A Brothers Laugh
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The brothers were laughing. They laughed at the world, and they laughed with each other as well. It was a sound that had been missing from their lives for so long now it seemed impossible to believe there could be such joy in them again.
But this night of laughter would not last forever; soon enough all things must end—and when it did, what then? Would those who lived through these times remember how much they’d enjoyed themselves while the sun still shone upon us or will we forget even our own names before time’s cruel hand has finished its work on us?
Will you laugh like this one day too? And if I do…will your laughter ring hollow because mine is gone?”
“I don’t know,” said Mhumhi. “But maybe…” He trailed off into silence, staring out over the city lights below him. The wind blew across his face and he shivered slightly-it felt good against his skin after being cooped up inside for so many days.
He heard Kutta shift beside him under her blanket, but she didn’t speak either. She looked down toward the ground far beneath them where the streets ran by in dark lines between buildings, lit only faintly here and there by streetlamps or headlights shining along the roadways.
A few cars passed overhead every minute or two, moving quickly away from the edge of the park and back toward town proper. There wasn’t any traffic coming towards them right now though: no police cruisers, nothing. No sign of life anywhere except for the three of them huddled together in the darkness.
Mhumhi thought about going home. His mother was probably worried sick already. When he tried to imagine himself walking up onto the porch with her standing behind the door waiting anxiously for him, he found it difficult. How would he explain why he hadn’t come straight home?
Would she ask questions? What answers could he give her? Why should she care anyway? Wasn’t it better just to leave everything alone until morning came around again? Let everyone else worry about it.
There was another car passing overhead, closer than most. Its headlights flashed briefly across the top of their heads, illuminating the tall grasses swaying gently above them. Mhumhi turned his head aside reflexively, blinking hard against the sudden glare; he saw something move among the trees nearby, but couldn’t make it out clearly.
Then the light went away and he blinked once more, trying to adjust his vision. Something moved again, farther down the slope, and Mhumhi squinted, feeling a little dizzy suddenly.
It took him several seconds to realize that the movement had been made by someone running swiftly past them-not fast, but steadily. At first, he thought it might have been a dog, but then he realized that the figure was wearing a white coat.
It stopped abruptly near the bottom of the hill, panting heavily. For an instant, Mhumhi thought it was Bii, but then he recognized the familiar outline of Maha.
His heart leaped within him. “Mahalah!” he cried out.
She whirled around, looking surprised, and raised her hands defensively. Her eyes darted left and right frantically.
“Don’t shoot! Don’t hurt me-“
“What are you doing here?!” snapped Mhumhi, leaping forward.
Kutta bounded after him, barking excitedly. “Where’ve you been?! We haven’t seen you since yesterday afternoon.”
Maha glanced nervously over her shoulder. “I got lost.”
“You’re crazy,” said Mhumhi, snarling. “How can anyone get lost in this place? You weren’t wandering around outside for hours without food and water?”
She shook her head. “No. I ate some berries. I’m sorry but I wanted to see you guys, really badly. So I started climbing up the hillsides, hoping to find my way back to the house somehow. I kept getting further and further away from it, though. I think I climbed halfway up the side of the building next to the big wall, actually.
That’s when I fell asleep. I woke up later and decided I needed to go back down, but I couldn’t climb anymore. My legs were sore from all the climbing. I sat down and waited for a bit, thinking maybe I could walk down the rest of the way, but then I remembered that you’d told me to stay put, and I figured you wouldn’t want anything to happen to me, so I stayed hidden in the bushes instead.
After a while, though, I began to feel scared and lonely, so I crept out and followed the riverbed downstream. I ended up finding myself here, and I knew it was the right spot because there’s a lot of people living close by.”
“A whole pack of dogs lives here?” asked Kutta incredulously.
Maha nodded. “They do. They live on the other sides of the walls too, not just here. But they’re mostly wild ones, like me. Most of them aren’t very nice at all. Some of them will attack if you try to approach them, even though we share the same territory.”
