Monkey Love

So, I've had several requests to her more about the monkey, Red. When we got home from our last travels and had been gone almost 2 weeks, he had really changed. He had a lot more hair and had turned even more orange. He looks more like a patas monkey now.

He really is a naughty monkey as I guess most monkeys are! We let him on our screened in porch since we like to sit out there when we have time and hang out with him, but he isn't allowed inside the house. The only problem is, we can close the screen door into the house from the porch side, and he knows good and well he is not allowed in there, so of course that is exactly where he wants to be!! It is especially bad now that the cats have been inside and he likes to torment the cats! So, he will sneak inside and hide under the table and up on the chairs so we won't see him. Usually he doesn't get any farther than this, but it's hard to catch him and I'm sure he thinks it's funny! One time though, I was in the kitchen and I heard something and turned around and he was up on my stove! So, we tried various punishments to discourage him: we put him in the small dog kennel which he hates, swatted him (a monkey spanking!), flicked him, etc, but none of that seemed to give him good enough motivation to stay out where he belongs! So, Gary got a good idea. We have a bug zapping racket. It looks like a badminton racket, but has wires with a little bit of juice when you push a button and the bug (hopefully a mosquito!) touches two of the wires and fries! It's really quite wonderful. Only now our racket is pretty old and doesn't work very well, but Gary got that thing out and we zap him every time he comes inside. It hasn't solved the problems if the racket is out of sight, but get that thing out and we suddenly have a very obedient monkey! It's quite funny to watch!

So, we weren't sure how Red and the cats were going to get along. Obviously we don't want cats that will end up deciding he is a yummy meal, but we didn't need to worry. Red decided he is the boss and the cats haven't been smart enough to figure out that there are two of them and only one of him. He is totally unafraid of the cats and will come up to them (one more than the other) standing on his hind legs, arms up and swinging! I'm surprised that they don't hurt him, they have really gotten into it a couple times, but he doesn't seem phased.

So, his next shenanigan was to get out of his cage! I originally made it out of desperation when we first got him. We got him on Sabbath and by Sun or Monday Gary left on a trip. I can't remember which trip this was, but he was going to be gone a week or so, and I knew I couldn't stand to keep Red inside the little dog kennel the whole time. We have to put him in there for his safety if we are gone from home so that nothing can get him, but he really doesn't like it. Gary had strung up a line outside where he could run but then you have to worry about him getting caught up in the cord and strangling himself and also he isn't protected from all the kids and their slingshots. And let me tell you, there were ALWAYS several kids at our fence to see him. Often there were as many as 50 kids! I about went crazy! Anyway, it's a bit better now since the novelty has worn off, and we've fixed our fence some, but the kids were tearing holes in the fence just so they could see! So, I knew I couldn't stand the week with all the kids and trying to keep the monkey in the little cage, so I took a wooden crate that our refrigerator had come in and screened it in. Then I put a cardboard roof on top and the two ends had cardboard strips on the bottom as well to hold the screen. Anyway, it was a great relief because at least he was safe, outside, and had a bit more room, but it wasn't a permanent solution, especially once it started to rain! You will remember that from Oct to May we really hadn't seen a drop of rain (actually in April I think we had a few spits one day, but not enough to speak of) so it wasn't a problem, but now we have started to get a few random showers and as soon as that cardboard got wet, Red figured out how to get out! So, for a few days we were putting bricks and heavy things on top to keep him in and then he figured out how to get out the bottom, so it was just no use - he needs a better cage! We had to use our porch as a cage which isn't ideal, but of course Gary was leaving again for a few days. At least Red would stay in his cage during the night and then let himself out in the morning! So, he asked the boys to start working on cutting some steel for a cage. Then, the unthinkable happened. Last Wed night all the nasaras (foreigners) came to our house for bible study, so Gary put Red in his cage maybe 15 min before it got dark. I was in the kitchen a few minutes later and saw Red outside with the cats. Gary said he would wait a few more minutes to put him back, since he would probably just get out again anyway. So, we started our study and in 10 min or so Gary went to put him back to bed, and he was gone! Gary looked in all the trees and even went out to our new house/hangar site since they've had him out there with him quite a bit while they were working and called and called him, but he was nowhere to be found. He came back and told me quietly that he was gone and he was sure a dog or a kid must have gotten him. After we were finished I asked everyone to pray for our monkey and they were all sad to hear he was gone. We all looked around and called some more, but still nothing. There was a dog next door that kept barking so I called the guy over and asked if he had seen the monkey that evening, and he acted all innocent - I wasn't so sure! But there really wasn't anything we could do until morning. We were all really sad even though I stubbornly refused to give up all hope. Gary was pretty sure a dog had gotten him. Red didn't really have a good enough fear of dogs and we have been worried about that from the beginning. He didn't really think Red would wander away on his own. While we are home, he will climb the fence and trees along the fence line, but he stays in the yard unless we go out. I woke up several times during the night and each time I checked in his cage to see if he had come back. But each time it was still empty. We woke up to a lot of wind and the threat of rain, though it never did rain much, and I couldn't help thinking that maybe Red was scared if he was out there somewhere. I had just about given up hope, and was feeling really bum and I just wanted to go outside and be alone, but Cherise heard me and came running. I was a bit grumpy with her and tried to get her to go back inside, but she figured out what I was doing and wanted to look for Red too. I couldn't refuse her, but I didn't really have the energy to answer her questions! "Mommy, did something eat Red?"

"I don't know, Honey. It seems like maybe so."

"But I want my monkey."

"I know, so do I, but he isn't here."

I was turning around to go back inside, when above the howl of the wind I heard a faint cry. It took a minute for my mind to register.

"Gary, I hear him!" I yelled.

I didn't see him right away and I expected him to be half dead when we found him. But before Gary even got outside I found him in this tiny tree on our fence that's about as big around as if you put your thumb and index finger together into a circle. He likes that tree and will often sit there and watch the world go by. He was afraid to come down I guess, so I quickly ran over and he jumped to me. I was SO HAPPY to see him again and he was fine. Gary was already there as well and I could tell he was very relieved as well. Who knows where he was for the night, Gary knows he wasn't in that same tree as he checked it more than once, but we were very thankful he was safe, even when he started in on his antics again! I'm thankful that God cares even about the little things like keeping our animals safe!