The decision of the Lion
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“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” I said.
I was talking to the lion at my feet—the one that had tried to eat me when we were children. It looked up and smiled with its mouth full of teeth as if it hadn’t eaten in weeks. Its eyes glowed red like embers from a fire, but they weren’t burning or angry; rather, there was something peaceful about them. They reminded me of a pair of warm hands gently cradling mine.
When I’d first met this particular lion cub, he had wanted nothing more than to devour me whole. But over time, our relationship changed. We became friends. In fact, sometimes we even played together.
He would chase down an antelope for lunch and then bring it back to me so I could play tug-of-war with him until his jaws grew tired. Then we’d both go inside and share some milk before going to sleep.
But now things were different. This wasn’t just any old lion. It was my best friend, the very same one who had once tried to kill me. And unlike other animals, lions don’t forget their enemies. No matter how friendly you are with them today, tomorrow they might be hungry again and decide to feast on your flesh instead of an antelope.
That’s why I didn’t want to get too close to this lion right away. Instead, I decided to let it come closer to me.
The lion began walking toward me slowly, step by careful step. As soon as it got within arm’s reach, I grabbed hold of its mane and held onto it tightly. At first, I thought it would take off running again, but after looking into those glowing red eyes, I realized that no amount of distance between us would make a difference. So I relaxed and waited patiently for my best friend to finally speak.
After what seemed like hours, the lion spoke: “You’ve grown.”
That was all it said. There was no anger or malice in its voice. Just a simple observation.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Are you happy?”
Once again, there was no hostility behind the question. Rather, it sounded almost curious.
“Very much so.”
There was another pause before the lion responded. “Then I’m glad to hear it.”
And with that, the lion turned around and walked away. Even though it still looked dangerous, I felt safe enough to follow it. After a few minutes, we came upon a small cave where the two of us settled down for the night. When we woke up the next morning, we went hunting together. Soon thereafter, we built a house out of branches near the riverbank. It was a nice place to live.
As time passed, I noticed something strange. My best friend never stopped growing. One day he was a little cub, the next year he was an adolescent, and the following year he was a fully grown adult. I watched him grow bigger and stronger every single month.
Sometimes I wondered whether it was because I fed him well, or perhaps it was simply due to his natural growth rate. Either way, I kept feeding my best friend whenever he asked, which was often.
One day, however, I discovered that my best friend had begun to change. His fur changed color from black to white, and his face disappeared altogether. For years, I’d always known exactly what my best friend looked like. Now I couldn’t recognize him anymore. All of a sudden, he was unrecognizable. And worse yet, I knew that unless I did something about it soon, he wouldn’t last long.
So I took my best friend aside and told him everything.
“What do you mean? What happened?”
“Look at yourself,” I replied. “You’re changing.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are! You used to have a face!”
“Well, maybe I lost it somewhere along the way…”
“Don’t give me that nonsense. Your face is gone forever. Don’t you see it?”
“I think you need glasses.”
At that point, I knew I needed help. I called my mother and explained the situation to her. She listened carefully and then gave me a piece of advice.
“If you really love your best friend, then you should put him in a cage and lock him up. Then you can feed him as many times as you want without having to worry about anything else ever happening to him again.”
“A cage?!”
“Of course. Lions aren’t meant to roam free. They’re wild animals, remember?”
My best friend was confused. “Why would anyone keep me locked up?”
“Because if you stay outside, sooner or later someone will try to eat you. And when that happens, it’ll be too late. Trust me—you don’t want to die. Believe me, I know firsthand.”
“Okay… I guess I understand. But what kind of cage?”
“Anything sturdy. Something made out of wood. If you use metal, it won’t work.”
It was hard to believe that my best friend had become such a monster. He was so gentle and sweet back in the days we spent together. How could he turn into something like this? The only explanation was that he must have been cursed somehow.
“All right, I’ll do it.”
“Good. Good. Now go ahead and build the cage.”
***
When I returned home, I found my mother waiting for me. “How did it go?” she asked.
“Fine. Everything’s under control.”
“Let me see for myself, then.”
She examined my best friend closely. Her expression softened slightly.
“He doesn’t look very good, does he?”
“No, he looks terrible. Like a skeleton.”
“Hmm. Well, let’s get started on the cage.”
We worked all day and finished building our wooden cage just before sunset. We placed my best friend inside, and once we were sure he was secure, we covered him up with a straw. That night, I slept soundly while my best friend lay motionless in the middle of his prison cell. In the morning, I removed the straw and saw that my best friend had transformed completely.
He was now a beautiful young woman who resembled my mother.
“What happened to him?” I whispered.
“He ate some bad berries. Didn’t you notice how sick he looked yesterday?”
“But why didn’t he tell me?”
“Oh, I forgot to mention one thing. He can talk.”
I stared at my best friend in disbelief. “Really?! No kidding?”
“Yep. Just listen to what he has to say.”
The moment my best friend opened her mouth, I recognized the voice immediately. It belonged to none other than my best friend.
“Hey there, a mister lion cub. I’ve got a message for you: Don’t trust anybody. Even people you care about most. Because they might end up betraying you someday. Sooner or later, everyone betrays you. It’s inevitable. Sure, your friends may seem trustworthy at first, but eventually, their true colors will show.
You’ll never be able to count on them. Never. People are treacherous by nature. There’s no escaping it. Once you realize that, you’ll finally begin to live a happy life.”
“Who are you talking to?” I asked.
“Just a little girl who loves lions. My name is Liza. Nice to meet you.”
“L-lizaaaaaaaroooooooonnnnneeee!”
That was my best friend’s real name. Not Lizanne. Or Lea. But Liza.
“And don’t forget mister lion cub. A lion’s strength lies in its claws. When you’re attacked, use those claws to defend yourself. Stay strong and fight until the bitter end. Only then will you win. Remember that.”
