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“Zuri, did you know that the bigger dogs once lived peacefully with humans?” Alana sniffed. She threw her hair behind her back.
“Hmmh? Hasn't it always been like that? I mean..” Zuri narrowed her eyes to the dog playing fetch with its owner in the park.
“Nah! Not these. Their ancestors were once equal with men and cohabited for the greater good. They were a special kind that could…come closer to me, Zuri.” Alana pulled her daughter in and whispered into her ears as though she was sharing some sort of top secret. “They could shift shape into humans and back.”
Zuri rolled her eyeballs. “Mom! I know you love man's best friends but please don't sell me a dog. I'm not buying. Quit making things up already.” She patted her mother's shoulders and rubbed her palm. “I miss him so much,” she whispered.
“I miss Allan every day, Zuri. But we will be together soon. Human death is not the end. It is only a phase.” Alana squeezed her daughter's hands.
“Stop it now Mom! You keep saying these crazy things. Dad is dead and he's not coming back.” Zuri was starting to raise her voice. She got off the bench she was sharing with her mother as tears rolled down her eyes.
“I'm sorry Zuri. I didn't mean to upset you.” Alana got up to stand beside Zuri. She looked ahead at the German Shepard still playing fetch. “You know, humans were starting to exploit them a little too much. They were trying to domesticate them for their selfish interest. They'd use them to hunt, dig treasure, and explore uncharted territories. This selfishness was destroying the unity of packs across the world and isolating them.”
“Are we still talking about the dogs?” Zuri lifted her head. Her brown eyes met her mother's almond eyes. She could see that the years were starting to leave imprints on her. Zuri tolerated Alana’s little moments of fantasy because she believed they helped her get through the grief of losing Allan.
“No. The wolves Zuri. They are the ancestors. They had a strong discerning spirit that could perceive a thousand miles away. They were a great formidable tribe, the Odikaya.” Alana was now staring into space. “They've since gone into hiding scattered in the crevices of the earth. Occasionally, they shift into human form to live among the humans. When their human time is up, they return to the tribe.”
“So you are saying that there are wolves in human clothing roaming around us?” Zuri indulged her mother.
“You got that right. And death to them isn't really death. It is a transition back into a pack. Every wolf has a pack.
The unending talk about wolves made Zuris's mind travel back to the day her father died. After getting the call from her mother, Zuri was shattered. She was wailing when she heard a howling so deep and resounding beside her bedroom window. She remembered seeing a pair of yellow eyes gazing in the dark. She felt the stare deep in her soul. The strange experience somehow made her feel like everything was going to be okay.
“Hey, kiddo. You alright?” Alana held Zuri's shoulders. “Come on. Let's go home.”
Two years later, Alana mysteriously disappeared with no trace on her birthday. She was turning forty. The same age Allan turned the day they lost him. All efforts to find her proved abortive. Zuri felt alone and disappointed. At only eighteen, she was carrying the heavy pain of losing both parents without any closure.
Zuri slowly walked through every room in the house taking in every bit of it. She was going away to live with a family friend now that she was all alone. Zuri could pick up the slightest smell on the walls, and furniture. Each distinct scent was an imprint of memories etched in her heart. Zuri was always very assertive with a heightened sense of smell. It was a trait that she got from her mother. Her speed and logic were the qualities she got from her father.
Zuri settled on the bench beside her bedroom window. The air was very cool and the wind sang in gentle whispers. She was staring at nothing in particular when a pair of yellow eyes met hers. Zuri’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn't move and her eyes didn't blink.
It was the same set of eyes she had seen four years ago when her father passed. Zuri summoned the courage to go out there and confront whatever was haunting her emotions.
With a surge of pain and anger rising in her, Zuri stormed out of the house straight to the backyard. Right there in the dead of night, Zuri was now face to face with a big furry wolf. It had a thick white mane and tail.
Zuri froze. She stood there for what seemed like forever before the wolf bolted. Zuri didn't know where all the courage and strength was coming from but she felt something powerful inside of her. It felt as though something that had always been inside of her was unraveling.
With everything in her, Zuri began chasing the wolf with so much speed that she didn't feel her heels on the ground. Her heart was pounding and ripping apart but she couldn't stop. She felt like her skin was shedding and her muscles were realigning. She began to feel heavier yet more brisk than she had ever been. The earth seemed closer and her senses heightened. She had now chased the wolf deep into a forest. The smell of nature and the entire fauna was now within her reach.
Zuri suddenly realized that she was now sprinting on her fours. When she looked at her body, her heart almost stopped. Zuri had transformed into a brown wolf with a white mane and tail. She tried to halt before crashing into a tree and tumbling over. In no time, she was surrounded by a pack of seven wolves. They had gray fur and hazel eyes.
One of the wolves approached Zuri. He circled her before sniffing her mane. “This is Alan’s kid.” He announced.
Soon, the same wolf with the yellow eyes that Zuri had tailed appeared. It got closer to Zuri and licked her face. It began rubbing its cheeks against hers. Zuri knew that feeling of warmth too well but she was too shocked to admit it. Another wolf with the same brown fur and white mane as Zuri joined them. As she gently pushed her nose against hers, Zuri could no longer deny it. This was the feeling she always had with her parents.
“Mom! Dad! Explain this to me.” Zuri finally spoke. She felt tears within her but all she could let out was a soft howl.
“I'm sorry you had to find out like this. I feared it would be too much so I tried to do it subtly.” Alana whispered.
“We are Odikayas Zuri and this is home. But you, you still have your mortal years. You can always shape-shift freely between both kinds until you turn forty. The forest is a beautiful place and there is so much to learn about the tribe. I know you still have a lot of questions. But first, you must meet the rest of the tribe.” Allan rubbed his daughter's cheeks again.
Zuri felt a sense of peace and protection within her. The family she thought she had lost was back to her in the most mysterious way. Although she had so much more to say, she felt grateful and blessed.
The trio started to race through the forest as they let out deep resounding howls that reverberated through the forest.