monkey shines
1998....
while touring india....
exploring the town of rishikesh
a popular hindu pilgrimage site
along the banks of the holy mother ganges river
in the sub-tropical himalayan foothills
i had determined it was time to replenish
my supply of apples, oranges and bananas
feeling energetic and adventurous
i took myself across the one-eighth of a mile walk-bridge
to the “unholy” opposite riverbank
intent on checking out the marketplace
situated along a winding escalating pathway
lined with various stalls and street-side vendors
which began immediately
at the foot of the bridge’s other side
just at the base of the incline
stood a massive expansive tropical tree
some twenty-five meters in height
i happened to glance upwards
to observe a troupe of monkeys,
a dozen of them or so
collectively staring with much interest in my direction
from high atop the tree branches
i shrugged and turned to continue along
leaving any thought of those curious monkeys
to drift away with the river’s current
and the balmy sweet tropical breeze
it happened that the most delectable produce
was available in a quaint friendly stall at the very top of the pathway
( in full view of the monkeys from their strategic viewpoint, by the way )
success....mission accomplished!
feeling quite pleased with this purchase
i began a relaxed descent towards
an eventual return to my lodgings
as if on cue
from some mystical comedy script
in a movie i wasn’t aware of being in
and at the perfect dramatic moment
a stunning young blond scandinavian woman
passed me going the other way along the path
naturally and of course,
i stopped and turned to admire her radiant charms
suddenly, out of the corner of my eye i saw him
the big bad boss monkey of that troupe i had seen
with the whole damn family trailing close behind
i froze in a state of....
i’m still not sure what....
but picture this if you will....
i was holding a bag of peanuts upright in my left hand
having been eating them freely with my right hand
and a common plastic market bag
with the day’s fruit bonanza
dangling from the pinky finger
of the hand holding the peanuts
the boss monkey charged
with extreme malicious intent
huge impressive fangs bared
straight for that hand holding the fruit and peanuts
no doubt he intended to leave with his prize
no matter if he had to take my hand to succeed
i agreed with him
he could have the fruit
he and his cohorts were welcome to the fruit
dammit, they deserved the fruit
there would be no argument from me
i was a mere pretender to their territorial rights
what occurred next seemed borne of an intuitive knowing
rather than any conscious decision of mine
a still calm voice arose from within....
“ if you relax your pinky, you can save the peanuts!”
before i knew it i had done just that
the mighty monkey boss had snared his booty
and with his scruffy band had scurried off satisfied
i was still a stand-up two-fisted guy
with a monkey story to tell....including peanuts
yes!
there was that bag with those tasty peanuts
still upright in my trembling hand
hallelujah!
i most certainly enjoyed them
while muttering and chuckling away
throughout the rest of my uneventful stroll home
in retrospect....
i’m neither the first nor the last
wide-eyed, greenhorn tourist to come bumbling along
to have fallen for the well-oiled, well-orchestrated scheme
of that conniving band of primates
i’m still not sure how the blond bombshell
played into their racket
but she was in on it
i know it!
(2013)
