He was looking longingly at the hill far beyond where their pride resided. He was the youngest cub in in the family. And one of the last remaining. His brothers and sisters had grown up to start their own families in another nearby pond. Nearing adolescence, his instinct of freeing himself was no different that the rebellious opinionated thoughts of a human counterpart. He looked at the hill with more longing than at his prey. Hunting was another instinct, much more natural to him, competing with the one to flee, but somehow it never won. A week ago he could testify this -
It was a rainy week. The dew drops settling on the leaves
merged with the rain drops falling on them. In an acrid African desert, a heavy
rain is like a redemption from a curse. Later in the week, there was a clear sky
for one whole night. The cub got up just before dawn and started wandering
around. Taking in the freshness of the place. Listening to the first chirps of
the day. He went to the nearby pond and after drinking water, saw his
reflection. Like most animals, he couldn’t make out it was his own reflection
ever. He felt like there was always some lion cub beneath the water surface,
trying to imitate his actions. A very strange creature who could always stay
under water. He had tried to stay under water before but soon he would feel
breathless and start sputtering water. This was a strange creature who could do
that, never roared and just imitated his every single action. He forgot these
thoughts as soon as he remembered that he had come to drink water. Lapping up
the cool water with his tongue, he spent some time at the pond. Till he heard a
bristle in the grassland nearby. A very familiar bristle, and a shuffling of
feet. He walked some steps towards the sound and could smell a deer from a
distance now. He wasn’t particularly hungry this day but instinct drove him to
find this elusive prey. He walked some more distance over the long grass, until
he could see something brown amongst it. It had perked up ears. Which shortly
adjusted itself to the source of the big steps it was hearing. The deer had
wandered up to this pond by chance. It had never looked for a source of water
outside its area before. It started running instantly as the fear of being
killed coursed adrenaline through its veins. It had been spotted.
The cub ran behind it with the excitement of a predator. He
could feel the thrill of the chase and the drops of blood on its tongue
already. But this prey was the fastest he had chased. A full grown healthy deer
sprinting at almost twice the cub’s pace. The cub could barely keep him at
eyesight. But the excitement was too much to make him give up. He ran across
many trees and a clearing came on the way. He had been there once only to face
the rebuke of his pride. Cubs didn’t stray too far from their family. It was an
understood norm. The protection of a pride was far more important than a fancy
prey. He should have stopped at the clearing before. And he sure knew he should
stop now before the lioness woke up. The deer was anyway out of reach. He could
just see it sprinting further and further away. It was going in a valley
adjoining the hills. It had a little stream there. Maybe it would stop for
water again. And he could ambush the deer. It would be perfect. Going beyond
the clearing would pay off. But he felt a strange instinct to leave the chase
there. And yet, go beyond the clearing, to the hills. It was forbidden. It
guaranteed nothing more than a risk of being abandoned by his pride. But the
adventure of breaking away from the pride was getting the better of him. He
slowly walked ahead, glancing back with each step. He could feel the longing to
go back. Not risk getting lost in a fantasy adventure of his own making. But
something deep within urged him to go ahead. He couldn’t stifle his curiosity
and eagerness with doubts alone. It would have to be quenched with the pursuit
ahead. He walked on the hill. It was a small hill with a slippery mud. He
stumbled a couple of times on the mud but gripped it strongly with his paws
whenever he started slipping. Going back was not an option now. He was closing
in towards the top. Beyond was a mystery he wanted to unravel since the moment
he had laid eyes on the hill. It finally paid off. He stood on the clearing on
top of the hill. It was chilly and windy. He could feel his pulse as heightened
as by a chase for prey. Looking around was a marvelous view from the top.
Beyond the hill was another forest. With different sort of trees. Maybe there
were different animals there too. He couldn’t tell. He laid down to relax
himself after the tiring climb. The dark was slowly beginning to be pierced by
the sunrays. They were orange. It was a brilliant sight from up there. He could
see the forests, the one beyond, and his home both beginning to wake up,
livening. It was a marvel. He started his descent to reach his pride before
they woke up. The deer he had spotted earlier was drinking in the nearby stream
as he had expected. He abandoned the thought of killing him this time. It was
strange and unnatural he knew, but killing the deer which almost led him to the
hill-top felt wrong to him. He observed the deer from a distance to remember
all its features clearly. This would be one deer he wouldn’t ever kill, he
decided. He would help it someday.
A week later, now, as he was nearing his fourth birthday, he contemplated leaving the pride for good. He might come back. But he knew he would leave for now. Even if they abandoned him, he didn’t care. The thrill of going beyond his known world was too much to contain any longer. Was too much to stop him from being more than an animal not free from its own machinations.
