As soon as Asumini heard about Metutu’s fight, she came to see him. Metutu cringed, expecting another upbraiding over the leopardess. Instead, she was kind and sympathetic.
Metutu was thankful to have her back. “It was worth getting beaten up if it means you like me again. I missed you.”
“I never stopped liking you,” Asumini said. “You just need to learn a little humility. How do you think I would have felt hearing your screams? Watching you die?” She caressed his swollen cheek with her hand.
“Yeah,” Metutu looked down, contritely, but he glanced up out of the corner of his eyes and smiled a little. “Thanks again. You were very brave.”
Asumini smiled. “I don’t know where it came from. Every time I think about how close she was to my hand, I wonder if I had it to do over again....”
“Oh, yeah. I know how you feel.” Metutu’s smile fell.
“I was just kidding--but don’t put me to the test.”
“Since you’re here, I’d like to go skip rocks. Wanna come with me?”
“I can’t right now. Later, all right?”
“Sure.” He rubbed his cheek again. “You sure you’re not mad at me?”
“Sure I’m sure.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “There, now it will be all better.”
Metutu looked at Asumini, open-mouthed with embarrassment. “Maybe tomorrow?”
“We’ll see.”
Early the next day, Metutu came to her cave. He caught a rare glimpse of her parents inside. Busara and Kima were the subjects of a lot of nasty rumors, including one about blood sacrifices under the full moon. Still, their daughter was so gentle and kind. How could there be any substance behind those stories?
“Asumini? Can you come out?”
She skipped to him, but saw him holding the smooth stone. In her hand was a grass whiskbroom. “Oh, the creek. I forgot.”
“Yeah.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Can you get away for a moment? I mean, I was hoping we could beat our old record.”
“I’m sorry, but I have chores to do.”
“But Asumini, you promised! I can have one of the servants come over and sweep the cave. They don’t mind.”
“I’d rather do what dad told me to.”
“I won’t tell if you don’t.”
She frowned. “That’s being sneaky. I thought you were better than that, but then how could you be with a politician as a father? You’re growing up to be just like him.”
“And just what did you mean by THAT?”
“My dad said Kinara is a leopard at heart, and he didn’t mean it nice!”
The reference to the leopard made Metutu rankle.
“Well that’s a fine how-do-you-do! I come over to throw rocks with you, and you insult my Dad! Well I hear that your Dad is a sorcerer. Tema says he kills goats on nights of the full moon!”
“That’s a mean thing to say! He’s good and gentle and always trying to help sick creatures get well! He’s never killed anyone in his whole life! You’re an ugly little monster, Metutu! Go home!”
Metutu stormed off. Soon from behind him she called, “I didn’t mean it! Oh gods, please come back!” There was an edge of desperation in her voice.
He wanted to forgive her, but there was also a voice inside him that was indignant. It temporarily had the upper hand. “She’ll be sorry she called my dad a leopard! She called me an ugly little monster!” That was what hurt worst of all, for he knew that by mandrill standards he WAS ugly. “Maybe I won’t come back tomorrow either. She can get ALL of her stupid old chores done!”
Metutu went home. He climbed to the crotch of the tree where he often slept. There was a knot there that looked like a rabbit looking back at it. “What about it, Bun? Girls!”
His dad looked up at him in the fork of the tree. “Whew, a storm must be blowing in--I just saw a cold, dark cloud go by.”
“A thunderhead is more like it.”
“Uh huh. So, do you want to talk about it?”
Metutu turned his face to look down at Kinara. “Dad, why can’t more females be like Mom?”
“They are like Mom. That’s the problem.”
“But she doesn’t go trying to make you mad all the time. Does she?”
“No, because I learned the great secret of dealing with her.”
Metutu climbed down. “Really? What is it?”
Kinara looked all around, then whispered into Metutu’s ear. “Give them what they want. They have you where they want you, and the sooner you realize that and play along, the better off you are.”
“But she didn’t want anything.”
“Asumini, I take it?”
“Yeah.” Metutu scratched behind his ear nervously. “Do you know what she said? She said I was growing up to be just like you.”
“Gods forbid!” Kinara gasped and put his hands to his face. “Call the shamans! This is very serious!”
Metutu fought back the smile and tried to concentrate on his anger. “She said her dad called you a no-count politician with the heart of a leopard, and she didn’t mean it as a compliment.”
“A leopard!” Kinara laughed aloud. “I’ve been called worse and by more dangerous opponents! I guess I could see how Busara might think it though--being wealthy has dulled his claws. He surrounds himself with comforts and he has all the ambitions of a gopher. He even lives in a hole like one!” Kinara laughed at his joke, then bucked out his front teeth and wiggled his fingers in front of his ears. “That Kinara’s a no-good politician with the heart of a leopard!” he said in a falsetto voice. “Bet he’s out hunting antelopes tonight!”
Metutu couldn’t control himself anymore and he began to laugh. Kinara put his arm around his shoulder and gave him a pat. “Next time you see her, apologize like crazy.”
“For what?”
“Whatever you did that made Asumini spout off like that. And don’t do it again. She has other talents you’re too young to appreciate now, but you might want them later.”