The Imaginative Boy

I woke up in the morning rubbing my eyes.. Knowing that I would be visiting the zoo for the first time, I was feeling inevitably excited. . As a child, I wanted to fulfil a few dreams. Going to the zoo was one of my main dreams.

My day started in the morning. I got out of the bed rather clumsily, almost tipping on my slippers  as I could not contain my excitement levels. Due to this, I did not take care at where I was walking. I tucked the quilt cover. The quilt cover showed my growing interest in wild animals. It featured two playful panda bears on a grassland land.

Having an animal quilt cover made me feel as though I was actually experiencing the lives of these magnificent creatures. My imagination was very powerful. I needed to focus hard for creating a visual that I am actually there in the place, making it feel real.  Sometimes, I got too excited whilst imagining. I fell down from the bed few nights. The sound of the fall vibrated in the house, causing other family members to wake up feeling as if prowler intruded the house in the middle of night. My parent woke up looking around the house and panicked, unaware that it was me responsible for the noises. I never owed up that it was me causing the noise.

I raced downstairs, as the scent of food allured me. In a black rectangular table, breakfast was served so neatly and arranged typically like a buffet in a hotel. I felt spoilt for choice Cereals, boiled egg, toast, orange juice and tea would provide me plenty of energy to start a long day. My stocky looking brother face was smouldered in milk and food stains. I could not stop laughing at the face. His face gleamed in anger, as he clearly did not like being laughed at. We sat in silent for some time. Both of us loved  and  became so absorbed in an appetizing  breakfast.

The main event of day was visiting the zoo. We needed to move quickly .Breakfast needed to be finished. The family members needed to be showered. We had to get dressed and load the car with essential items like a picnic table. raincoats, map and other objects. There was so much to do before starting the journey.

The weather started gloriously and promising. In the sky, there was not a single blanket of black clouds could be seen above. The sun shined in the ground, resulting in a very  pleasant day.. There was a nice calm breeze giving shelter from the heat rays of the sun. I looked at the sky, feeling grateful for the warm weather and prayed it would continue throughout the day

I was feeling so animated as wearing a colourful t-shirt, a cap and white pant. My brother sat in the car fully focused in a book. He looked so studious wearing large black glasses . On the other hand, I behaved restlessly. as I was not sitting still. I kept moving out of the car. I was walking aimlessly around in the large gravel drive in front of a triangular shaped house.

What took so long for my parents to come out of the house? It was their idea that we should stick to an early start. Considering it was the summer holidays, traffic queues would be most likely to be high. In a road heading to the zoo, we could be stranded for long hours. Cars tend to move painfully slow. Many families feel frustrated waiting. They sound their horns and shout loudly. It was imperative that an early start was done. Me and my brother could only wait patiently for their arrival.

My parents finally walked out of the house after me and my brother anxiously waited so long. We were eagerly wanting to start the journey, without any further delays. A flustered mother sat in the car in a white dress and t-shirt. My dad started to drive the car. The journey time to the zoo would last for one and half hours.

Whilst driving, we were greeted with wonderful scenery along the road. I became so engrossed in the scenery. From the window, I could see the stunning countryside. The countryside contained plenty of greenery . It looked so incredible.. The roads were surprisingly quite. My parents felt the roads would be congested. The roads did not have a large volumes of cars as expected. There was no alternative route to the zoo. The route we drove was the main one.

As we progressed in the journey, the roads became uphill. The sudden jerking of the car startled the family members. My dad needed to maintain focus on the road. He had no time to be scared and panic. Being in a calm mind was important. More difficult hurdles in the road needed to be seen through.

The road on the county roads contained many sharp bends. Seeing the sharp bends felt you would collide. My mum face was looking terrified. She ordered  me and my brother to keep quiet, so that dad could concentrate fully. One lapse in error and concentration could prove to be dangerous. I would not want to comprehend what would happen if things went wrong. The last he needed was two brothers talking so loud. That would be a distraction.

The worst part of the journey seemed to be over. A strong sense of relief showed on my parents, knowing the driving would be much easier on a relatively straight road free from nasty bends. The weather was basking with sunshine outside. Clear blue skies all around us.. The journey would take at least another hour. On the road. I could see a slow build of cars behind us. It was mostly likely they were going to the zoo just like us.. One ofthe cars was loaded on a caravan. How did the car managed overcome difficult driving condition carrying so much weight?

The main attraction was almost there. Faintly, I could see creatures roaming around. It must be the zoo.  Time passed so quickly. Family members slept for some time, whilst  a weary looking dad  plodded on driving. He deserved a rest after a long journey. A man welcomed us and directed where to park. The crowds started to steadily build up in the zoo. Thankfully, many spaces were available in the car park. We parked conveniently at the entrance of the zoo. The brown signpost of the zoo featured pictures of animals we would expect to see. These included a tiger, chimpanzee, and zebra.

In the entrance, a ticket attendant welcomed us and collected money for a full day ticket.. The zoo at first overwhelmed me. The size of the zoo was incredibly huge that created an authentic feeling, . It made us feel we were actually visiting the habitats of the animals. It captured the atmosphere of the environments where animals lived in each cage. The map displayed guided us where to find each animal that can be located in the zoo.

The zoo turned out to be a lively place. From all directions, there were a large display of animals and birds of different species. Due to the sheer size of the zoo, we did not know where to start. It would be tiring walking to see all the animals. It would have definitely taken a whole day to explore the zoo. A prompt start needed to be done.

We walked slowly on a straight path to see the first animal. Inside the cage an agile and energetic chimpanzee unflinchingly biting  at the cage. His name was George. In such fluid movements, he swung around the trees. Countless number of banana skins were scattered on the floor. It felt so staggering to think about the volume of bananas George consumed in a day. Clear signs showed George  piled on weight just by eating too much. George could really shed some weight as he had a noticeable huge belly. The creature almost resembles the face of a  human as shown by his flat face and small nose. The soulful eyes struck me the most about the creature. The body was covered in t black hair. He could walk just like a human.  George was a fascinating and charming creature to observe

He noticed many visitors were staring at him. He raced to welcome visitors so amicably. George looked directly into a few faces. He looked at my face for the longest time, imitating my actions. I raised my hand. He raised his hand. I looked up and he did the same. I opened my mouth and he did the same. George was a very smart Chimpanzee. He craved for the attention of people. George banged on the cage trying to capture my attention. George desperately needed a wash. A sharp odour oozed out of his body, giving a peculiar smell. Many visitors covered their noses.

