Steps Forward
Steps Forward
(Manuel Hipólito Soler)
I
It is very important to try to advance in life, even if many times it may be hard. Carry on is important.
Shenzi, Banzai and Ed were three young siblings. Unlike many other hyenas, they didn’t laugh too much. They carried certain pain because they had lost their parents, who were killed by a group of humans.
Africa was a continent with many problems, not only for its native human population, but also for its animals. For decades, many foreigners came to visit it in order to hunt for pleasure. Animals usually did not kill other animals if they did not need it to eat or defend themselves, but humans did; especially the foreigner tourists. They enjoyed hunting for pleasure.
One day, the three hyenas were playing in a small lake. It was a hot morning, and they were happy to be alone at the lake. Usually, animals did not attack other animals unless they needed to do it to eat or defend themselves, but of course there were exceptions, like the lions.
Anyway, there were no annoying lions, and neither human beings. Shenzi was very happy to have her brothers’ company. She was quite shy and sensitive. She used to dream about a perfect world for hyenas like she and her brothers.
A world without annoying lions, and without evil human beings; a wonderful world where they could play and laugh all day. She also dreamt about her parents, and in fact, almost every time that happened, she woke up with tears in her eyes. Banzai and Ed also dreamt of such a perfect world.
Ed was quite silly, he didn’t seem to understand many things, but he was also quite sensitive. He loved his brother and his sister with much loyalty. In fact, many times when he could see his sister wake up crying, he lowered his head and his eyes also dropped some little tears.
However, that morning in the lake, everything felt quiet and enjoyable. The sun shone, and the birds near there sang. Shenzi and her brothers also loved to listen to the singing of the birds.
If everything was ok, the three hyenas would spend some more time playing and then they would try to hunt a gazelle. And later on, they would have to return to the little cave by the rocks where they lived. They had to be careful in order to not disturb a lion while hunting to eat or to not come across one on their way back home.
If everything went okay, the lions would get their food too, and everybody would finish their day very happy. Except, of course, the gazelles and the zebras. The point was that the hyenas and the lions were not supposed to meet.
Shenzi also had a certain fear of coming across with a human being. So, suddenly, she spoke first to her silly brother Ed
- Ed, please, it’s time to go. Aren’t you hungry? Come on, let’s see if we can catch something.
Suddenly, her other brother also spoke.
- But we want to keep playing. Isn’t this a beautiful day? - said Banzai.
- Shenzi, please, I want to listen to more of the birds’ singing. Look! That birdie has a really beautiful singing and it is so nice - Ed continued.
- Guys, it’s time for a meal. And we should hurry. What if one of those monsters sees us?
- Which monsters? The Lions? Or those strange monkeys which can kill animals at a distance? - Ed asked.
- I think she means both Ed.
- Yes, very well Banzai. So, guys, it’s time.
- But I want to listen to the birdie.
- Come on Ed! She 's right. Besides, you can listen to many other birds all the way.
- Ok.
- All right. Let 's move on.
While they were retreating, Ed turned around, watched the really beautiful birdie which was singing so peacefully, and smiled at it. At that moment, the birdie seemed to realize that he was watching it and so it stopped singing.
Ed and the birdie stared at each other. Then, Ed shouted at it. He said:
“Don’t be afraid of me, you little boy, or little girl… Anyway, don’t be afraid of us! Me, my sister Shenzi and my brother Banzai are in love with your singing!”
His sister suddenly yielded.
- Eddie! Come on! We are leaving. We have to.
- Sorry. I was talking to Mister Birdie. Or Miss Birdie… Anyway, I was talking to it because I wanted to tell it about how majestic it is.
- Shenzi and Eddie, would you be so kind as to stop talking so loud? - said Banzai - Ed, please, we have to go, Shenzi was and is right; and Shenzi, you were scared, weren’t you?
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II
Victor and Kyle were drinking some water and trying to rest when they received a call from the walkie - talkie. It was a really hot day for both of them, and also for the African people and the other personnel of Medics Without Borders.
