Love: A Monkey's Business

LOVE A Monkey’s Business A SHORT STORY

DANNY NINAL

All Rights Reserved 2014 Danny Ninal dpninal@gmail.com

To my lovely daughter, Danielle Angelika who also took the photos used in this story

LOVE: A Monkey’s Business A Short Story

Danny Ninal

The meal went beautifully and the discussion on the table was polite, if not guarded. The visitors were really impressed with China’s Banana Pie with caramelized bugs with honey, served on a green leaf garnished with lightly crushed berries. For dessert they had one-day-old insects wrapped in a young green leaf, (for a meal was not a meal to a Capuchin monkey without the insects in the menu).

It was after dinner that China noticed something familiar with the boyfriend’s father. He must have noticed something too, because she caught him looking at her and just imperceptibly glanced away when she turned to look at him. The electricity between them was unmistakable. Until one time, at exactly the same moment they looked at each other’s right limb.

Then they stared at each other, and almost immediately they both collapsed to the floor totally unconscious.

They both had missing index fingers.

TWELVE YEARS AGO It was quiet, and the people started leaving the park as the crickets started getting louder and louder as if announcing that in a few minutes the sun would hide behind the tall trees. Suddenly the silence was interrupted by a long loud scream, like a persistent fire alarm, followed by a frantic sobbing of a young boy who was running wildly to his father’s arms. The boy continued to scream as he pointed out to the trunk of the tree which has just been cut a few days ago.

The father ran toward the place where the boy was pointing at. What he found shocked everyone around - a dead monkey.

It was lying lifeless just behind the stump of the trunk. Partially covered by the dead branches lying all around the place, it was almost impossible to see the dead body of the capuchin monkey whose eyes were staring blankly right ahead, seeing nothing as if meditating like a friar to which they were named after.

The father looked up and saw a monkey on top of the tree. There was sadness in the primate’s eyes, the man can almost feel it.

About half a mile away, to the east side of the park, five elderly capuchin monkeys were having a serious meeting. Each of these five was the leader of their own “troop” of 10 to 20 monkeys. Of these five, Tubby was acknowledged as The One, the Leader of the Leaders, Capo di Tutti Capi, The Godfather.

Not only was Tubby the most dominant of them all, he was also the wisest and the most intelligent. His decisions were always fair and just.

Capuchin monkeys were known to be the most intelligent specie, but Tubby’s knowledge was unquestionable, not that the monkeys were dumb, but because he had travelled a lot and his perspective of things was wider than any other monkey who ever lived in this park.

“It can only be Spikes,” one of the leaders said. The others nodded in agreement, referring to the monkey who was expelled from the troops because he proposed to follow the owl monkeys in their practice of monogamy.

Almost all capuchin monkeys hated Spikes for even suggesting that. Some speculated that he was a half breed from a father who was an owl monkey.

Although others somehow did not necessarily disagree with Spikes, but they had kept their mouth shut because they didn’t want to lose their rights to mate with any female in the troop, after of course the leader who has the “primary right” to mate. Nobody wanted to accept it, but there was an obvious division among the troops about the issue.

Nobody knew whether Tubby agreed or not.

"Why would Spikes do that to one of his few followers?” the youngest of the group asked.

“Maybe Tubby’s son got Spikes’ mate. Who knows? These things happen, you know,” another one whispered, low enough not to be heard by Tubby.

“That’s exactly why I don’t agree with monogamy. It can create conflict among friends, disharmony in the troops. Why should we change what has been handed down to us by our great-great ancestors?”

Haig, the oldest of the group lectured, ready to go into his usual lengthy soliloquys.

Tubby was unnervingly quiet, staring blankly at nobody in particular. When he finally spoke, everybody stopped talking.

“I want a full investigation done immediately. Haig, I want you to lead the team, and report to me every 3 hours, until a trial is ready. I want to make sure that all suspects are given their full rights to defend themselves. You have 5 days,” Tubby said with such conviction and authority that nobody dared ask questions. One by one the leaders left the tree-house of Tubby.

