A Brother's Warmth

Our story takes place in a large palace somewhere in a peaceful kingdom. The palace is shaped like a large wild cat, and its mouth provides the doorway and entrance. In it lives a little Trollan wizard called Orko - a little shy on brains, but good with his magic. It is also helpful to his nursemaid sisters and his uncle too. Orko is curious about the world, an adopted wizard who never knew who raised him before, but was happy to have his family with him. His nursemaid sisters are: Waridi, a cream coloured lioness who is kind and generous, Uzuri, a dark yellow lioness who is a wonderful cook and housemaid and often helps out in the palace kitchen, Jani, a white lioness who always provides Orko with comfort and support when things go wrong, and Kahawia, a brown lioness, the youngest, who is eager to be the first in everything. Orko’s uncle too has brown fur and is called Busara, meaning he watches over Orko and his sisters every single day he has the chance. He rules over the kingdom, but he’s not actually a king, leaving the residents to debate by themselves about whether he’s a good king or not. By themselves, they agree that he’s a good king and should be respected more.

Uzuri is Orko’s favourite sister. When she’s not cooking and doing all the chores, she is found playing with Orko or playing hide and seek with him. Orko would try and find Uzuri when it was his turn to find her in his favourite game, and sometimes Uzuri would jump out and pin Orko to the ground, tickling him. Orko would tickle her back. He has developed a lifelong bond with his sister, out of all the sisters he has - and Busara has never felt more proud of them.

One day, as Orko was playing at being a fierce warrior wizard, Uzuri came into his room with exciting news. Orko was shocked - her furry tummy was so big! “Have you taste-tested things too much?” he asked. Uzuri giggled. “No no no, I’m like this because I’m going to have a baby.” Orko was in awe. “A…baby?” he asked softly. “Yes. A baby. You are going to be a big brother!” A smile appeared under Orko’s shadowed face. “A big brother…” he whispered, and gave his sister a gentle hug round the neck. “Promise you’ll be here when the baby arrives?” Uzuri asked. “Yeah, you bet I will.” Orko softly said.

One night, Orko woke to the sounds of Uzuri screaming in pain. He got off the bed and floated to where the screams were coming from. Alongside the screams were worried cries of “You can do it!” and “You’re doing great, Uzuri!” and “Push, push, push!” Orko peered into Busara’s throne room where he usually sat with his nursemaids, and although he wasn’t meant to watch, he saw what was going on and waited for something exciting to happen. At last, Uzuri let out a long, loud scream of pain, and this was followed by someone crying in a high pitched manner. Orko gasped in delight and awe as the royal midwife lifted Uzuri’s healthy new baby out from where she was brought into the world. Delighted cries of “She’s so beautiful!” and “What an angel!” and “Aaaawww, it’s a miracle, well done Uzuri!” were heard over the baby’s cries. Then Busara ran up to Orko. “Orko…” he said. “Why don’t you come and meet your new little sister?” Orko followed his uncle to where Uzuri was holding her new daughter. Everyone was cooing and remarking over how gentle and sweet the new baby was. Orko gently patted Uzuri on the head and whispered, “Is this new baby…my sister?” “Yes. Your sister. She won’t be a nursemaid like us, she’ll be a princess. I think I’ll name her…Furaha.” Remarks of “Of course,” and “That sounds like a nice ring to it,” rose from the nursemaids and Orko’s uncle as Orko got a turn to hold his new baby sister. “Hello, Furaha,” he whispered. Although the baby was covered in red water and cheesy coating from being in the womb, Orko still felt she was the cutest thing he had ever seen. When the baby saw her new brother, she smiled and hugged her. Everyone sighed softly as Uzuri remarked, “Well, I think Orko would make a good big brother. And me? I would make a good mother to the little princess.”

Later, Orko helped his sisters to bathe the newborn baby, while Uzuri got a much needed rest from going into labour, although Orko didn’t realise what that meant yet. While the sisters scrubbed the newborn and made sure no soap got into her delicate little jewellery eyes, Orko used his magic to make bubbles float all around her in the air just for his new sister. Once they got her all dry, they all laughed because Furaha got fluffed up like a shy little dog. Luckily, Orko used a blue, soft bristled brush produced from his sleeve to gently brush Furaha’s fur until it became less smelly and sticky and this time soft, smooth and fragranced just like a field of lavender. The cub had had her bath and emerged pure, sweet and smelling like flowers, not smelly body gunk. Orko took her in his arms and cuddled her. He knew he was going to be the best big brother ever.

