TRIGGER WARNING. THIS STORY CONTAINS DISTURBING SCENES FROM A TRUE STORY AND IT MIGHT UPSET SOME READERS ESPECIALLY ANIMAL LOVERS, MAKE SURE YOU ARE 18 AND ABOVE AND READ IT AT YOUR OWN RISKS.
Have you ever done something that you really regret when you were young even though it was from the purest intention as a kid? Your heart was so pure that you thought you can save them but it ended up backfiring everyone instead? To me I cannot forget that moment, probably when I was 10, a monkey died because of me and it was a tragic death that caused me to be traumatized for months. I know it was just a monkey, but a life is still a life!
I was an active kid who loved to visit my neighbor just to play with my neighborās kids. I rode my bike and called them to play with me all the time. Yep, a very active kid indeed. And one day my neighbor suddenly had this monkey kept outdoor with a metal chain on his neck and told me that they have captured him from the wild and going to keep him as a pet, the humans looked excited, but the monkey? Not soā¦ as a kid I have always loved animals even when the adults asked me what I wanted to become when I grew up? My answer would always be; āto be a veterinarian/zookeeper/animal trainer or anything that animals related because I love animals so much.ā so when I saw the expression of the monkey being kept away from his natural habitat, with a chain on his neck and looked so sad and miserable I felt a deep empathy towards the monkey that I had decided to do something crazyā¦ yeah crazy enough for a 10 year old.
So, one day, as I was feeling determined, I went into my neighborās compound with my bike, feeling lucky because nobody was at home and thought it was safe to execute the āmission impossibleā, normally I would call my neighborās kids to come out and play but not at that time, I knew I shouldnāt have done that act but I did it anyway. I approached the frightened little monkey trying to calm him down āItās alright, monkey, Iām not going to hurt youā as I was telling him that, I wanted to unchain his neck but he wouldnāt let me approach him. He was too frightened that he hissed at me and showed me his scary fangs, as if he was ready to attack me anytime, any moment. I was scared, but this foolish, determined 10 year old kid still decided to untie the chain at around a wooden pole nearby. I didnāt think twice because I was in a hurry to avoid myself getting caught so I grabbed the chain from the pole, planned to bring him and release him to the woods but the monkey was too fast he ran off to the opposite direction but my hands wasnāt grabbing the chain strongly enough, it slipped. Thatās when the tragedy happened.
To my horror the monkey ran off with the chain still attached to his neck and while dragging the long chain to an electric pole, he climbed the pole and walked onto the electric wires and it electrocuted the poor monkey to death right that moment in front of my eyes. It was a shocking sight and I got panicked, I didnāt know what to do. So I just aborted the mission, grabbed my bike and rode my bike home as fast as I can and never returnā¦
Months after the incident, I have been beating myself up, thinking what I couldāve done, shouldāve doneā¦ if I was wise enough to take my time to gain the monkeyās trust, perhaps being patient enough to visit him with fruits and treats and eventually releasing the monkey into the wild? Perhaps I shouldāve done things differently the monkey wouldnāt have to die? Or I shouldāve gripped the chain tightly in my hands? I was so traumatized that I never ride my bike ever again to my neighborās house and ended up becoming a quiet kid that overthinking stuffs creating so many āwhat ifsā scenarios in my head especially on every action I wanted to take or every word that I wanted to say. It was really tough growing up and to heal myself from the trauma.
Fast forward to this moment as I am writing this story, I still think about that dead monkey from time to time and feel very regretful that I didnāt successfully save that monkey. I truly am sorry to that poor soul that I have accidentally killed. Now that I am managing a pet store, I always get some free cat or dog food samples to feed every stray animal that I see. It is as if Iām redeeming myself for the monkeyās death but actually, Iām happier now because I am doing what I love.
Above picture is one of the stray kittens that Iāve been feeding every morning before I go to work and every night when I reached home from work. At first, she was very scared of humans and hides away when she saw me. After I gained her trust a little, she kept coming for the food and now she dares to step on my bag begging for some patsā¦ There is another one more kitten that Iāve been feeding too but heās still shy with me. Lol..
One lesson that Iāve learned from this incident is, it is always good to be kind and wear your heart on your sleeves. But donāt forget to take your brain with you while offering your help to others. Humans donāt trust other human when they offer to help, because nothing is free in this world, right? Because of that I can understand why these wild animals donāt trust human, they donāt trust human because human invaded their home and captured them for profits. Iāve tried my best to help but it backfired. In a world full of bad people that abuses animals, Iām ashamed being a human but I will always spread kindness and love. Because after all, I believe that in the end of the day love will always win.
Thank you for reading.
@persephone87The 1st picture source;
https://m.facebook.com/animalsalll/photos/a.243010639146969/1378305575617464/?type=3
The second picture is mine, taken from my android phone VIVO y17.