The pleading look on George's face urged me to touch him. Despite an incredible bonding developing between me and George, my parents did express doubts about this. George portrayed himself as loving chimpanzee. Bearing in mind he was a wild animal, it would be hard to predict how he would behave. I touched George softly. In such exuberance, he shook my hand. I could not spend the whole day with George much as I like to. George waved tearfully to me. I waved back to George.

In the next cage, stood a towering giraffe. Her name was Georgina. She looked lonely in a large area full of grass and a few trees. There was no companions for Georgina to mingle with. Like George, he was very friendly to humans.

 The initial impression seeing a giant animal can frighten the lights out of you. These gentle giants exhibit so much innocent and grace. Georgina was an affectionate giraffe. Her innocent eyes and sweet nature made me feel fascinated with the creature.

 A few thought spiraled in my mind about how Georgina adapted in her natural habitats. These animals can be sighted in the golden plains surrounded by trees all away in the African sunset. She lifted me up and I was top of her moving in the plain lands, fearing of unwanted predators lurking like lions. Lions hunt in pride and were running at remarkable speeds They surrounded me and Georgina. Although large in size, the giraffe proved to be no match for a group of muscular lions.

 I looked in fear at what was happening down below us. The sun gleamed in the stunning backdrop of golden plain land. The African spirit emerged in full flow. .The birds were silhouettes on the orange sky ahead us. Both of us embarked on mammoth adventure together, but hindered by the lions threatening to launch an attack at us down below. They were glaring at us on a clear intent.

How can some creatures be so cruel towards a lovely animal who means no harm to anyone? My eyes were flooded with tears thinking about how some animals can be cruel and ruthless towards the gentle giant.

I was vividly thinking by closing my eyes. To my relief, it turned out to be a dream. The giraffe was safe and cheerful.  There were no lions chasing after Georgina. Georgina licked me on the face. I patted her on the head. She gave a joyous stare to me. The giraffe appetite for grass was apparent. The grass appeared to be thinning like anything. She beamed at the grass near me.. Her long neck leaned over the fence trying to feed on the grass. I was so mesmerised by her patterned body. golden colour skin, elegancy and loveable personality. Georgina blew me away. . I picked up the grass, so that Georgina did not strain her body. She ate taking her time and walked so appreciatively. Her walking was a small stride and so co-ordinated.

Me and Georgina became the centre of attention. A crowd of people looked at me feeling amazed of how I bonded closely to  the giraffe. My parents could not believe what they saw. Brother stood silently, feeling amazed seeing the giraffe so attached to me and not giving much attention to others.

Unfortunately, I could not stay with Georgina any longer. I would love to spend more time. However, time was so limited..  I could not get her out of my mind. Similarly to George, the family had to move on seeing other animals in the zoo. Both George and Georgina showed great warmth in their character and clearly enjoyed the presence of people.

Georgina winked at me. feeling grateful for being loved. I savoured the wonderful moments of both the chimpanzee and giraffe. 

There was so much walking to do in the zoo. The animal cages were spaced out. Many families walked along a trail leading to animal cages in the north direction.

Whilst walking, I could see thick trees. In the trees, some creatures were hymning songs. The delightful sounds caught my attention. I looked up and saw robins singing. These are such adorable creatures. A few flurry squirrels scurried in the trees, not wanting to be disturbed. They preferred their own privacy. The constant flow of people made it difficult for the squirrels to rest in peace.

I observed one orange squirrel closely. The orange squirrel paused for a long time on the top of the tree.  It became increasingly fascinated of the visitors. The round eyes continuously looked at the people. It jumped so unexpectly on a few people shoulders. The visitors felt a little prick on their shoulders due to it sharp claws.  It sat on my brother. He responded by heavily handing pushing it away. That would hurt the squirrel. 

I told my brother "Be gentle with the squirrel"

My brother cowardly replied "Why should I? It was going to bite me"

I reassuringly responded "Watch this. It is on my shoulder. It is not doing anything"

. I was becoming a favourite person for every single animal in the zoo so far. The animals warmth to my personality. Animals do understand people and know who love them the most.

Mum advised me politely "Please be gentle son. Do not get too close"

I confidently replied "It will not do anything to me. Look at it. It likes me"

A hint of anger showing in my dad words "Listen to your mum. Do not get too close to the squirrel by touching it too much"

I looked deep into the eyes of the adorable squirrel twitching the long bushy tail. It showed a sweet look. In my mind, I pictured me and the squirrel strolling undisturbed in the woodland. The woodland shaded me away from the light ray of the sun, creating a soothing atmosphere.   Who could possibility disturb our peace? It clung tightly on my shoulder that agonise in slight pain. The eyes conveyed a loving personality.

Footsteps of a creature became clear on the trail in the woodland. I caught glimpse of a shadow, equivalent to the size a domestic dog. It was not a dog  The shadow unveiled the identity as a red fox who out of nowhere appeared. The blazing eyes and sharp canine teeth of the fox added panic in my mind.  It looked incredibly hungry . The fox eyes were fixed  gazing at the squirrel evidently for a meal. The claws almost touching me. I said sshhh to the fox, but it refused to barge.

I raised my voice to the fox "Go away. Leave the poor squirrel alone"

The fox took a huge leapt on me. The squirrel ran away, in fear of the fox,

I laid on the ground, fighting the fox. Everyone stared and laughed at me. My body was moving so uncontrollably fast ,. I rolled on the ground to push the nuisance fox away from me. It kept clinging on me Reality kicked in, realising this was another crazy dream of mine. The squirrel completely disappeared from me. There was no further sighting of the orange squirrel.   I got up and to my astonishment saw many people constantly looking at me in a big line. My face was blushing in embarrassment. I created a huge spectacle of myself.. They probably thought I was mad. My parents felt speechless at first.  I wander what the visitors were thinking of me.