Her voice sounded strange as she spoke, almost distant. Mhumhi wondered what sort of experiences she must have gone through during those long nights spent hiding in the woods. He felt ashamed of how frightened he had been for her.
“But these dogs who live here…” Maha continued, turning to look directly into Mhumhi’s eyes. “These are good dogs. The best kind. And you know what? One of them is named Tareq.”
Tarek? Mhumhi stared at her blankly. Did she mean…was one of the dogs whose name he’d learned today also called Tareq?
“Do you remember him?” Maha pressed. She looked hopeful.
The memory of the last time he had spoken to Tareq rose up before his mind: the young male had licked Mhumhi’s face eagerly and had seemed glad to be reunited with him. Mhumhi wasn’t sure whether or not he liked being reminded of such things.
“Yes,” he answered slowly. “Of course I do. Who doesn’t?”
He didn’t say any more, however; he simply stood staring at Maha for a moment longer, unsure of where to begin. Finally, he gave a small nod. “Well, come on. Let’s take you home now.”
***
As soon as they reached the edge of the forest, Maha ran ahead of them, bounding along happily towards the cluster of buildings. As far as Mhumhi could tell, none of the others paid much attention to her, except perhaps for Kebbi who watched warily behind them.
When they arrived at the entrance of their enclosure, Maha skidded to a halt and pointed inside. “There’s no point going in until morning anyway. There’ll probably still be guards about.”
Mhumhi did not need to ask which guard she meant. His ears perked up and he turned to stare at the tall metal gate, its bars glowing a dim red in the dark night.
“We should wait till tomorrow,” suggested Kutta. “If we don’t show our faces tonight, they won’t expect us to make another appearance anytime soon.”
“That’s true,” agreed Mhumhi. “Let’s sleep out here, then.”
His sister yawned loudly, stretching her paws wide apart. “Good idea!”
Maha grinned at both of them, wagging her tail. “Thanks for bringing me back, Mhumhi. It means a lot to me. Really. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing,” replied Mhumhi stiffly. “Just please, let’s hurry and get inside before someone sees you.”
“Oh yes, of course,” said Maha, trotting off again. “I can smell food over there! Come on, everyone, follow me.”
Kutta hesitated only briefly before following after her, and Mhumhi hurried to catch up. When he glanced around, he saw that the rest of the pack was already gathered together near the fence, waiting for them. Biscuit came running up to greet him, barking excitedly, while Little Gray and Hlolwa sniffed curiously at Maha.
“You’ve brought back a friend,” said Kutta, looking up at Mhumhi questioningly. Her tone made it clear she wanted an explanation, but Mhumhi merely shook his head.
“She needs help,” he told her quietly. “And we promised to bring her back safe.”
Little Gray barked once and looked away from Maha. Then he padded forward, nudging Mhumhi gently with his nose. “Come on, little brother. We got some work to do.”
With a heavy heart, Mhumhi followed him past the others, feeling Kebbi watching him closely. Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself standing alone by the wall, staring down at the city beyond.
He remembered when he first entered this place, so many years ago. How scared he had been, how nervous-looking, fumbling his way through the streets. Now he felt completely different. Confident. Like he belonged.
Then why am I leaving? Why does my chest feel tight?
Because he couldn’t stay forever. Because he would never belong.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching, and turned to see Little Gray padding up beside him. He scratched the dog under the chin and smiled slightly.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “Sooner or later, we’re all gonna go home.”
Little Gray whined softly but nodded.
They were silent for a few moments, each lost in thought. At length, Mhumhi spoke up again. “So, uhm-“
“What?” asked Little Gray, tilting his head.
“How long have you lived here, really?” Mhumhi ventured.
“Long enough,” responded the dog. “Why d’you want to know?”
“No reason,” said Mhumhi quickly, turning away. “Sorry.”
But Little Gray just laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t sweat it. You ain’t the first one to wonder about that.”
Mhumhi blinked, surprised. “Really? What are you talking about?”
“Ah, well…” The dog paused. “Not too many people talk about it, y’see… But I guess if anyone ever asks, I’m supposed to say ‘about two months.’ That’s how long it took me to learn everything I needed to survive here.”
