A Crocodile's Journey

Chapter 20

By the time Kitwana awoke it was already nighttime. He stretched out inside the small, abandoned den he had picked as a 'nest' and stepped out of it. The jungle looked so different at night, it was hard to look beyond his beak but hopefully, there was enough moonlight to move around. 

Feeling thirsty, Kitwana walked over towards the spring, emerging into the clearing a few seconds later. The others had returned from wherever they had gone to eat and were contently lying around the place.

"I've never been so happy about being wet in my entire life," Umoja said underneath the small waterfall, purring in delight.

"This is life!" Nurisha said, swimming around in the water. "It's almost a pity we won't be staying here."

"Oh, Kitwana, there you are!" Kalere cried out as she flew down from an upper branch towards the ibis. "Makuu was looking for you!"

"He's awake?" Kitwana asked, relieved.

"He awoke a while ago," Kiburi responded from the water. "He wanted to talk to you, but you needed the rest."

"Where is he now?"

"He went towards the grassy plains that way," Julisha said, pointing at a direction with her snout. "He asked that when you woke up we tell you he'll be there."

Kitwana approached the spring and took a refreshing drink. He recalled Makuu had apologized to him while being delirious, but he wasn't sure if he really meant it or if he was just saying things because of his state at that time.

"What's on your mind, kid?"

Kitwana jumped back in surprise when he heard Kiburi's voice much closer, and when he looked up he noted the crocodile had approached him, looking at him curiously... but he also saw a bit of concern in his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Makuu didn't seem to be on precisely good terms the whole way here, but from the way he spoke about you, I guess you used to. What happened between you?"

Kitwana looked away sadly. "I don't want to talk about it..."

"Well, I see he did rub off some things unto you."

Offended, Kitwana glared at Kiburi. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're bottling things up, keeping things to yourself. That's something Makuu does very well too; the problem is that when you do that, it affects you. It affects your mood, your reactions, and eventually there'll come a moment when you can't bear it anymore and explode."

"I think we should give these two some privacy.." Jafari whispered.

"Agree." Said Julisha, then the other animals quietly retreated into the jungle.

"How do I know this?" Kiburi continued. "I knew him since we were very young. True, we didn't get along because he was... difficult to treat, but back then I didn't know all the things he had gone through."

That comment sparked Kitwana's curiosity. "What do you mean? What happened to him?"

"That's something only he can tell you. My point is the way he acted, and he still acts to some extent, is the result of bottling up all those feelings of pain and sorrow."

"If it's bad, why did he do it?"

"It's... the crocodile way," Kiburi responded a bit reluctantly. "I guess you noticed that crocodiles are not very emotive like other animals."

"Well, sort of...."

"Anyway, my point is you shouldn't judge him if you don't his whole story," Kiburi said in a gentler tone this time. "Deep down, I think he might be a good crocodile... sometimes." He had to be, otherwise, he wouldn't have saved Kiburi's life since he had no obligation to take that shot for him, yet he did.