My dad stood beside me realising the embarrassment that I caused.  He said a few stern words "That enough son. Get up. Stop making a spectacle of yourself. . We are here to see the animals not you acting. Let have no more of this theatrical show".

I got up of the floor. My mum scraped the dirt off on my t-shirt. I let my imagination spiral out of control. A few families giggled at me unsurprisingly. The trouble was I could not control my excitement and emotions seeing wonderful animals. The experience of being in the zoo would be a memorable moment.  From a child perspective, seeing animals bring so much joy. At times, I got over enthusiastic that drove my parents mad. On the other hand, my brother did not openly convey his feelings and emotions the way I did.

We walked straight ahead. The cage attracted a large volume of visitors.  It showed no sign of reducing in size. My curiosity grew to find out what  animal was inside the cage. Due to the my small height, I could not properly catch a glimpse of the animal. Near the cage, it felt so crammed and stuffy. In front of me, stood many men over six feet in size. I attempted a big jump, but to no avail. I did not reach high enough.

My mum started to get angry  seeing me jump. She reacted ."Stop doing this right now .Had enough of your antics. Wait your turn"

We squeezed in the volume of crowd. I was scratching my skin. The blistering heat outside made my skin burn. Finally, there was a small gap. I walked hurriedly to fill in the gap before anyone else pinched the spot. My family followed me.

The most cutest creature welcomed the visitors behind the glass door. It was a newborn tiger cub, half opening its big blue eyes. Orange skin just like fire best described the appearance of the cub.  The tiger cub was relishing the moment of being admired by visitors.  Tiger cub was named  Tia. Her cuteness obviously attracted a large crowd. It was hard to take your eyes off her. She touched the window. I looked at her eyes. She walked towards facing me. Those eyes looked so innocent. This cuteness would not last long, as cubs are known to grow quick in size. I tried to block the thought about her growing up. She was so playful.. Would this tiger be a gentle creature as she grows into a fully fledge adult?

 My imagination yet again controlled the mind. I vividly saw a playful cub next to me in a forest. The body spanned around on the floor bursting in so much energy. The forest contained thick trees and rich vegetation. In front of me, stood row of tall trees making the forest looking so delightful to the eyes.

 Nature felt an amazing place to connect. In the forest, you could see breathtaking scenery and stunning creatures. Plenty of sounds were echoing in a vast sized forest. The tiger cub gestured to me. I followed her closely. Nettles and insects started to stung me, leaving red marks.

In the course of next minutes a major shock awaited me. The mother tiger stood upright, clearly not in a good mood. Her imposing presence terrified the visitors. She stretched a towering 10 feet in height.  My heart suddenly pounded being opposite her. She growled so loudly, that caused me to shiver in fear. She ripped the floor showing what a dangerous creature a tiger can be. Her precise and rapid movements prompted me to run. Instinctively, she would chase after me knowing I was running away.

I opened my eyes, seeing the enraged tiger hitting the glass window . She powerfully hit glass window that almost produced  a few cracks.  Her eyes were fuelling in rage. Many of the children looked understandably petrified. It became apparent how protective she became of her cub. A few of the children cried on their parents shoulders. Absolute chaos and fear swept the tiger enclosure. The screaming generated so much earache. I could hear strange buzzing noises vibrating in my ears.  

One girl looked so pretty dressed in flowery outfit, She acted so hysterical, unable to control the emotions.. She kept repeating the words to her parents commenting how mean the tiger was. The parents struggled to calm her down. Two lads kept unwisely showing faces to the tiger. They found the situation amusing. The parents scolded the boys for their behaviour and took them away feeling crossed.

The two zookeepers raced to cage, urging visitors to immediately evacuate the place in interest of safety. .

A middle aged zookeeper wearing a navy blue colour t-shirt  ordered visitors to leave " Please leave calmly. This enclosure will be temporarily closed until the tiger has calmed down. Keep children away from the glass window, as it would agitate the tiger further. Thank you for your co-operation" 

The crowd left the enclosure. No one expected the moment that just happened. My parents tightly hold me and my brother hands.  The mother tiger loathed human beings. Sight of humans resulted in monstrous anger. The cub charmed the visitors through her joyfulness. These tigers originated from Somalia. Humans always interfered in their habitats, that could explain mother hatred toward humans.

Not even half way through the journey in the zoo. I glanced in all directions, so dumbfounded. on the attractions the zoo offered.  On the left hand side, we walked passed an artificial lake. On a sultry day. the water laid flat. and motionless. No ripple of sound of could be heard. However, the lake presented a danger to visitors.

A yellow warning sign stood near the lake. informing visitors not to swim due to deep water. A few boats carried visitors across the lake overlooking thick and medium size trees projecting a heavenly atmosphere. On the water, a number of adorable ducks swam as an unit. The family paused so enthralled in  the wonderful attractions, sitting in a bench. Children were feeding the ducks pieces of bread.. Families enjoyed quality time together in the zoo. 

The journey felt so endless. On a brand new walking trail, nature blessed us, showing how spectacular the outing to the zoo proved to be. The cage on the right hand side featured an a range of exotic and colourful parrots.  The parrots entertained the crowd. Children under parent supervision feed the parrot, who used their sharp beaks  pinching the food,   One parrot shouted hi to my brother. He could not see the parrot at first. The parrot landed down pressing the cage, surprising my brother .

This parrot gleamed in so much colour and looked exotic. Looking at the parrot triggered an uncomfortable thought. I felt that something seemed not to be right about this parrot, I wandering why was this.. It seemed to be dejected. The other parrots danced in joy. Visitors feed these parrots. The face suggested he was yearning for love. A feeling of sorrow affected my mind observing the parrot.