Haig was the last to leave. Was he smiling?

Tubby thought he was, but dismissed the idea immediately and focused his attention on the matter at hand - Spikes.

Back at the park, Spikes looked down at the man who rushed to the body of Tubby’s son. Spikes held back his tears as the man

looked up to him, then back to the dead body, then back to him, as if making his conclusions that Spikes somehow has something to do with the death of the monkey. If they only knew.

Spikes’ prehensile tail was wrapped around the branch of the tree, holding tight, squeezing it. He can feel his body contracting, convulsing, erupting, and exploding into spasms which became stronger and stronger until the tree was swaying back and forth.

"How can something so good have a consequence so bad that it negates the whole thing?” Spikes asked himself. The idea of finding and mating with a single partner, raising offspring together, made a lot of sense to Spikes, as it did to Tubby’s eldest son, Dave.

Dave and his wife were a model couple in the troops. The vow that they gave to each other did not contain an “if.” Dave loved her, played with her, and through it all he stayed with her.

During gatherings, they were always asked to speak about loyalty and faithfulness to a partner. Many followed their example. But what made all the other troops envious of Spikes was the unity among the members in the troop.

During gatherings, they were always asked to speak about loyalty and faithfulness to a partner. Many followed their example. But what made all the other troops envious of Spikes was the unity among the members in the troop.

Many despised Spikes. Even more hated him. But the one who hated him most was Haig. He lost some of his female members of the troops because they followed Spikes.

He blamed Spikes for the decline of his troop.

Even some of those who stayed started to mate with just one partner, including his son, Gino, who openly disagreed with Haig arguing they were only opposing Spikes because of their promiscuity.

The sound of siren brought Spikes back to reality. Down below, the man called for help, and they were all carrying the dead body away. Spikes looked down and finally burst into tears.

Why? Why should something like this happen? The whole idea really worked. The only thing that troubled Spikes and his troop was expulsion - when a “single” monkey became too aggressive and attacked a couple, thereby replacing the male partner who would eventually be expelled (voluntarily or otherwise).

While this only happened occasionally, but when it did, it always left an impact on the troop. Such was what happened to Tubby’s eldest son, Dave.

But Dave was not necessarily booted out.

Somebody wanted to make it appear like he was, then tried to kill him. Spikes knew it … because the dead monkey was not Dave.

Five weeks later, Haig submitted his report to the body in its general meeting.

“It is with heavy heart that I present to this body the result of our investigation,” Haig started what could only be a long boring discourse.

"Oh please. Wake me up when he’s done,” one of the leaders whispered.

After almost an hour the facts and evidences were presented. It was an open and shut case. Dave committed suicide because he was booted out.

Then, Haig continued with his ever repeating arguments against monogamy and the danger of expulsion, and now depression and suicide.

TEN YEARS LATER For the next 10 years, Spikes and his troop continued to grow and had shown to the other troops that indeed the practice of monogamy was not only good but also beneficial to the couple and to the troop.

There were intermarriages among the troops, and Tubby declared that if the female capuchin monkey decided to take a partner from Spikes’ troop, no male monkey was allowed to mate with her, otherwise the male monkey will be punished by expulsion from the park, and be sent to the zoo. This was also true to the male monkey who would take a partner from Spikes’ troop. He will not be allowed to mate with any other female in any troop.

“Ah, lovely Lovelyn without end.” They both laughed.

But on that particular evening, Spikes’ mind was not on the issue. He was busy trying to calm down Leo, his grandson, who will meet his girlfriend’s family tonight.

“You look just like me, when I was your age.”

"Don’t worry, kid. Your parents will be with you. If you are not sure about something, ask your dad, he is very smart.” Spikes was referring to Ramonito who was the partner of Spikes’s most beautiful daughter, Gwen.

“What’s your girlfriend’s name again, Lovely?” Spikes asked.

“No, grandpa, it’s Lovelyn. With an N at the end,” Leo explained.

