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August 31 2006 - I'm Going Back To Africa
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In approximately 48 hours from now I shall be winging (in every sense of the word) my way to Johannasburg enroute to Tzaneen, where I shall arrive on Wednesday afternoon. And then... I shall see my BABIES!!! It's all I think about; in my head, my heart and my soul, I have been with them every second of every day since I left. Even when it was necessary to think about other things for a time, I knew they were always on the back burner. Of course; those monkeys are a part of my life, and therefore a part of me. And my awareness of them grows daily. And now, finally, I am only days away from seeing them. And I shall be back in my tent,living in the bush, surrounded by everything that is beautiful; my heart missing a beat with every sunset, my spirit leaping toward the brilliant silver of the stars. Oh! How the stars shine in Africa! I shall see Charlie Brown squeezing his way through the enclosure wire; (if he can still manage it) he's only a baby, but consumes copious amounts of extra grapes, (his favourite) bananas, apples etc, fed to him daily by a throng of devoted admirers. He's a very special boy is Charlie Brown; huge, dark brown eyes filled with intelligence which makes for a very beautiful monkey. His awareness of his own beauty amuses me greatly; he's also an outrageous flirt, running up a nearby tree, and staring at me suductively through semi lidded eyes which manage to catch the one ray of sunlight penetrating the foliage. I've never known that boy miss a 'photo opportunity. I love his sense of humour and his confident independence. He's also massively sensitive. So is Bigfoot, one of the babies I became very close to. He's younger than Charlie, only around 4/5 months when I first met him. I knew he missed his mother, and it would break my heart to see him standing in a corner of the enclosure looking through the wire for his mother; the mother who had been shot; when he was a day old and clinging to her breast. As he grew to know and trust me, he would frequently climb into my lap for a cuddle. He was such a sensitive little boy and all I wanted was to take his pain away. He thrived, but he was less strong than my other babies. The day I left for England, I was suddenly called to the baby enclosure; one of the babies was ill. I raced there and discovered it was my beloved Bigfoot sitting on a branch, completely limp. When Vervets become ill they collapse, as if all their bones had dissolved, leaving them no means of support. He was taken from the branch, wrapped in a towel and Sandy (another volunteer and good friend) gave him to me, and proceeded to drive us all to the sick-bay, and Arthur. Arthur Hunt is the primologist, who along with his business partner and friend - Dave du Toit - founded the Sanctuary and has been working with Vervets for around fifteen years. I handed Bigfoot to him and he assured me he (Bigfoot) would be fine and not to worry. I've ached to see him since the day I left, and will be quite beside myself when I see him again next week. Because, he not only pulled through; he's getting stronger all the time. Yeah, Bigfoot. And as for Felix.... She's a minx of a monkey, and all the more fascinating for it. Like Charlie Brown she is a huge flirt, but unlike Charlie Brown she, Felix, is a girl. There is something intensly feminine about Felix; she is smaller than the other babies, but what she lacks in stature she more than makes up for with charm. She knows exactly how to elicit the desired response from me, and on the rare occasions that she doesn't get her every desire granted IMMEDIATELY, she throws a hissy fit that every aspiring Diva should witness. Awesome... Delayed gratification doesn't appear to be in her repertoire of responses, and 'no' has no place in her understanding of communication with humans. 'Yes' she appears to have got her head around. I have to say 'no' when she tries to force my mouth open with tiny - surprisingly strong - hands prior to inserting her tongue, once successful entry can be obtained. This is soon achieved as I am quickly convulsed with laughter by the expression of 'you WILL open your mouth' that is so evident in her eyes. So, as I laugh and my mouth opens, she's in like Flynn! So, soon, very soon now, I shall be re-united with my babies, and my heart will sing with the magic of the Vervet monkeys of AFRICA!
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