My dad cautioned us about feeding the parrot "Please be careful. Do not get your hands too close.

Me and my brother feed the subdued parrot. Being loved brightened the mood the parrot. Tears faded away, knowing the parrot felt better. The parrot name was Charlie. Appearance of the bird intrigued me. The parrot showed so much radiant in an assortment of colours. A big pointed beak, blue wings and yellow coated tail best described Charlie. The incredible wings of Charlie opened up, Unfortunately, he could not sustain the flying for long periods due to an unnoticed injury. I wished the staff treated the poor parrot. I sulked in tears again  seeing the parrot suffer. At least me and brother put a smile on his face.

Just like George, Georgina and Tina, Charlie was an engaging character. In a small Island. Charlie clung tenderly on my shoulder, unlike the orange squirrel sighted near the trees earlier in the day. Charlie flew in  uneasiness, as pain took toil on the parrot

I asked "What the matter Charlie?

Charlie flew above me , pointing in one direction and alerting me of the danger ahead. On the surface of an ocean, a ship anchored., The flag of the ship opened up fully. A few men stormed in the island searching for something. The parrot panicked seeing these men.

The three approached us touchingly close. The leader of the trio unleashed a sharp sword deliberately pointing at me and Charlie. His looks resembled a typical pirate, revealing a ruthless and cunning streak. The pointed sword was so menacing, as it could struck anytime without warning.

He wore an eye patch on the left eye and he was man high in the pride through the beard. Beard was very messy around his face. The black cap disguised his bold head. His tall height signalled a stern warning. That was not to mess with. The grin and masculinity of the pirate darkened the atmosphere in the island, when it felt peaceful between me and Charlie at one point. In his shoulder, a fierce looking black parrot just like him, landed on him. The bleak of the parrot poked in the pilot shoulder. In irritation, he shoved the parrot away from his shoulder.

The pirate was deceiving us through charm at first " What brings you here? Do not look worried. I want the treasure. If you tell me where it is, I will be out of your way. You can make us rich"

I replied hesitantly" I do not know. Not seen any treasure"

The leader looked in the air . The conversation became gruelling. He would not let go, until getting the answers he demanded. The black parrot suddenly attacked Charlie. Charlie was struggling to fight the aggressive parrot.

I needed to help Charlie, as he was limping.

He  stamped his authority on me "You are going no-where boy. You are testing my patience.

The leader grabbed me tightly. I kicked him and he felt pain seeping through his leg.

The leader shouted "Come here"

The lanky looking pirate did not come across as intimidating compared to the leader. Without considering how agitated the leader felt, he unwisely commented " It looks like the boy has hit you. He is only little. You got beaten by a kid"

The leader sighed in anger in response to the grinning of fellow pirate.. His face was glowing in red. He reacted stormily  " I know that.  Why state the obvious? Do not undermine me. Instead of talking and saying silly things, I order you to go after him you morons"

I had to save Charlie from the clutches of black parrot.

I opened my eyes. The crowd looked horrified to see what was happening. The black parrot inflicted nasty blows at the vulnerable Charlie,  The pirates and ocean were imagery. Two staff immediately rushed to a dangerous situation. The black parrot kicked it legs and charged at the staff expressing annoyance using it sharp bleak..One of the staff took a net to  carefully push the black parrot into a different cage, so that no further harm can be caused toward Charlie.   . A brushed Charlie grasped on the cage. I touched Charlie, who looked at me in a sad face. .

My eyes sobbed in tears seeing Charlie suffer. I felt relieved that Charlie was out of reach from the black parrot. Unfortunately, I had to leave him to see other animals. I glanced continuously at  Charlie, pondering what I could have done for the parrot.

Parents observed how I developed a  close relationship  with some of the animals. They admired the bonding . My brother lacked the special touch I shared with the animals. He would look at them, but did not take it much further compared to me like talking to them.

My mum comforted  me knowing how I was feeling "Please do not cry son. Charlie is in safe hand of the zoo. The staff will take good care of him"

I still felt worried, despite mum repeated assurances. I was thinking in my mind how the atmosphere would be like in the absence of staff. It would be a deserted place for the animals to be inside cage throughout the night. The worst affected animals like Charlie would find it hard to survive. Who would feed the animals if they felt hungry? What will happen if they are in pain? I tried to block the thoughts out of my mind.  I needed to feel confidence and assured that staff will keep an eye on the animals.

 I sat on the bench for some time trying to erase the unsettling thoughts.   The air around me felt so humid. Sitting down and thinking helped positive thoughts to generate knowing how friendly staff have been in the zoo. The staff dealt with an irate adult tiger. They also saved Charlie. Reflecting on these thoughts, helped me to walk  reassuringly to other parts of the zoo.

The next path led visitors to a place of beauty, but there were a few  striking dangers ahead.. My brother eyes heightened in fear once seeing a bridge across the other side.  Some visitors without hesitation crossed the bridge. My parents felt apprehensive about crossing the bridge.  Even I was feeling slightly scared.

Beneath the bridge, the waterfall kept tumbling down. My experience of waterfall as child, was nothing so petrifying compared to what I have seen in the zoo. The water normally flows slowly. In this waterfall, the water flowed at a mighty force. A few splashes of water struck a few visitors. The children giggled seeing the water splash people.  If visitors on the floor slipped, I would not want to imagine how grave the situation would be. if a potential accident happened. 

From the bridge, the view became spectacular of the waterfall. The elevated  height of the added a fear factor. Looking down made you feel on top of the world. The bridge served an important function. It was built to reduce the steepness of the walk. The hill walking  would worn out visitors and you would ache in so much pain.

So much time was wasted as the family took a long time deciding whether to cross the bridge. We decided to give it a go. On the side, it remained a mystery of what lied ahead. As we have come a long away, it would be a shame not to see this attraction. My brother tentatively walked trailing way behind. Dad waited for my brother. The last thing we needed was for my brother to get lost in a large size zoo. Behind, there was a small group of people, whom did not seem to be deterred by the walking.