“Wait, wait, hold on,” I said. “Are you telling me that my best friend turned into a giant carnivorous beast because of a curse from an old witch?!”
“Well, yeah. That’s basically the story.”
“So that means—”
“You can’t save him.”
I couldn’t believe it. All these years, I thought my best friend was still alive. And now I find out that he actually died long ago!
“This is too much for me to handle. I’m going to cry.”
“Please don’t. You’ll ruin your makeup.”
After listening to my best friend’s final words, I fell asleep crying.
***
In the morning, I woke up feeling refreshed. I knew everything would be okay as soon as I learned the truth behind my best friend’s death. After breakfast, I headed straight to the forest where I’d last seen him. As I walked along the path, I heard a rustling noise coming from the bushes. I peeked inside and discovered a small rabbit cowering in fear.
“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.”
“W-w-what are you doing here?”
“Looking for my best friend.”
“Your best friend? What kind of person is he?”
“A really cool guy. One of the strongest men around.”
“Why are you looking for him?”
“Because he’s dead.”
“Dead?”
I explained the whole story to the frightened rabbit. “Do you know anything about it?”
“Not a clue. Sorry I can’t help you.”
“Thanks anyway. I guess I should give up on finding him after all.”
However, I wasn’t ready to accept defeat yet. I continued searching for clues throughout the entire day. By evening, I’d been through every inch of the forest, but I still hadn’t uncovered any new information. Frustrated, I decided to return home. Before leaving, however, I stopped in front of a large tree and called out to it.
“Hello, Mr. Tree. Do you have any idea where my best friend went?”
“Sorry, kid. I haven’t seen anyone like that around here.”
It seemed this particular tree had nothing else to add.
When I arrived back at our house, I found my parents sitting together on the sofa. They were both reading books. I sat down next to them and waited patiently for them to finish.
“How did things go today?” my father asked.
“Not well,” I replied.
My mother put her book aside. “Did something happen while you were out?”
“Yes.”
“Tell us about it.”
“There’s no easy way to say this…”
As I began explaining my ordeal, I noticed my parents’ expressions change drastically. Their faces grew pale, and their eyes filled with tears.
“What happened?” my mom asked.
“He’s gone… He’s dead,” I answered.
“Oh no…”
“We need to tell the others right away.”
“Right. We’ll call them over tonight.”
“Thank goodness we didn’t do anything stupid in front of him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lived to see his thirtieth birthday.”
“No, no. This isn’t your fault. It must’ve been some sort of accident.”
“But what if he got bitten by a snake or something? If there was poison in the meat he ate, maybe—”
“Calm down, dear. There’s no point worrying ourselves sick over it.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
The next few days passed without incident. Everyone gathered at our place to celebrate my best friend’s life. His family came to pay tribute, as well as several other people from town. The food was delicious, and everyone had a good time reminiscing about the past.
“Remember when he used to play hide-and-seek in the woods?” one guest said.
“Or how about that time he beat up a bully?” another added.
“That’s right. He always stood up for the weak ones.”
“He was such a nice boy.”
“If only we could’ve done more for him.”
“Maybe if we’d known sooner, we might’ve saved him.”
Everyone shared stories about my best friend. Some were funny, and others sadder than tragic. But they all made me feel closer to him.
On the third night since the party started, I lay awake staring into the darkness. I missed him so much. My thoughts kept drifting back to the moment I’d received the letter telling me my best friend was dead. I wanted to blame myself for not being able to save him, but deep down, I knew that wasn’t true. Maybe he just needed a little bit longer.
Suddenly, I remembered how he’d told me to meet him in the forest. That meant he’d never actually died. All those years ago, he’d promised to come to find me again. And now, he had.
The following morning, I set off toward the same spot where I’d met him before. When I reached the clearing, though, I saw no sign of him anywhere. Instead, I spotted a familiar figure standing near the edge of the trees.
“Is someone there?” I called out.
At first, no one responded. Then a voice finally spoke up: “Who’s there?”
“Me! It’s me!”
“You don’t look like yourself.”
“I’m different. You should recognize me.”
“Are you sure you’re who you think you are?”
“Of course I am. Don’t you remember me?”
“Hmm… I suppose I do.”
After exchanging pleasantries, I introduced myself once more.
“So, what brings you here?”
“Well, I heard you were killed in an accident. So naturally, I thought it would be nice to visit.”
“Ahh, yes. Sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry about it. I know accidents can happen. Besides, I’ve already moved on.”
“Really?”
“Yup. I guess you could say I’m reborn.”
“Reborn?”
“Yep. Just like you.”
“Wait, really?”
“Absolutely.”
“Wow…”
“In fact, I even have a name now. I’m called ‘Reincarnation.'”
Now that he mentioned it, I realized I couldn’t recall ever seeing him with a proper name.
“It’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?”
“Very much so.”
“Anyway, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
“Do you know why I was reincarnated?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I’ve been trying to figure out the reason behind everything.”
“And what makes you think I’d be able to help?”
“Just hear me out. Please.”
“All right then, let’s begin. What is the purpose of your existence?”
“To live happily, obviously.”
“Yes, but what does happiness mean to you?”
“Happiness means living life to its fullest.”
“Okay. Now, what did you eat yesterday?”
“A bowl of rice.”
“How many times do you wash your hands each day?”
“Twice.”
“Have you ever seen a rainbow?”
“Once, though it was faint.”
“Was it beautiful?”
“Definitely.”
“Did it make you happy?”
“Oh yeah. Definitely.”
“What else?”
“Nothing comes to mind.”
“No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to answer these questions. Why?”
“Huh? Well, I guess because I haven’t lived long enough yet.”
The End