The worldwide situation looked terrible. In fact, it was terrible. In Latin America, from Argentina to Mexico, many people wanted to work but there weren’t many good jobs with health care, safety, dignity and hope. In the USA and Canada, along with most European countries and some Asian countries too, the economic crisis was conditioning people’s lives in a similar way. And meanwhile, in the whole African continent, the situation didn’t seem to improve at all.
That is, at the end, it looked as if sooner or later it would not matter to live in Argentina or in Sudan or in Spain, or even in Japan. The whole of humanity was facing a really dark and hopeless disorder. Hunger, bad employment, exploitation, unemployment, wars, civil wars, drug traffic, violence in general, and a terrible sensation of sadness, pain and impotence were turning life into a nightmare.
“Will someday all of us wake up from this nightmare?” Kyle used to ask himself while thinking. “Why does it have to be this way? Is there no light in darkness? Why can't we get out of this black void and run away to a better world?” he continued to think, while he was walking with his mate and also friend Victor.
The men and women of Medics Without Borders, along with the different Religious Missionaries companies, were trying to do the best they could. Victor and Kyle didn’t agree with the Religious, but they understood that those other people also had the best intentions. Both friends were quite open minded with respect to things like politics and religion.
Now, Kyle and Victor were going to answer the call of duty. They had to help and take care of some children, who needed to eat something, and also needed to get some medicine.
- Sure the heat is terrible today, isn’t it? - asked Victor suddenly. -
- Yes. It is a really hot day. - Kyle answered.
- Did you see Antonio? He was supposed to be here with us.
- I think that he went to look after other children.
- Which other children?
- I don’t know. Jennifer told me something about a group of children who were going to play football. Well, actually I don’t remember.
- That Argentinian guy really likes football. I suppose that’s why he went there.
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III
Some hours had passed since the three hyenas left the lake. They didn’t have any luck to hunt a gazelle, because a group of lions were there. Anyway, they were lucky to have not been seen by them, but now they were lost.
- Shenzi, when will we return home?
- Ed, please, stay silent. We don’t know if we are alone.
- But we are alone. We are the only ones walking around here.
- Ed - said Banzai - the lions might be near here, and also the humans.
- I wish we could join more hyenas like us - said Ed.
Shenzi walked overwhelmed by an insecurity feeling. She only wanted to return home with her brothers. She also wished to find more like them, because they could be more safe. She was getting nervous, and while she walked, she thought and imagined things.
She remembered when she was little. One day, she was with her family and everything looked perfect. The birds sang. The sun shone a lot and she and her brothers had their parents, but suddenly they heard a strange noise, which was like a roar but it didn’t sound like an animal. And then, that group of people who began to shoot guns appeared.
By that moment, she focused on reality again when both she and her brothers listened to something. It was a peculiar sound. It sounded like a series of screams. Despite this detail, they had curiosity, rather than fear, so they decided to follow it.
After some minutes, they hid in some bushes because they saw what it was about. A group of human beings. There were many black people but also a white man.
- What are they doing? - Banzai whispered.
- No idea - Ed answered - what do you think Shenzi?
She couldn’t answer because she was feeling really strange. She felt a disgusting mix of grief and anger. She could also watch that many of those monsters, curiously, looked very small. In fact, there were only three that were tall enough. One of those was the white man.
She exploded. She got out of her hiding, and ran to them roaring. The small ones could listen and see her, realized about her intentions and began to run away. Only three of them were not so fast.
The adults also ran. They ran towards her because they wanted to stop her and protect the children. However, it was not necessary. Because, when she got quite close, she could watch really better.
And she could see a little girl and two little boys. And she realized what she was going to do. She stared at them. She watched them while her eyes shed big tears, because she realized that she was going to act justly like them in the past and kill and destroy a family.
She could not stand the thought, so she turned around and ran quickly again but in the opposite direction. “What kind of monster am I? What have I become? Those small ones, they were like me and my brothers!”.
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IV
Half an hour later of that strange incident with the hyena, Antonio was driving a jeep. He was with Kyle, Victor and an African old man who many neighbours in the village said that he knew a lot about how to treat and react in case of wild animals’ attack. Antonio stopped the vehicle. So, they continued moving on foot.
- Mister Antonio, it is ok. I think that those animals won’t be a menace. Why don’t we return to the village? - Asked the old man.