It took almost ten minutes to  cross the bridge. The walking felt never ending . My brother delayed the whole family reaching the other end, whilst other families marched on at a brisk pace. He stood there feeling panic stricken, as if something going to happen. His face conveyed a feeling of fear. I was curious to see what laid ahead.. My brother sissy behaviour would hinder the family reaching the other side. Time was against us, as zoo would close in the next three hours. We needed to move swiftly

My parents clung tightly  on the brother hands, otherwise we would be waiting all day.  He would move at the same pace as the other family members. We would be able to explore the area without worrying about time. I assumed the arduous walk finally ended when reaching the other side following my brother's hesitancy , but that did not appear to be case.

The sloping direction of the path was unusual. A small uphill path consisting of fifty steps led to a new area. It seemed there was still a bit of distance to cover. The walk in this place proved to be incredibly draining compared to other parts of the zoo. Understandably, the whole family felt exhausted. The bones were aching and our skins started to prickle.  

Despite the great difficulties of the walk, it felt so heavenly. Many visitors stood on the top admiring the views and pressed hard on their camera taking pictures. Some visitors aimed for perfection in their photos, capturing the real beauty of landscape overlooking us.  

Nature blessed us, as visitors on the hilly top  experienced  surreal attractions. These included  a spectacular waterfall  and on top of hill offered out of the world views that  consisted of vast farmlands and row of trees stretching large distances   Activities of the zoo also could be seen. The sun shined on top of the sky, making it feel blistering hot.

In the corner of us, a lion cage could be seen. Many visitors raced to the cage once noticing it.  My family were fortunate to catch an excellent spot to see the magnificent creatures

Everyone was so fascinated about the lion cage. Next to me, one couple and their son  created a huge scene.  The son kept banging the cage. It made thunderous noise causing many visitors to cover their ears. The mother started to fume. She moved her son hastily by grabbing and had a few stern words  to say to the mischievous son.

Family were almost stealing the show through their eccentricity act. Last thing we needed was their show distracting us whilst observing nature most stunning creatures we seldom see. That moment was very important    The family were strangely dressed in white outfits as if they were competing in a sport event.  

My family moved a  few strides on the left to watch in peace. We wanted to observe the cubs in peace .Two cute lion cubs delighted the visitors, similar to tiger cub Tia.  

The cage door separated us between the lions. My imagination was so powerful. I could create a world or scenario that makes me feel though I am actually there with these sweet creatures. It was tiresome to imagine deeply. I closed my eyes to delve into the vision of what it would be feel like.

I was finally entering the world of the lion habitat known as the king of the beast. It felt so amazing to be in the place of scenic beauty. The sky showed a rich shade of blue hovering high from the ground. The African savannah covers a huge grassland  extending miles. From a distance, there appeared to an illusion of the clear blue sky descending on the  grassland .

 Due to increasing isolation of the place, human looked less likely to enter the land.. The place desperately needed rain. It felt so uncomfortably dry. The dusk of the floor would give an odd smell through my nostrils.  I was feeling thirsty, Finding water in grassland can be compared like looking for gold.  Insects kept poking into my body.

In a space surrounded by shrubs and trees, the two charming lion cubs played so sweetly. Their names were Henri and Harriet . The small size bodies indicated they were only four weeks old. The siblings were exploding in so much energy. For one second, they would not sit still. It was hard to follow what they were doing as moving incredibly fast. My eyes were straining due to their speed of action. The playful behaviour of the cubs drew my full attention.

Harriet, the female cub stumbled whilst jumping aerobically over his brother. She rolled flat on the ground. I was feel worried that she may have injured herself . She suddenly laid down. All the excitement must have exhausted her. The cub paused for a bit Her brother looked worried  as his sister did not get up for some time. He patted her body, but no response.   

Henri could only wait. The waiting made the brother feel so tensed. He kept jabbing her body to get a response. Hope faded away, as Harriet did not still not get up. Henri looked down feeling her sister has perished.

Harriet launched a huge jump over her brother. One moment Henri was in despair and next moment he was feeling joyful. Harriett surprised his brother. He thought her sister would never get up. Henri expressed his joy by rolling on his back and then jumping high on his feet towards the sister.

The sibling bonding was admirable. Henri stood over his brother licking him . Both began to tussle amongst each other. At a young age, the cubs had sharp claws. It was typical playfulness amongst the two cubs. They both rolled together kicking and snapping at each other.  The growling sounds at a young age were so terrifying to hear.

In the corner of the bush, an elegantly and golden coloured  lioness  sat down on a dusty rock. She kept a watchful eye her on two cubs, without interfering in their playtime.  The expression on the face looked calm and kind hearted. Her golden paws stretched out on the rock and she raised her head. Although the lioness looked friendly, her powerful muscles, big jaws and sharp claws brought real fear. She could pounce on you if felt provoked.

My imagination faded away. I opened my eyes seeing the two cubs staring at the visitors through their blue eyes. They appreciated the attention of  the visitors. Both leaped up on the air so enthusiastically and energectically. They brought so much delight and entertainment to the visitors. The mother never reacted at all. She was sitting peacefully in the rock. Her eyes gazed at the sky.

My mother gently touched me, mindful of the limited time available in the zoo before closing time. I waved at the cubs, who gave  fetching looks at me. They tried to wave at me, but both slipped whist doing the wave. Plenty of laughter erupted from the crowd seeing the cubs fall.  It was like watching a comedy show.

In the corner of the widely spaced cage stood a male lion. Due to the main attention focused on the two cubs, he was unnoticed. It was a shock to see the male lion emerge, as visitors assumed it was just lioness and two cubs only inside the cage. The male lion out of the blue appearance drew back visitors who were on the verge of leaving. I persisted to my mum stay slightly longer to observe the male lion. She gave in and said yes.

The family managed to get a good view of the male lion, as we did not walk back like the other visitors. Male lion known as Hercules. His shaggy brown appearance and giants paws conspicuously stood out. His paws rested on his giant face. A very powerful creature showing a masculine demeanour.

