Deep in the mysterious Amazon lived a small monkey of the contented sort. He jumped and played all day in the comforts of his familiar surroundings enjoying the cool rains, living high atop any tree he wished. He was sure of himself. Life was good for the little monkey. His mamma named him BoBo.
Each day, BoBo would seek out only the best to eat. He would take his time; search each tree for the ripest fruit. Bright yellow and fragrant bananas were his preference and the adventure was as sweet as the fruit itself.
One day, while venturing out for a mid-day snack, he realized the forest had grown thicker. He roamed down one road, only to discover that it led to another, and another, each path more vague and confusing than the first. He spun around, gazing up at trees once recognizable, now hauntingly strange. Frantic, he scurried to the top of one tree and began to swing, thinking he would surely find familiar ground. But what was once his home had become an unknown place. BoBo was lost.
Feeling small and forgotten, he heard a voice behind him.
“Psst!” BoBo cautiously turned toward the sound and saw a monkey he had never seen before. “Are you looking for bananas?” said the monkey.
BoBo shyly answered, “Yes, please”.
The new monkey swung with confidence to the tree where BoBo sat. “Here, take your pick!” he said.
BoBo looked down and saw an array of bananas, all sizes and colors. Eyes wide, BoBo took his time, selected only the best thanked the monkey and went on his way. Quite curious and a bit taken a back by the encounter, BoBo did his best to find his way home.
The next day arrived in splendor, and BoBo set out once again to make his way through the ever evolving forest. Still uncomfortable with these new surroundings, he remained positive that he would find his breakfast on his own. Yet sadly, BoBo realized that he was once again, lost in these new trees. Saddened and confused, he trudged along, looking for something, anything he could call breakfast.
Suddenly, the monkey he had met the previous day wandered out into BoBo’s path. “Looking for this?” he said as he presented a wonderful, fragrant banana.
Feeling confidant and happy, Bobo answered, “Yes please”.
The monkey offered the banana and even sat with BoBo for a while. They talked about the changing forest and the pathways that had begun to fade. They even measured each others trails. They discussed new prospects of swinging and the possible trails they could mark to remember where they had been. After breakfast and conversation, BoBo was ready to be on his way. The monkey gently stopped him. “You know, I can help you get bananas any time you want” he said.
“Just let me know where I can find you and I’ll make sure you never go hungry.”
Happily, BoBo accepted the offer from the kind monkey and with a few words of thanks, they parted ways.
With the rising of the sun, BoBo reached out into the sky to stretch. Rubbing the night from his eyes he yawned ceremoniously and adjusted his sight to the new day. As he focused, he realized that his new friend was there, waiting, but he hadn’t come alone. BoBo counted: one, two, three, four… FIVE little monkeys! Startled, and now very much awake, he searched for something to say. “Good Morning?”
The monkey and his four friends smiled and greeted BoBo as though they had known each other for years. Arm in arm they brought BoBo into the fold. Each monkey began talking at the same time. They had brought breakfast for BoBo. There were papayas, grapes, berries and something brown and goopy concoction that BoBo couldn’t define. They all wanted BoBo to take a taste of what they had brought. In the distance, BoBo saw a crowd of monkeys forming, all coming toward him to present their wares.
“How about a mango?” one monkey asked.
“Or try my honeydew! Nice and fresh!” said another.
“And to top it off, try on this wonderful terrycloth robe!”
“Robe?” Bobo asked, confused. “Why would I need a robe?”
“Well,” the monkey said “our records show that those monkeys who bought bananas also bought robes”.
All of the sudden, BoBo began to see little monkeys bouncing above the crowd. Here and there, he noticed these monkeys would simply appear out of nowhere. Popping up, they would shout,
“How about taking a survey?” one would say.
“Join our mailing list!” another would add.
“Surveys? Mailing Lists? What could they mean?” BoBo thought. “No!” BoBo shouted back. “No pop-ups of any kind!”
The conversation grew louder, the banter and bargaining increased, the options became endless when finally BoBo shouted above the crowd, “All I wanted was a banana!”
Startled, the monkeys abruptly came to a halt. All starring at each other, they waited for BoBo to break the silence.
“A banana” he said “a banana is what I need.” What was once a peaceful, manageable place had turned into a crowded marketplace, swallowing him whole. He remembered simpler times; leisurely mornings traveling with ease through pathways, exploring the gentle forest and returning unscathed to his home each night. “A banana is all I need” he repeated to himself.
Suddenly, his life was too complex. Quietly, he turned away from the crowd, hanging his head, dragging his feet. The mob of monkeys watched in amazement as BoBo walked away. They murmured to one another, confused at BoBo’s resistance. As they watched BoBo drifting further away, they felt a panic rise within them. All at once, they began to shout after him. “Come back BoBo!” “We’re here to help you!”
BoBo was unrelenting in his decision and continued to walk away. With a quick pause of thought, the crowd trotted after him, increasing their pleas. Their pursuit mounted until they found themselves in a full sprint. BoBo began to run. As he saw the light break through the trees and offer a gateway to a new land, he realized that the edge of the Amazon existed. He could see his freedom just steps away. However, the crowd was gaining. No longer were they pleading for his return, but instead, as if they became hunters in a primitive land they began to shout. “Get him!” one said. “Don’t let him get away” said another. The chanting grew in volume.
“Get BoBo! Get Bobo! GET BOBO!” |
Bedroom 
