting tidbits to eat. Baba, as he was often called, found Taka more of a father than an Uncle.
Despite all the lavish attention paid her by the king, Kako was somehow immune from the prejudice that had tarnished Elanna. It was all right that Taka loved her like a sister and loved Mabatu like a son. All who knew them felt the same way. If anything, it helped Taka’s perception among the Pride Sisters, and while he was never liked as a King, he was tolerated because of his care for little Baba. Even Isha paid him grudging respect when she saw him give up part of his share of the kill for the cub.
Once briefly Elanna expressed a little jealousy of Kako and the attention she was getting. But Taka kissed her and nuzzled her and said, “In her I see my deepest pains. In you I see my deepest joys.”