Lucky Go Happy

3. Lion's Predicament

“How long have we known each other, Lucky?” Lion finally breaks the silence. His voice is a lot calmer than usual.

“We met two rainy seasons before the year of the Great Drought, Lion,” Lucky says. “So that means we’ve known each other for twelve rainy seasons.”

“Yes, and you have seen me grow into what I am today. You know the Lion behind the wild mane and ferocious roar. You have probably taught me everything I know, other than hunting impala of course.”

“Where could this be going?” Lucky thinks. “Lion is a lot more brain than brawn tonight. Maybe this is a good time to suggest my solution for the rush-hour stampede. If only lionesses hunted more often, the roads wouldn’t be so full of animals, meaning less traffic congestion.”

“Something is terribly wrong with me, Lucky,” Lion says, “but I can’t put my paw on it. I’m not sick or hungry or anything. I just miss being happy. It’s not that I’m unhappy. It’s just that I’m not happy.

“I have a good life and so much to be thankful for. In spite of all my blessings, Lucky, I’m still not happy. An empty feeling has become part of me.”

“I don’t quite follow you, Lion,” Lucky replies, somewhat hesitantly. He searches Lion’s face for a clue to where the discussion is going.

“Everything we do is done for one of two reasons,” Lion responds. “We either do something because it makes us happy, or we do something to avoid unhappiness. Either way, the objective of everything we do is to be happy.”

“Okay, now you’ve really lost me,” Lucky replies.

“Think about it, Lucky,” Lion says. “First, there are the nice-to-dos. We do these things because they make us happy. We expect happiness as the result. We play with the kids, watch the sunset, read a hunting magazine, or take a dip in the river because we like doing it. Doing these things give us pleasure and make us happy.

“Secondly, there are the have-to-dos,” Lion continues. “Take eating for example. We’re not happy when we’re hungry. We then eat to still the hunger, but subconsciously we’re eating to make the associated unhappiness go away. We’re actually eating to move from our unhappy state to a happy one. We eat to be happy.

“Similarly, we’re unhappy when we’re out of shape. We then exercise to get into shape in an attempt to move from being unhappy to being happy. We’re therefore exercising in order to be happy.”

“Now I see where you’re going with this!” Lucky says. “So your argument is that we work to be happy? We’re unhappy when we don’t have money. We then work to earn money so we can eradicate the associated unhappiness. By eradicating the unhappiness, we’re moving toward happiness. We’re therefore working so we can be happy?”

“Exactly!” Lions purrs with a sense of accomplishment. “Everything we do ultimately has the same objective. That objective is to be happy, either directly or indirectly, by avoiding unhappiness.”

“I’m not sure how I can help with this,” Lucky says with a puzzled look on his face.

“My problem, Lucky,” says Lion, “is that I have read many books on topics such as eating right, exercising, and excelling at my job. Although these books addressed the subject matter, they completely missed the point. They cover the stepping-stones to happiness but not happiness itself.

“I’m not interested in stepping-stones anymore, Lucky. They are only secondary objectives. I need to understand our primary goal. I need to understand happiness. If I understand how happiness works, then surely I can make happiness happen, right?”

Before Lucky can respond, Lion continues. “I need you to travel throughout my kingdom and ask every animal you meet what happiness is to them. I’m hoping their collective knowledge on happiness will restore my inner peace. You must report back to me before the start of the rainy season.”

The discussion ends with the same silence it started with. Lion has spoken his mind. It is a big request, and Lucky contemplates the consequences of declining it. He stares across the savannah as if looking for an answer. I will have to do this, he eventually concludes.

The pressure mounts as the silence drags on. “Why will they share anything with me?” Lucky finally responds. “I’m a tiny rat. Animals might be too busy, or simply not interested in helping me.”

“Take this,” Lion says, handing Lucky a tuft of hair from his golden mane. “This way they will know it’s I who sent you. They will know the consequences of not helping you.”

As Lucky heads home, his mind is in turmoil. “What a crisis! This was supposed to be just another Monday. How will my family cope without me? It’s too long to be away from home. My students will fall behind. Where will I sleep at night?” he thinks, trying to make sense of the crisis that has befallen him.

When Lucky arrives home, the children are already asleep. His wife is reading a book in bed. Lying down beside her, he shares the conversation he had with Lion. When she learns of Lucky’s brief, tears well up in her eyes.

“I couldn’t say no to Lion, dear,” says Lucky. “He is the king of the Bushveld, and he needs my help. I must honor and obey his request however arduous it may seem.”

With these words, they close their eyes and start drifting off. Their minds race ahead to sunrise as they hold each other’s claws. Tomorrow at dawn, the rising sun will mark the separation of their lives for a while.