January/February 2011

Sometimes he would jog around the enclosure as a special treat for the viewers It had been years since Kimbabwe had run. He lazily draped a paw over the edge of his rock, letting the warm sun shine in his eyes. His cage at the zoo was much too small to get up the kind of speed cheetahs were famous for. He had his food practically delivered to him, and he had long since forsaken the idea of pretending to hunt it as he had when he was young. It was, after all, just scraps of raw meat. No amount of pretending could turn it into the kind of challenge he needed. A good long chase after an antelope, maybe. Or perhaps just a jog for fun, he thought wistfully. He could barely remember the days when his territory had stretched across the entire African savannah. His father had been the leader of the most powerful band of cheetahs, and their territory had stretched farther than the eye could see. He had been a very young pup, still with his mother, watching the males he would someday join as they flew gracefully by. Then the Men came. Creeping through the long grass, their fire sticks could shoot faster than the pack could run, and before long the pack was gone. Then they came for Kimbabwe and his mother. She ran from them for miles, but eventually the sticks caught up with her and she was gone too. Kimbabwe surely would have been next had not the people from the zoo found him and saved him. Ever since then he lived in a cage with two of his brothers. Each day, many people would come and peer at them through the glass, commenting in awed voices at their incredible grace and beauty. Kimbabwe was always disgusted by their shallowness. You think I’m beautiful when I’m sleeping. You should see me run! You think I’m mighty when I yawn and show you my teeth. Give me an antelope and watch me kill it myself! Sometimes he would jog around the enclosure as a special treat for the viewers, or sometimes he would play with his food and make a big deal out of “killing” it just to see the children laugh. His two brothers, Jawjue and Kamunji, couldn’t understand him. They lay on the rocks all day, wondering at him. Why are you wasting your time? they would ask. Come and lie with us. The people don’t care. Why do you tire yourself by running when you could lie in the sun and be admired for your beauty? They didn’t understand how he longed for freedom, how he needed to run. He could feel his body tense and stretch sometimes, and the need to run was excruciating to ignore. He would growl and scratch at the ground, tear around the trees, leap and spin, trying to rid himself of the push to just let himself go. Once, when he was still new at the zoo, he had run as fast as he could straight towards the glass. He had thought it would shatter and he would be free. Instead, he was unable to move for weeks. On this particular morning, the people did not come. This meant that the week was over and tomorrow a new week would begin. Kimbabwe sighed and leaped down from his rock. His brothers, as usual, lay stretched out lazily. Where are you going? Jawjue, the curious one, lifted his head. Come and lie down. My side is cold where you were lying, come and warm it up. Kamunji cuffed Jawjue, making him fall off the rock. You have the brains of an antelope, he growled. Get back here and be quiet. Kimbabwe ignored them pointedly and studied the crack in the glass wall where the keeper brought their food. You two are stupid, lying there all day. Why don’t you get up and do something for once? Make yourself useful. They glared at him and lay back down. No, really. Kimbabwe sat down on the rock and prodded Kamunji. Don’t you ever get the urge to run? To just be free, to go back to that place where we were pups? Go somewhere, do something? To eat something real instead of this fake raw meat junk that they bring us? Don’t you want adventure? His fur bristled just thinking about it. Kamunji blinked at him. In a word. No. He sighed and rolled over. Jawjue, however, was staring at Kimbabwe with a look of wonder on his face. You mean there’s more? This isn’t the world right here in front of us? And the food tastes better than this? Kimbabwe was appalled. He motioned for Jawjue to follow him. They sat down together at the edge of the enclosure. Of course there’s more. Picture this place over and over with no walls or ceilings. Jawjue closed his eyes and thought. Kimbabwe went on. Imagine huge pools of water as far as the eye can see. Imagine thousands of cheetahs running at top speed through the grass. Imagine a mother with her pups. Imagine the thrill of the hunt, with cheetahs running and an antelope limping away. Now, look! The lead cheetah jumps up and the antelope is down! Now the pack’s swarming over it… now it’s gone and the birds move in. He shivered and opened his eyes. Jawjue had a glazed look in his eyes and he was staring hungrily off into the distance. I. Want. To. Go. There. Kimbabwe wrapped his tail around Jawjue’s haunches. Someday, I promise you. I’ll take you there. We’ll go and rule Father’s territory, just like we were meant to. They sat together for a long time, each dreaming separately of wide open spaces and antelope. Kamunji growled in disgust. How can you believe we’ll ever get out? Why can’t you just be happy with life here? Warm, never hungry. If you went back you’d have to… He