“And I am sure she is as beautiful as your mother.” Spikes nudged his grandson.

“Yes, we choose well, don’t we, grandpa”?

Leo giggled.

“And we will meet them tonight. How do I look, grandpa?”

“Knock, Knock, Knock.”

They all heard it and immediately went to their places in their tree-house. The knocking was persistent, but not offensive. “It must be them,” whispered Lovelyn, trembling with excitement, as she walked toward the door.

Lovelyn opened the door, which was laden with new twigs added just this morning by her father. The fragrant smell of the fresh twigs did little in calming her down. Trying not to show her trembling limbs, Lovelyn made the introductions, struggling to remember everything her mother had instructed her days before.

“Good evening, this is my father, China, and my mother, Gino,” her parents gave her a quizzical look.

“I mean, father Gina and mother Chino. Oh sorry, uhm, Please meet uhm my parents, China and Gino.” Lovelyn was blushing all over.

I will kiss you my darling, even if you don’t become a handsome and charming prince, because you make me alive again, and that is no monkey business.

Photos by Danielle Angelika Ninal

09

After a couple of minutes...

“Where am I?” China asked, still dazed, everything was blurry.

“Where is Dave?”

“Calm down, China, take a rest. You and Ramonito collapsed.” Gino tried to comfort his partner, too reluctant to ask who Dave was.

At the other side of the room, Ramonito woke up. Still dazed, he mumbled, "Sheena, Sheena, where are you? Where am I? What happened?”

“Don’t stand up, dad. Just lie down, please.

You collapsed,” said Leo softly to calm his father down.

“What’s going on? Who’s Dave, who’s Sheena?” asked Gino.

“They’re Dave and Sheena,” they all turned to Spikes who was standing at the door, pointing at the two who were still on the floor.

“China’s name used to be Sheena, and Ramonito’s real name is Dave,” Spikes said like a Pope declaring a doctrine of the church.

“Ten years ago, both of them were partners.

At that time, the idea of having one partner was not accepted by the troops yet, and somebody really went out to prove that it was wrong so that it would not be declared official.” Spikes explained.

“So, my son did not die?” everybody turned to Tubby who appeared in the doorway beside Spikes.

“He didn’t. But his friend did. It was Dave they intended to kill so that you would not agree to monogamy. But Dave was with a friend so they killed them both. Or they thought they did. I took Dave and nursed him until he recovered and raised him like my own son. I renamed him Ramonito.”

Gino was looking at Spikes, then back to Tubby, confused. And Gino knew only his father could have done it. He spoke so softly that they almost didn’t hear him, “I will testify against my father.”

Gino was Haig's son.

China stood up and kissed Gino. Softly but steadily she said, “I would like to assure you, Gino, that for as long as we both live, I am yours and you are mine. And that is so monkey business. The whole idea of faithfulness and loyalty rises above choosing one from the other. Because it is not that I love Dave less, when I say I love you, Gino.

But because I chose to live with you, I will forever be faithful and loyal to you.”

THREE DAYS LATER "From this day onwards, and for all the capuchin monkeys in this park, I declare that no promiscuity is allowed. We shall observe the practice of mating with only one partner. � Tubby shouted in his usual loud voice.

All the monkeys shook the branches they were standing on as a show of approval for the new law of the land (or of the trees).

The following day, Haig was expelled from the park and was sent to the zoo, where he eventually died. He was eaten by a boa constrictor.

Lovelyn and Leo got married after a week, and it was considered as the wedding of the century.

Spikes and Tubby ruled over all the troops to a time which most monkey historians consider as the Age of Enlightenment.

Until of course that day when a young monkey insisted that he will not agree that monkeys come from humans. The historians could not agree on whether his name was Darren, Darlene, or Darvin.

And so it was.

Check out the story of Pepper, the sweetest parrot in the Park.

I LU H YA P I P PA A STORY ABOUT LOVE AND FREEDOM

DA N N Y N I NA L