A slight roaring sound could be heard. Even a small sound can be terrifying to hear. Visitors cautiously approached the cage, sensing the lion may eject a huge roar. Hercules yawned so deeply. He closed his eyes. The visitors kept staring at the male lion. He gave a few stares, without moving toward the visitors

. Like Charlie, I felt there was something not right about Hercules. The expression on the face looked in distressed. Hercules was stagnant like a rock  showing a lack of movements. He was not so elastic in joints compared to the cubs and lioness. The stiff neck was causing a problem in stretching.

I looked worryingly at Hercules to figure out what was wrong. My imagination needed to reach deeper. Somehow, I was able to build a vision of me being close Hercules. The sun blazed in the sky. The unbearable heat and buzzing sounds of bees made the condition increasingly difficult to adapt to the vast grassland. All around me, I could see acres of land stretching. The eyes of Hercules looked in despair. He laid down on the floor haplessly without make a single sound. Realising how dangerous the lion can be, I treaded cautiously as not to alarm the lion.

The lion eyes were almost closed fully. His big face looked ragged. He gave a few stares with head tilting down. Alarmingly, I noticed claws missing from Hercules. Once he opened his mouth wide, some of the teeth were even missing. The physical condition looked fragile.

I peered through the cage in complete shock. I was no longer in imagination mode. It does not last long as it requires so much focus. The visitors were disturbed by what they just saw. A few children asked questions to their parents about "Why has the lion got teeth missing? and Why has it got bruise marks? The parents have no clue as to what happened to Hercules and could not answer the questions of their inquisitive children.

A chubby and tall man wearing a blue t-shirt and white half pant, headed directly to the lion cage. He was one of the zoo keepers. The bushy beard covered his face. A spiral of questions were asked to the zoo keeper. For one second, he could not relax. In all directions, visitors demanded answers as if he was in a press conference facing journalists.

The face was soaking in sweat. Water dipped down his face. He tried to register what the outraged visitors wanted answering.  The words did not come out.

A few of the visitors became vocal about they saw

One young lady dressed in a short skirt and had short hair made her feeling quite clear "How did this happen to lion? The poor lion is suffering. I am appalled to see this. No animal deserved to suffer like this"

The visitors kept shouting at the zookeeper. He scratched his face and tried to compose himself. Without hesitation, the zookeeper defended himself from the flooding of comments of the visitors "Hold your horses. The zoo have nothing to do with the condition of Hercules. We rescued the lion from neglect. Do you want to hear what happened?

The visitors nodded their head.  Zoo-keeper continued without any further disruption "Very well. I have to warn that you will hear will say will be very distressing"

For next fifteen minutes, the curiosity levels started to grow about Hercules, the male lion. My parents even wanted to hear the story.   The story about Hercules fragile condition diverted their attention from wanting to move on. The spectacled brother was even glued to the events in the lion cage. In a circle around the zookeeper, the visitors stood still and all ears.

The  story gradually unfolded about Hercules condition. It questions about how cruel human being can be toward  animals. He endured so much torture living in a cage in incredibly horrendous conditions. The air was overpowering. Smell bellowed from outside affecting his sense. The conditions were abs

In a confined cage, there was a lack of space to move around. He could barely stretch the body and even lie down flat feeling relaxed.  Being a huge creature and weighing a staggering 181kg. Hercules felt cramped. Breathing was difficult to sustain. In protest, Hercules roared deeply in anger. The cruel worker whipped the lion for roaring. Large size bruise marks spread near his neck and part of the body.

The workers showed no remorse and care that the poor lion was in discomfort. Their disgraceful motive was to push Hercules to perform in a circus act. One of the zoo workers  noticed the gruesome conditions of  Hercules. He  swiftly planned a rescue operation.  Before each act, he would be shouted at and whipped in various parts of the body. In a circle, he would be forcefully made to jump through the hole in soaring heat conditions. The heat would penetrate through his body, causing unendurable sufferings.

Disobeying the workers would led to punishment. The lion was tortured beyond belief.  The horrified zoo worker could not bear seeing any further suffering of the lion. He was a powerless lion despite his sheer masculinity and size. The whipping took a huge bashing on the lion.

Once circus show was finished. Hercules was dragged in the cage in buried darkness. Small chunks of meat  wih thrown  unmannerly in the cage, His bones were horrifying sticking out in the body A skeleton body was almost exposed. . Zoo keeper and the authorities brought in a van to urgently rescue Hercules. The lion got out indecisively from the cage.

At first, Hercules lacked trust and fought.  He realised that the people loved and cared for him. He launched a huge jump on a few people, licking them. The lion finally sensed freedom. He was deprived of life  in the wild like mingling with other lions and the open space . Due to the severity of the injuries, Hercules was not never released in the wild. The cruel individuals were arrested.

The story proved to be touching for many of the visitors. Most visitors stood in silence and water seeped down their faces. They glanced at Hercules, who was still sluggishly sitting down. The sombrely looking face focused on the ground. Despite the best efforts of the zoo, Hercules struggled to recover. He wanted to be left alone. Zoo workers feed the lion without approaching him directly.

Many visitors gave a final farewell before moving on. Everyone was feeling understandably  sorry for the lion. No one like to see an animal suffering so much. We prayed for a speedily recovering for Hercules.            

As we gradually started moving away, Hercules gazed  into the eyes of the zookeeper. It felt some kind of bonding was building up between the two. He was trying to seek attention of the zookeeper. The noticeable injuries became apparent. For some, it was just upsetting to see. The frail body and few parts of the skin peeled was unpleasant to see. The zookeeper slowly opened the door, At first, he stood motionless behind the cage entrance door. The stiff body was showing. In great difficulty, he managed to walk closer to the zoo- keeper. He gently patted Hercules on the body, who looked up feeling grateful for the warmth and love given. Hercules stood slightly upright.

Zookeeper messaged the lion followed by some rolls on the floor. The visitors were so absorbed in the bonding. The key question that struck in my mind was whether the zookeeper had a role in rescuing Hercules. I wanted to ask the zoo-keeper, but knew my mum would scold me if I asked. I have already caused a few embarrassments.  I remained quite by not letting curiosity get the better out of me.