- I disagree. We must make sure that no incidents like that happen again.
- Hey! Wait a minute! What do you want to do? Do you want to get into a dispute with Greenpeace? - Asked Victor - Besides, in any case, we don’t have firearms.
- I have a good machete.
- Do you believe that you are Rambo?
- Guys, look there! - suddenly Kyle interrupted.
There were now three hyenas. The three animals were standing there paralyzed.
- There are three of them now.
Shenzi, Banzai and Ed were watching those human beings who were getting closer. Banzai and Ed were ready to strike. They wanted to defend themselves. Meanwhile, Shenzi felt horrible.
Something strange happened. Shenzi took a series of steps forward, but slowly. Her brothers called her but she kept advancing. When both she and the humans were quite close, one of the white men who carried something in his hand looked her in the eyes. This lasted for a few minutes, but those minutes were enough for both.
- What a curious animal… You don’t seem to be dangerous at all. You look sad. - Said Antonio.
- I told you Mister Antonio - said the old man
- Yes, we told you so - Said Victor.
- It reminds me of when I was younger and I listened to music with my dog.
- What? How? - Asked Kyle.
- Kyle, please, go to the jeep and bring me my backpack. I have my phone there.
- There is no signal here. We are in the middle of nature.
- Please. Go Quickly! And bring me my phone!
- Ok, I’ll go.
Shenzi couldn’t believe what was happening. She was quite scared and confused. Banzai and Ed approached slowly to her side. Then, that other white man came back with another strange object in his hand.
- Why did you want your phone? What makes it special?
- The music I could download.
- What!?
- Look what I am going to do. So, you three, listen to this.
Antonio played a song. It was the theme Radio from the soundtrack of the film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. The three hyenas stayed listening to the music. Neither Kyle or Victor, or even the old man, could believe what was happening.
That song was sad, but beautiful and moving. It made the three hyenas remember about their parents and that tragic day, but also about all those nights when they had each other’s company and watched the beautiful stars in the sky. It was really moving, just like the singing of the birdies.
- This song was sad, wasn’t it? Well, if you come back here tomorrow I can play more for you folks.
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V
The next day, Antonio went to that same place, along with Kyle, who carried some hamburgers, and Victor, who carried wood as if they were going to make a campfire, a fire extinguisher and a video camera. Effectively, they made a campfire, played some music and waited.
Shenzi, Banzai and Ed appeared. And they also took a step forward and came closer to those human beings. One simple step forward which also was like a great jump.
From that day, at least three times a month, the three friends, if they could, made a pause and met their new three friends. It was unbelievable but it was true. Sometimes they also carried children from the villages to meet their friends.
You see, there are certain things in life which really can help us to connect with others. Such things that can make us take steps forward, are things like art. Music is an art. So, from that day, those three wild animals really enjoyed the company of those people and behaved like domestic pets, that is, they behaved as if they were dogs or cats.
Shenzi stopped crying out of fear, and stopped feeling sick when she saw a human being. Now, sometimes she cried in the company of her brothers and Antonio. But she cried happily, that is, she felt really moved.
Antonio showed many songs to those animals. Such as The Argentina’s Army’s song, in both its sung and its instrumental form, and the Hymn To The Fallen from the soundtrack of Saving Private Ryan.
All of them took the necessary steps forward.
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Soundtrack of this story:
Radio from Terminator 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekTzjGTdaKs
Song of the Argentine Army (instrumental and sung versions)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcX0EGhmoBA&pp=ygUeY2FuY2lvbiBkZWwgZWplcmNpdG8gYXJnZW50aW5v
Hymn To The Fallen from Saving Private Ryan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qb3FKsZjb4
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*This short story would be an alternative version of The Lion King in which the hyenas are the main characters. I know that in the original story by Disney (that is, in the film) they are the bad guys, but I thought on giving them a second chance, and so I did in this alternative story.
I hope that you had liked it and if you have any opinions or suggestions with respect to grammar, you are free to comment. You see, this short story is in English but I am from Argentina and I can have mistakes (I hope not so many, by the way). So, your suggestions can really help me.
Greetings from Argentina to wherever you are from.
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