“Two months?!” exclaimed Mhumhi. “Doesn’t that seem like a long time?”
The dog shrugged. “Well, yeah, maybe. But think about it: that’s less than half a year. And most folks spend more time learning to walk properly. Or tie their shoes. So, you know, it’s not such a big deal.”
Mhumhi stared at him blankly for a moment, then gave an embarrassed laugh. “Right. Of course.”
Little Gray chuckled as well, though his expression seemed rather sad. “Anyway, I gotta run now. See ya around, Mhumhi.”
As the other dogs began to disperse, Mhumhi watched them go; he could hear Kutta calling out behind him, asking where he was going.
“Going to take care of something,” he called back. “See you guys later.”
When he reached the end of the alleyway, he stopped and peered into the darkness, trying to spot any sign of movement. There was none, however, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
There was still no response when he knocked on the door, but he waited patiently until finally, it opened inward, revealing a pair of yellow eyes.
“Hello,” said the fox, blinking slowly.
“Hi,” said Mhumhi, stepping inside. “Is Mr. Chaudhary here?”
“Yes, come in.” She stepped aside to allow him entrance and shut the door behind him. “Please sit down.”
Mhumhi did so, glancing over at the small table nearby. A cup of tea sat steaming there, along with several biscuits, which smelled delicious.
“Thank you,” he said politely, taking a biscuit. It tasted even better than it usually did.
“I hope you don’t mind,” said the woman, sitting herself down across from him. “Mr. Chaudhary is currently indisposed.”
“Oh!” Mhumhi blushed, dropping his gaze. “Um, sorry to bother you while you’re busy.”
“It’s quite alright,” she replied kindly. “In fact, I’ve been meaning to ask your assistance with something.”
“My help?” Mhumhi raised his eyebrows.
“Indeed. Please tell me, do you happen to remember anything about the man who attacked you last night?”
“Attack?” Mhumhi repeated. “You mean the hyena?”
“That’s right,” said the woman. “We haven’t managed to find much information regarding him yet, but we believe he may be involved in some sort of criminal activity. We’d very greatly appreciate any leads you might have.”
“Criminal activities?” Mhumhi echoed. “Like what kind of things?”
She hesitated before replying. “Well, we can’t discuss our investigations publicly, of course, but rest assured that whatever it is, it has nothing to do with the city itself. If you wouldn’t mind speaking to us privately after lunch today, perhaps we could arrange a meeting—”
“Of course,” interrupted Mhumhi hastily. He had only meant to speak to her briefly, but this sounded far more promising! “Uh- I’ll see you around noon tomorrow, then?”
“Perfect,” agreed the woman. “And please call me Tareq.”
***
Tarek told Mhumhi to meet her outside the police station at midday, and Mhumhi made sure to arrive early, pacing nervously through the streets. When he arrived, he saw that the place was bustling with officers and citizens alike, all milling about aimlessly.
He found Tarek standing near the front desk, looking bored.
“Good morning,” he greeted. “Did you get my message?”
“Yeah, thanks,” replied Mhumhi. “So, uh, why were you waiting for me here anyway? Didn’t you already send word to everyone else?”
“They weren’t able to make it,” answered Tarek. “Some personal business came up, I suppose.”
“Personal business?” asked Mhumhi curiously. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing important,” said Tarek dismissively. “Come on, let’s talk somewhere private.”
Mhumhi followed him away from the main doors, and once again they walked past the crowds of people, heading toward one of the side alleys. They passed by a few unfamiliar faces, and Mhumhi felt himself tense slightly. Were these the same ones who had chased him yesterday?
But when they emerged onto another street, Mhumhi relaxed somewhat. The sun shone brightly overhead, and despite the bustle of the crowd, the area looked peaceful enough.
“Here,” said Tarek, stopping next to a large tree. “This should work fine.”
Mhumhi glanced around, sniffing the air. Something smelled different here, like… meat. But he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.
“Don’t worry,” continued Tarek, noticing his confusion. “No one will disturb us here.”