To my astonishment, one visitor raised the question . He was clearly thinking the way I was. Without any consideration of a delicate moment between the two, he asked the question directly to the zookeeper. The zookeeper did not looked pleased about the man sudden questioning. The stubble face man  was persistently asking "Please tell us did you rescue Hercules. We are dying to know."

The zookeeper shrugged off the man. He did not want any distractions. Why would he? It was an unbreakable bond between the man and the lion. The bond between human and the lion is rarely seen. He even kissed the lion on the forehead. Like domestic pets, they cannot be tamed. Lions select which people they trust the most. Watching the relationship between the two, showed Hercules can trust the man. He would lick the man face. Eyes looked so kind and humble. Lions are ferocious creatures. Although he was physically weak, you cannot still be sure how he would behave. Could he trust other human beings? He came across as humble lion, despite his sheer size which would scare people. Bearing in mind he was not in goo Some people wanted to touch, but the zookeeper was firm about it, saying it would be dangerous.

The visitor kept pressing hard for answers, despite the reluctance of the zoo-keeper to answer. He was hitting a brick wall, as the zoo-keeper kept silence. He walked slowly away. There was a look of annoyance on his face. He may have felt that he asked a polite question. I could not understand why the zoo-keeper did not want to answer. He has nothing to feel shameful about. The reluctance hero can describe the zookepper, as he may wanted to keep it bottled up. It will remain a mystery about whether the zoo-keeper rescued Hercules.

Hercules was falling asleep. His eyes were becoming drowsy. Being the centre of attention can be overwhelming.

Time was starting to become tight. The zoo was almost on the verge o f closing. Only one hours was remaining. until we would have to leave.  Walking opposite the lion cage stood a leopard cage. The of mwwalk to the leopard  cage covered a bit of a distance to reach.  Plenty of grass covered the path beside the stony footpath and you can see a boutique of colourful flowers ,It was on a straight path, without the bends and steep steps.. Those steps felt like you had to make so much effort and you could feel pain gushing down your legs.  

The absorbing visit to the lion cage was filled with sadness and  joy. It occupied a large proportion of our time. Each visit to zoo animals felt like eternality. The animals wanted to express their feelings. They were all very likeable, apart from the unfriendly and over-protective mother tiger.

Would we be in for another long wait? It was showing signs that we would have to wait. The crowd still remained large. Leopard was nowhere to be seen . There was an upstairs on top of the cage. Many visitors gathered upstairs to see if they could spot the elusive cat. Where was the leopard hiding?

In the cage, there were shrubs laid on the floor. The surroundings were just like what you would expect to see in a leopard habitat. There was a big tree and bushes where the leopard could hide . The leopard loves climbing on a tree. It  gets a good view of its prey and then can plan its surprise attack. I could not see the creature on the tree.

I needed to switch into imagination mode. In my mind, I pictured myself the normal habitats of the cat This cat is known to be very solitary. Unlike a lion, a leopard would hunt on their own. The air was so stippling in the grassland. It felt that there was a lack of rain in the area resulting into very dry conditions. I was increasingly feeling thirsty.  Sun was stinging my eyes, as the rays felt so powerful. On top of it, there were a large number of insects around me. I could feel that constant nibbling  around part of my body, seeing unusual insects like dragon flies and bees . I just slapped my hand to remove these nuisance insects. It was getting closer to the main attraction. On the tree, a shadow emerged resembling a big cat. The creature camouflaged its body behind grasses on the tree. The tree had so many branches sticking out.

I was actually seeing the leopard. The body looked very long, but it has shorter legs. The leopard size is no way big compared to a lion or tiger. The imposing looks of the cats comes from it shiny yellow skin and black spots. The sturdy look of the cat would add fear to animals whose size will be no match. I could see many of the animals were keeping a close eye on the big cat, hoping that it would not spot them and then chase in alarming speeds after them completely focused. These creatures know they have no chance.

I was hoping the leopard would stay still and not prey on these innocent creatures.. It looked very relaxed sitting on the tree without giving attention to what was happening on the ground.  Its body laid flatly  on the tree. The face was titled up and the eyes did express some hint of anger .No sounds could be heard from the creature. . Any disturbances would just agitate the creature. I would not want to face the situation.

Finally, the moment arrived. We could see the leopard climbing quickly on the tree. The leopard was a male known as Togo. He was a relatively young leopard judging by his size.  He was constantly shaking the tree and using his claws to fight things in the air on what appeared to be insects. He pressed himself hard on the head by being too heavy handed. Objects were hurtling down. He was pushing the tree using so much force that he fell on the floor as he lost balance clinging on the tree. He was providing a source of comedy for the visitors. They all laughed loud. I could hear so much laughter erupting.

The clumsy big cat started to notice he was being stared at. His big round eyes looked  at the visitors, edging closer. He made a little blaring sound directly at the visitors. He accelerated to the tree, as he wanted to sit in tranquillity.  In attempting to climb, he lost grip and fell on the floor yet again amusing visitors. He managed to climb the tree without any further mishaps. This time he did it with precision and showed so much agility. Many visitors started to leave the cage. It took almost half an hour just to catch a glimpse of the big cat.

My impression of Togo that he was not an amicable animal compared to the other animals seen in the zoo. He did not like being distributed by humans. His feelings were expressed clearly. as he almost growled at the visitors.

We had to do the dreaded walk to the other side. The walk was a high distance to cover. It will be a descending path this time, but still tiring.. When you are taking this walk, you feel tired and your energy levels are drained out. My brother body was trembling knowing he would have to walk on the same path. Due to shortage of time, we had to get moving.

Mother reassured him "It will not be bad. You can hold my hands. You have nothing to be scared of"

Despite repeated assurances, my brother was not still not ready to walk. His cowardly behaviour was yet again delaying things.

I teased him by saying "You are a chicken. Look at your face"

I made those sounds. He reacted in stillness.