And so he did. Uzuri recovered from the trauma of giving birth as soon as Furaha turned three months old. Everyone was so busy looking after little Furaha, even Orko, who loved his sister and Uzuri more than anything else in the world. However, baby Furaha kept crying in the night because she wanted her big brother, so Orko had to sleep with Uzuri. Every morning, they woke to a bright and sunny day. The sun streamed in, almost blinding Uzuri, but Orko would be up and pulling the curtains together. Then Orko would spend a little time in the bedroom with his baby sister. He would tickle her and cuddle her and stroke her as if she were the best baby in the palace. Then, while Uzuri came back to preparing breakfast for everyone, Orko gave the baby a bottle of milk, because she can’t eat solid foods yet. Orko would gently say things like “Does baby want her bottle?” or “Mmmmm, milk, it’s good for you.” Once Furaha had her breakfast, Uzuri helped to burp her. Then Orko, his sister and his baby sister would go off to play. One of Uzuri’s favourite things to do with her baby and Orko is hide under a piece of golden silk. Its soft, rich colours matched the walls and pillars in the palace. Uzuri would throw the silk blanket high into the air and land it on Orko and Furaha, as they hid and giggled cheekily. Uzuri would crawl under the blanket and look around for them, and then, when she saw her brother and her baby, she crawled quickly up to them and cuddle both of them. Some days, they go out and get some fresh air. Their favourite place to be is in the meadow, where Uzuri could relax with Orko would play with Furaha for a while. In this meadow, their bond was almost as strong as Orko’s bond with Uzuri. Orko would spend time cuddling Furaha to his chest, or lying down and holding Furaha up into the sky. They would lie down together and watch the clouds pass by in the sky, forming beautiful shapes at they passed. Sometimes, Orko took Furaha to the stream, where they paddled and splashed and felt the water for minnows, which tickled Furaha’s legs like a thousand little waterproof feathers. Orko would splash Furaha in little splashes, while Furaha would lie in the water with Orko lying head to head with her. Back in the palace, when it was raining, Orko would sit in the throne room with his nursemaids and uncle and spend a quiet moment with his sisters. All the lions’ thrones are like beds for the lions to relax on, and Orko’s throne was right next to Uzuri’s. Lucky little thing, he is. He would stroke and comfort his little sister and tell him stories about whales and elephants and unicorns. Other times, they would look out the window in Orko’s room together with the lights completely low, and Orko would talk with Furaha how lucky he is to have such a lovely sister like her. At dinner, Orko helped Uzuri feed Furaha some porridge, which she enjoyed more than her milk. Although she got milk all over her mouth, Orko used a soft hankie to wipe it all off, and sometimes he would share his food, which is meat served with vegetables, with Uzuri. Uzuri, Orko and the other nursemaids always shared with each other, and Orko shared with his little sister too. When visitors came, Orko would be upstairs in his room playing with or tickling his baby sister, or hiding under the duvet with her. Orko had formed a lifelong bond with her, something he will remember forever. On evenings, Orko would bathe Furaha in the palace baths, and sometimes his sisters would join in too. It was their evening bath, and Orko enjoyed it muchly. He would excitedly hold onto Furaha and lift her up into the waterfall so she’d enjoy her shower, while the other lionesses cleaned and cared for her. Sometimes they added bubbles, which delighted Orko because he would pretend to be a shark coming to eat Furaha, or a fish swimming around her. He and Uzuri would teach little Furaha how to swim, even on their visits to the beach sometimes, because like most babies, Furaha is a natural born swimmer. When everyone was drying themselves, Orko would laugh because Furaha got fluffed up as always, and used a soft bristled brush to make her fur all nice and smooth and soft. Once Orko’s cloak had completely dried, he put on his pink nightgown and tucked himself into bed beside Uzuri and Furaha. Uzuri would read the two a bedtime story about places around their kingdom, folklore and myths, some of which were too scary for Furaha to take in, so Uzuri had to tone it down a bit so she wouldn’t wake up screaming in the night. Then, when Uzuri turned off the light, she, Orko and Furaha slept soundly, knowing that they’ll always be together as a family.

