Grief

Photo by The Good Funeral Guide on Unsplash

Lenna steadfastly ignored the open mouths and hostile stares of Frank’s family. They had always hated Mikey and were more concerned about appearances than their son’s last wishes.

Holding Mikey’s hand, she made her way slowly down the aisle. Mikey, in his little suit, made as stately a march as he could. When they reached the coffin, Lenna’s eyes brimmed with tears. Mikey, physically incapable of producing tears, scrunched his face up, emitting a plaintive wail, before climbing into Lenna’s arms and burying his face in her neck.

Rescued by Frank and Lenna as an infant, Mikey had lived in their wildlife rehabilitation center before moving into their home when the other capuchin monkeys had injured him. His club foot had made it impossible to release him into the wild. His disability also made him a target within the center.

Mikey had liked Lenna, but Frank and Mikey’s friendship had grown into love and a bond breakable only by death. They had always expected it would be Mikey’s death. Life had had other plans.

As Lenna held Mikey, she heard sniffling and looked up to see her mother-in-law in tears as she watched the crying monkey.

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This story grew from the prompt words friendship, coffin, and monkey. Humans are the only primates capable of shedding emotional tears (though other primates do have functioning tear glands which lubricate their eyes). Monkeys do, however, cry, scrunching up their faces and emitting sounds of distress.

Part of the writing of this story required creating a reason Mikey might be living within the wildlife rehabilitation specialists’ home. A disability that made him a target made sense to me. I don’t advocate, under normal circumstances, keeping wild-caught animals as house pets (or family members).

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