Boy and Ape: Part 1

In the Hall of Primates, I looked up at Mother with gleeful impatience. She smiled down at me, “Be patient, you will get a turn to see the gorillas.” Slowly the visitors trickled out. I walked up to the glass and smashed my face amongst the many smudges. Back in a corner, laying in the hay, I saw two gorillas waiting for all the people to go away. I put my hand up to the glass near my face and waved, curling my fingers up and down against the glass. The big gorilla shifted his weight and rose off his powerful haunches. He moved toward me on his knuckles as gorillas do. The hair on his head was a red very much like mine. I watched his eyes, black, blacker than space and time. When he reached the glass, I breathed deep as a little one does in the presence of a beast. The gorilla raised his hand slowly and pressed his hand to mine on the opposite side the glass, his fingers curled just like mine. I looked at my little hand in front of his. I pulled back my fingers except for one. He pulled back his fingers, all but one. Slowly he lowered his hand away. The great room began to fill with people. The gorilla turned back to his spot in the corner on the hay. I stood and watched quietly, until, I was pushed back by wild children pounding on the glass. I went back to mother’s side. She took my small hand. “ Looks like you’ve made a new friend.” I beamed with pride as we walked out of the Hall of Primates. At the car I asked Mother, “When can you bring me back to the Zoo?” “We’ll be back before the summer is through.”