Mhumhi eyed him suspiciously. “Why not just go back to the police station?”
“Because I’m sick of being cooped up there,” snapped Tarek. “Plus, if anyone comes asking questions, I can say I sent them off elsewhere.”
“Right…” Mhumhi said uncertainly. “Okay. So, um, how are we going to talk without someone overhearing us?”
“If you want privacy, you’ll need to keep quiet too,” said Tarek. “Now hush.”
The two dogs crouched low as they approached the base of the tree. There seemed to be an old dead branch lying beneath its boughs, and Mhumhi peered under it carefully.
There was indeed a hole underneath, big enough for him to fit into comfortably. He crawled inside, feeling rather pleased with himself. This would certainly solve their problem of talking secretly.
“All set?” whispered Tarek.
“Sure am,” said Mhumhi, curling up in the dark space below. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it beat having to sit upright.
Tarek sat down beside him. “Alright, so now we wait until the others show up.”
“Wait, what?” cried Mhumhi. “Who else is coming?”
“Just the other members of the investigation team,” explained Tarek. “One of them lives nearby, and I thought it best to bring him along.”
“Ah,” said Mhumhi. “Is it okay if I stay here?”
“I don’t think it matters where you’re sitting,” said Tarek. “It doesn’t look like anyone’s paying attention to us.”
Mhumhi decided to take his friend’s words at face value; he curled up further into the darkness. After a moment or two, though, he realized something: he hadn’t heard anything since they entered the alleyway. No voices, no footsteps, nothing. In fact, everything was eerily silent.
Had Tarek been wrong about that? Or did he have some sort of magical power that allowed him to hear things better than normal humans?
In any case, Mhumhi could hardly complain about the lack of noise. If the city really was as dangerous and full of danger as Tarek claimed, then perhaps silence was preferable after all.
After several minutes, he began to feel uncomfortable, especially because his stomach growled loudly. Perhaps the smell of food had attracted the rats, which would explain why he’d never seen them before.
Then suddenly, a voice spoke right behind him.
Startled, Mhumhi whirled around, tail lashing out. A small figure stood there, staring at him.
“Oh!” exclaimed the man-thing, jumping backward. “Sorry! Don’t bite me, please, I didn’t mean-“
His eyes widened, and Mhumhi noticed that they glowed faintly red. His ears twitched forward eagerly, trying to catch more sounds of movement above ground level.
“You’ve got to stop doing this,” said Tarek, stepping between them. “He isn’t worth getting upset over.”
“Yes, well, sorry,” said the little creature apologetically. “My name is Biscuit. You must be Mhumhi, yes?”
“That’s right,” grunted Mhumhi. “And you’re… uh, what kind of animal are you?”
Biscuit smiled broadly. “A dog, obviously. Have you ever met another canine besides yourself?”
“Well,” said Mhumhi cautiously. “Not many.”
“Goodness, you poor thing,” said Biscuit, wagging his head sadly. “Have you even eaten today?”
Mhumhi blinked. “Uh, no?”
“Of course, you haven’t,” said Biscuit, shaking his head. “What do you eat, anyway?”
“Meat,” replied Mhumhi, surprised by the question.
“But your mother fed you meat when she brought you home from her litter, didn’t she?” asked Biscuit.
“She gave me scraps sometimes,” admitted Mhumhi.
“So you know what it tastes like, surely?” pressed Biscuit.
“Yeah, sure,” muttered Mhumhi, confused. The last time he remembered eating meat, it had come directly from Maha’s mouth.
“Come with me,” said Biscuit urgently. “We can get you something to eat.”
“Where?”
“Inside,” said Biscuit, pointing upward. “This way.”
They climbed back through the branches, and Mhumhi found himself looking down on the street again. They were standing near the edge of the roof, just far enough away that they wouldn’t be spotted easily. But still close enough to see clearly.
As soon as Biscuit turned toward the building, however, Mhumhi saw something strange. There was a large group of dogs gathered together beneath the windows, staring up at them. And one of those dogs looked familiar.
The End