Animals too Love

Monkeys' Love

In the year 1930 our family moved from Madras to Vellore for our high-school studies. we were living in our aunt's (mother's sister) house. My aunt was fond of pets. She had dogs, cats, guines pigs, hares, white mice and parrots. The house was a mini zoo.
One day a gipsy was at our door with a small monkey to collect arms. My aunty was facinated at the monkey and asked him if he would sell it. The gipsy wanted Rs.5/- . She bargained him down to Rs.2/- and a measure of rice. It was a deal and the monkey was ours to keep. She was cute and looked tamed that we could pat and play with it. In a few days it was trained enough he could be let lose. She became friendly with the dogs and cats. All would play togther. The monkey would ride the dogs and huddle the cats. Days went by and we all enjoyed the monkeys pranks.
There was rumor in the town that a Baboon was roaming wild in the northern town, frowning and attacking people who dared to chase it. One day it was in our street at the public water tap. When it wanted to drink water a lady chased it and she was bitten it was said. The Baboon (Let us name him Rama for this narration) is a huge monkey 24" high seated, while our Sita is a puny sitting mere 10" high. Rama headed staight to our house, jumped on to the roof of the opposite house and sat there majestically facing our house. Our monkey started jumping and screaming. It is believed that animals do not accept their kith that have contact with humans. So my father was worried if our monkey would be safe if she weere let lose. After some deliberation, he dicided to let her go, come what may. We all prayed that the Baboon does her no harm.
Sita, that was our monkeys name, the moment she was let lose ran straight to the opposite house and climbed to the roof. The Drama begins. One should see to belive. The Baboon didn't move. It was sitting where it was. Sita moved in a large circle round the he monkey, all the time making small noices as if praying for forgiveness. One round complete Sita moved a little (say a couple of feet) and made another round exactly as before. People of the street had gathered around to watch the drama. My father was praying Rama does not harm Sita. Sita narrowed its circle and slowly spiralled in towards Rama. Rama meanwhile was sitting statue like watching Sita approaching him slowly. As the distance between Rama and Sita was reducing and Sita was only a couple feet away, everyone was excited about what would happen when Sita approached Rama. Two things are possible a fight to death or reconciliation. To the relief ao all, particularly my father, it was reconciliation. Rama did nothing as Sitha approched him. He let Sitha jump about him. After acouple of minutes of this dance of recoinciliation both Rama and Sitha came to our house and were playing in the shed where Sitha used to be housed.
Rama and Sitha shared the food we gave for Sitha and Rama even allowed us to near him. He was in the house till evening and as dusk approached dashed out and disappeared. Sitha stayed back. Every one was puzzled at this behaviour. WE had expected that Sitha would go with Rama. Night passed with everyone wondering what is in store for the next day and how the drama will unfold
Come morning Rama was sitting majestically on the roof of the ooposite house, exactly in the same place as the previous day. Sitha started jumping and screaming. Father ordered that sitha be let lose. Once lose Sitha ran straight to Rama and within a minite both were in the shed jumping and playing. That day went went as the previous and Rama went away at dusk. Rumor in the town was that we were harbouing the Baboon's mate and he was coming to meet her every day. The people would not have clamourd agaist this if Rama's visits were event free. Rama would harm anyone who chased him on his way to our house. As the incidents increased there were representations that we do some thing immediately. My father after some thought said that we take Sitha out and leave her some where far out. That evening, after Rama had gone for the day, my cousin and I tied up Sitha and took him up the hill a couple of miles from our house and let him lose. Sitha climbed a tree to play. As he was high on the branches we sneaked away. We heaved a sigh of relief that the curtain has been wrung down. But no. When we reached home after an hour or so we were astonished to find Sitha jumping around in he shed. Father asked and we explained. We had to endure one more day of the Drama before we try another strategy.
The end of that day, when Rama had gone, we tied Sitha and took her this time accross Palar about two miles North of the town. Palar was dry except for a couple of streams. we selected the widest part of the stream, waded across in thigh deep water and reached the other side. we walked a couple of furlongs and entered a plantain plantation. we tied Sitha to a plantain tree. When she was playing we sneaked out and took the same path back. This time Sitha could not reach the house. Everyone thought it is all over. But that is not the end of the story
Rama appeared the next morning. Not finding Sitha to greet him he started searching all over for Sitha turning tables, chairs and boxes. Father had advised everyone not to interfere. Rama's search was confined to the shed where Sitha used to be. He would sniff a thing turn it around and throw it. The whole day he was searching thus. Came dusk he dashed out. My Father advised that we smear the place with cowdung solution to nuetralise Sitha's odor. This was done in the night.
Next day when Rama could not smell Sitha, he started digging and tearing things and sniffing. There was a deer skin in the shed and Rama started tearing it with his teeth. My aunty sprinkled some water to scare him. Rama jumped on to the dwarf partition and was grinning at her threatengly when I took a position between them and made a threatening motion at Rama. Next second he was on me, bit me in the left arm pit, snapped my left bicep and jumped back to the dwarf wall and sat their grinning. I was bleeding and started cryying when I saw a portion of the bicep hanging out. My father came with a big bamboo and fortunately Rama fled away for the day. My father gave first aid and took me to Pentland Hospital a mile away. The wound was cleaned, the bicep pushed into place, stiched and dressed. The Doctor said that since the monkey was known to have bitten others, though not so badly, I should have a cource of rabid injections - 28 injections, two every other day, around the naval.
Rama kept coming every day in search of Sitha. His visits became troublesome. My father asked the corporation to do somthing to get rid of him. No Hindu would hurt a monkey and Rama was too clever to be trapped. They arranged to station two policemen with guns near our house. Rama will come in the morninng but when the policemen arrive he would run away. This continued for 4/5 days and Rama was never seen again in our area. After a couple of months we heard that he was killed by the father of the boy whom he has bitten.
Wether Sitha was his mate or child it is hard to say. Either way it was LOVE for Sitha that made Rama dare the people of the town to get his Sitha.