My dad intervened by telling me" Button it. Stop teasing him. Can you see he is scared?."

I was getting impatience with my brother. He was not moving. There could be time to see another creature before we leave. An idea started to emerge in my mind. I knew he loved fishes. In his room, he had an aquarium containing goldfishes mostly. Many days he would spend time talking to the fishes. I would eardrop, by putting my ear near the door.

I tried to draw attention of my brother with the idea fresh in my mind. His face kept looking in one direction, trying to overcome the fears. I told him "You love fishes. How would you love to see a big fish?

The expression on brother face completely changed. Before he was feeling tensed and scared. He responded enthusiastically   "Really. I would love to see one. Tell me where ?

I pointed in one direction "Come and follow me"

The family can finally could go. My brother followed me. We were running like anything as if we were competing in a race. In running so discourtesy, we bumped into few people, who dropped things on the floor. Ice cream started to sputter on a boy face dressed in white clothes. The father gave a displeased look at us, which I noticed whilst staring back.  We continued running giving no care what we just did. His presence was a like a military man. A towering and muscular built person who looked menacing. His cropped hair and thick moustache resembled what a typical commander would look like.  

Unexpectedly, he commanded at us "Stop right now and apologise to my son. Do you think this is a joke? You need to learn manners"

His mouth started to wide open in anger seeing us run away. He had a pointed nose. Once we cleared further distance, he was mumbling. I was not scared of the man. I even made funny faces at the man, getting my tongue out. It got unnoticed, as the man attended to his son dirty t-shirt stained in ice cream and cleaned using a handkerchief.

My parents thankfully did not see what happened, otherwise trouble would be brewing. Where were they? Our parents took a different path.

Mother gently tapped on my shoulder feeling relieved that we have been found. In silent, we walked to the other side. The walk proved be unsettling my brother at first. The views were so break taking. From a distant, we could see dark trees lining up the horizon Nature greeted us as the sound of the waterfall could be heard. I became familiar in the surroundings.

Feeling worried. I kept a close track on my brother progress. He somehow continued keep up the pace. The face looked reassured. The final hurdle was crossing the bridge. By no means, it would be easy. Water flowed rapidly, as if it would struck us directly. The bridge can produce a creaky sounds. Without looking on the sides, we steadily reached the other side. The zoo was bursting in activity even though closing time edged nearer.

As promised, we managed to fit in seeing one more animal. This time we saw the first aquatic creature, the one that lives in water. In a clear blue pool, one dolphin known as Flipper sweetly greeted us. He opened his big mouth widely, showing a row of teeth on each side of its upper and lower jaw. His body was long shaped. The eyes were very small. The visitors were allowed to get close to the dolphin but under staff supervision. Dolphins are generally friendly and intelligent creatures. , 

The floor was splashed in water. He kept paddling the water using the powerful fins . Water poured on some of the visitors, wetting their clothes. It felt very slippery. My brother wanted to get close to the dolphin by stroking him. He loved the affection giving a cute. He kept swimming in the water.

I pictured myself in the dolphin habitat. In my mind, I wandered how it would be like. Dolphins live in ocean habitats. It was amazing to see an ocean filled in so much blue colours. The water was gentle and calm as I stood in a boat. There was no threat of high tides. In the sky, clear blue skies filled the entire sky above me. Not a single white cloud could be seen. It felt so divine being in this place. We are blessed with nature.

A dolphin started to leap high in the humid air of the summer sun. The greyish topside and white belly made this magnificent stand out in such beauty and grace. His body formed an arc and tail flipped down. He goes down with a big splash. The energetic dolphin leapt a few times. In clear light, this was a delight to watch.

Flipper continued splashing water on the visitors. He then squealed surprisingly at the visitors. staying still at the pool. He enjoyed the attention of the visitors. The friendly dolphin nodded his head cutely and smiled joyfully to the visitors . The visitors were warmed by this loving creature Few of the visitors stroked the dolphin. Flipper's face lifted in so much happiness. When visitors did not give the dolphin attention, he became sad. Few visitors kept stroking to make the dolphin feel loved.

Flipper could perform amazing movements in the air. Unfortunately, time has finally reached where we have to say goodbye to Flipper. He was a crowd pleaser and an engaging animal.

The crowd was thinning in the zoo. The experience of visiting the zoo was mesmerising. Each animal showed amazing movements from varied habitats.

My parents asked us "Did you enjoy the experience"

I answered so elaborately "Yes I did. Love all the animals. Love George, he is a cool chimpanzee, love Georgina, she is kind, love the cubs, love Flipper, he is funny. Hate the tiger and leopard. They are mean. Love Charlie.

I kept talking non-stop like a parrot. My parents looked at each other. Dad told me to calm down "We get the picture. Do not waffle on. It has been a long day. Time to go home."

Families slowly exited the zoo to the car park. There was no urgency to leave. My parents wanted to leave quickly, as the traffic build up would be a major hurdle. There would be a row of cars in front of you. Plenty of horns sound could be heard. It would be chaotic leaving. Whilst exiting the zoo, the commander looking father, who got angry at me for spilling ice cream on his sons was behind us. Last thing I needed for him to spot me. He would start to fume if he spotted us. I warned my brother about his presence. We both hid in front of our parents, until we reached safety. We made it to the car. The father and the son did not spot us. Me and my  brother sighed in relief knowing they were well gone.

The queues of cars cleared quickly whilst exiting the zoo on to the main roads heading home. It was not bad as we expected. Cars would be cascading down on the road.

Whilst on the road, I could see imagery images of the animals we saw in the zoo. These animals waved at us. It was an emotional farewell. They were as a group beside each other. These animals included George the crazy chimpanzee, the friendly giant mammal, Georgina,  adorable cubs Tia, Harriet and Henri, the lonely parrot, Charlie, the injured lion, Hercules and the crowd pleaser Flipper. These animals kept waving and we were well gone. The images of the animals faded. I looked back weeping in tears. The journey to the zoo was finished.

The end