Ugandashis 67 On monkeys

UgandAshis 67 On monkeys.

Fort Portal, Uganda, December 1, 2009.

A friend told me long ago that in case you see a single magpie you need to blink otherwise you have bad luck for ever. Magpies come in pairs and so do the Colobus monkeys. Today as I travelled by chicken route from Kampala-Fort Portal – LINK tends to stop in every hamlet to pick up a chicken or load off one passenger I had a firm wish to see Colobus monkeys. Three quarter of the journey I spent peeping out of the window and just 3 minutes after I let it go two popped up. I nearly blinked in utter joy.

Another friend – to be labeled Mr. S. actually had a pet monkey. As he was working and living in Kabalagala the monkey entertained himself, the next door neighbors and the entire neighborhood. In fact the neighbor used to complain that because is two young children spent so much time chasing the monkey they fell behind in school. This is a joyful existence for the children yet less scholarly. At the local fruit market the monkey to be labeled M. as not give away his truthful abundant nature would take his share of bananas and apples. Whenever Mr. S. would return home he would find anxious vendors demanding cash for the rescued fruits. Yes rescued who after all can deny that bananas belong to monkeys as matooke to the Ugandans?

When Mr. S. would fall asleep with the television still on, M would switch off the apparatus, shake Mr. S. until he woke up, guide him to his bed cover him in his bed sheets and assure that the bed room door handle was closed. Mr. S. confidentially told me that he rarely watched television any more as observing the fracas one little monkey created was much more fun.

Even the flat mate that Mr. S. had eventually came around from sharing the flat with a vile cretin to an absolute and total crush on the mischievous M. The whole neighborhood professed their love to the free roaming M. Then one day the unbelievable happened. Free spirited M. always home at 18.00 sharp to receive his evening food did not appear. Two children at the market had seen a burly man barrel of with M. in is knapsack. Heartbroken Mr. S. remains till today in a saddened state of mind. Of late however he is picking himself together.

Some say a dog is a man’s best friend, Mr. S. begs to differ. He has eyed a new prospect. Once he moves into a new house he shall be finding a new friend to fill the huge gap that M. has left behind. N. will do his magic tricks soon. O and I write about this because Mr. S. asked me to give shelter to his new to be monkey until he finds a new house. I wonder however how Yogi and Bhima, the German/Belgian shepherds would deal with it.

Namaskar,

Ashis Brahma