Perhaps it was a mistake to run away from Mommy at the zoo afterall, muses little Peanut Sam. His name is Peanut Sam, but at four years old he believes that is his real name since all of his family calls him Peanut Sam.
Sam observed a large man with a bandana holding a handful of peanuts earlier in the day who hand cracked the nutshells before shoving multiple nuts in his mouth at one time.
"Why do you call me Peanut Sam?" Sam asked his Gramma once. She smiled and chucked his chin in her annoying fashion then leaned to kiss his cheek with a bright red mouth the color of finger paint.
Sam tried to dodge her mouth but he felt the warm, dry lips on his overheated cheek before a greasy residue stained his skin.
Sam pulled at Mom's hand to keep walking faster. He needed to see the bears in the pool now. The bears splash in the water and run in funny steps around the pool before diving in belly first then splashing huge waves all over the sides of the pool which quickly drains back into the pool. The bears repeat that for hours.
Sam thinks it's time to go to the reptile house right after the bear exhibit, and before the mandatory bathroom break and child petting zoo.
Sam doesn't want to pet sheep today, or pet the skunk that they said doesn't stink like Pépé Le Pew. His smelly part was taken off, like the rubber ducks squeak broke in his tub, Mom said.
Sam needs to see the snakes and the alligators. Mom said there is no time today because Gramma needs to go home for a nap.
Sam hates naps! Gramma loves them and even napped at the table last year. Her mouth opens and she makes a loud roaring sound like she did after Christmas dinner last year. Sam laughed. Mom was not happy and took the new dump truck away for a whole long time.
Mom said it was only an hour but that's not as long as Sam missed his dump truck terrible-like.
Gramma went first to the potty after the bear pool and Mom picked up her hand phone when it started singing "Rocket man". It was Daddy. Sam runs. He pumps stubby legs running faster until he reaches the reptile house.
Sam made it in before the zoo man noticed him sneak by the baby carriage filled with everything but a baby. The Mom held a squawking blanket and her own mouth was plugged with a pink plastic plug with a round ring. She held a plastic bottle of milk and was trying to make it stay in the baby's mouth for two minutes, but it wasn't working. Sam knew he wouldn't have missed that target. He was good at basketball.
Just as Sam got to the alligator's display the red signs all over the reptile house walls flashed the message "Closed".
Sam looked around for an adult to see what was happening. The Mother nearby with the squawking baby spit the plug out of her own mouth and addressed the baby with, "It's closed now so eat before I have to drive!"
The baby began drinking in a docile fashion.
"Child? Who brought you here?"asked a short old man with a black mustache to Sam.
Sam pointed at the alligator.
The old man laughed a hearty belly laugh then said, "Come on, let's go track your family down."
Sam glanced longingly at the alligators and followed Mustache Man out. He even took the lead and went to the bear pool. Even the bears were napping now.
Mom looked up with wet eyes from her telephone and shouted, "They brought Sam back!" Then hung up on Daddy.
She thanked Mustache Man over and over. Gramma was sent home in a little blue car before she fell asleep.
Sam didn't see the alligators today but it was a fun day at the zoo and Gramma didn't kiss his face all red again today.
This is my five (more like 30 this evening) minute freewrite using prompt zoo hosted by @mariannewest.
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