When Furaha turned 2, she developed more mischief than her and her brother Orko put together. She could walk now, because her legs were strong and able, and she could eat solid foods now. Every morning, Furaha would be the first to wake up while Uzuri and Orko were still asleep. She would prowl around the bed just as Busara came to check on his sleeping nieces and nephew, and then…RARRR! She pounced onto her mother and brother, causing Busara to chuckle heartily. After she and Orko brushed their teeth (Orko’s face was in shadow so we don’t see his teeth), they went downstairs to have breakfast. Since Furaha ate solid foods, she ate bacon, eggs and pancakes alongside the rest of the family. The meals were so delicious that she almost forgot about what she had planned for today. But Uzuri didn’t. She played all sorts of games with Orko and Furaha - she played hide and seek and tag with them, and sometimes told them stories. During the hide and seek games, Furaha would always be the first to find her mother and brother. She always found her mother because she saw her tail peeking out from behind the curtains, but finding Orko was a real pickle - especially as he kept moving from hiding place to hiding place! Luckily, Furaha and Uzuri found him together, because Furaha always pounced onto Orko and tickled him. They would then play a game of tag together, with Furaha and Orko chasing after each other all across the palace, past the throne room, through the halls (disrupting the guards) and they would tumble into Orko’s room, laughing loudly. On their trips to the beach, Orko would draw pictures in the sand with his bony fingers and tell Furaha a story based around what he drew. He would lie on the soft sand with Furaha and comfortably gaze up at the sky. He would splash with Furaha in the ocean waves. Sometimes Uzuri joined them, but the two friends were always very careful to not disturb her while she has time to herself. Sometimes, they would go to the cherry blossom orchard and run around trying to catch the petals that fell from the trees. Orko floated so he caught them easily, but Furaha could jump the highest and catch as many petals as she could. “Wheeeeeeeee!!” she would cry as she caught them. Afterwards, they had a rest every time. Orko would cuddle up next to Furaha’s soft golden fur and told her to look around at all the things that nature has to offer that’ll make her calm. He taught her how to smell the sweet scent of the orchard and breathe in the fresh, clean air. They would share in hugs and cuddles together, and Orko would get very sleepy being in nature and being with his little sister. So much so they would go home and snuggle down for a nap, dreaming the sweetest dreams. In evenings, Furaha was finally allowed to eat meat and vegetables like the rest of her family, and Orko would sometimes feed her some of his dinner. Furaha never once complained or threw a hissy fit, because of how happy she felt eating such delicacies. Due to Furaha’s mischievousness, at bathtime, Furaha would begin splashing her big brother and swimming after him in the palace baths, sometimes showering under the waterfall with him or playing under her mother Uzuri’s warm embrace. Uzuri would swoop her up in a hug, and she would cuddle Orko too, even though his velvety cloak was remarkably wet. At bedtime, Furaha would be bouncing on Uzuri’s bed, and Orko would calm her down by gently rocking her to sleep and singing her a lullaby. Then Uzuri, her brother and her daughter would comfortably fall asleep amongst the soft sheets, knowing they are all safe and out of harm’s way.

When Furaha turned 6, she was still more of a princess than ever, but with an endless bundle of energy. When she woke up first thing in the morning, she would pull Orko’s ears and tell him to wake up. She would then pounce onto her mother, and she would wake first, then Orko. At breakfast, Furaha told Orko and his sisters about what she was going to plan for the day ahead. She was quite a bit of a chatterbox, especially according to Uzuri. Furaha and Orko would spend days haring around the hallways and throne room in a game of tag, or trying to find one another in a game of hide and seek. No matter what game they would play, it would always end up with Furaha playfully wrestling with Orko and lots of hugs, as you do. They still went to the beach, the blossom orchard and the meadow, but Furaha could run free with her brother. The first time she ran free in the meadow, she made a flock of birds scatter, and she followed them all the way to the edge of a cliff. From that moment on, one moment bugged her…did she really have to leave the place like all the birds she encountered someday? She walked away, worrying Orko and Uzuri more than anything else.

When they got back to the palace, Furaha sat in the throne room and cried. Orko and Uzuri went up to her. “What’s wrong?” Orko asked. “I’m worried I might have to leave you someday and run this kingdom on my own…as queen.” said Furaha. “You will have to someday, because you are a princess. But no matter what happens, Orko and I still love you like a family.” “Really?” asked Furaha. “Yeah. We’ve loved you since you were a baby, and should we be gone, you will carry on from us in a legacy that can’t be forgotten. Remember, we’ll always be there for you.” Furaha threw her arms round her mother’s neck and hugged her tight. Orko hugged her too, and Furaha was moved to tears by that conversation.

Later, when Furaha managed to stop crying, she joined the family for dinner. She was finally able to crack jokes and make everyone at the dinner table laugh, including Orko, who loved it when Furaha made everyone laugh. During their nightly bath, Furaha and Orko splashed each other while Uzuri looked on proudly, and sometimes they lay down in the water and looked up at the golden trimmed ceiling. Furaha was finally allowed to sleep with Orko in his own big bed, and as they did, Uzuri came in and whispered into her ear:

“You will always be my beautiful little princess…forever.”

THE END.