This is a story about a lil monkey who was so loyal to his master monkey. He climbed trees without the master monkey telling him to. He brought back coconuts without the master monkey telling him to. He did everything and more for the unappreciative master monkey.
One day, during a hectic tree climbing session, the lil monkey lost the key to the forest.
The master monkey was so furious. The lil monkey had not enough coconuts to change the forest locks and to buy new keys for the new forest locks. The master wanted to deduct the lil monkey’s wages for this.
The lil monkey continued to work and work harder for the master monkey. Then one day, again during a hectic tree climbing day, the lil monkey dropped the company’s communication coconut.
The master monkey was so furious. The lil monkey was not given a replacement communication coconut. The lil monkey has a friend, an ape-girl. The ape-girl’s parents bought the lil monkey a replacement communication coconut because their precious ape-girl could not call the lil monkey because he had no communication coconut.
The lil monkey was not paid enough to purchase a banana boat. The lil monkey took public banana boat to work. He had to catch two banana boats before he could reach his work forest. The ape-girl gave him a lift to work when and if she got up early enough. The master monkey told lil monkey that he would buy lil monkey a banana boat if lil monkey dumps ape-girl. Lil monkey is a hard worker and lil monkey is not that stupid! So ape-girl was not dumped.
The lil monkey continued to work hard. Tree after tree, coconut after coconut was brought back for the master monkey. One day, the master used all the coconuts to invest in another forest. The lil monkey was not given a share in the new forest. That forest was then sold for millions of coconuts. The lil monkey got nothing. The lil monkey claimed he did not want a share in the new forest. Lil monkey was either very loyal or very silly or both!
The lil monkey continued working. The master monkey hired a new chief monkey. A chief monkey that could bring in millions of coconuts to the forest. Even the largest ape agency will not be able to bring in this huge amount of coconuts. But this one chief monkey said he could. The ape-girl laughed so hard when lil monkey told her this. Ape-girl laughed till she almost fell off the tree she was on.
So through the master monkey, the new chief monkey got a new tree to climb. It was a huge tree. The new chief monkey could not deliver. So lil monkey had to step in to finish climbing and to deliver all the promised coconuts. Lil monkey did not sleep for more than 96 hours (4 days) because of this huge tree. The ape-girl is weeping as she writes this…remembering the pure mental and physical torture the lil monkey had to go through because of this.
The ape-girl had to make sure the lil monkey had rest. But lil monkey did not want to rest till all the coconuts were delivered. The lil monkey had no sleep and very little food. Whatever the ape-girl sent and placed under the big tree, the monkey ate a bit. The ape-girl could not help the monkey with this tree because the master monkey forbade it.
The new chief monkey left the company. So our lil monkey continued on. Day after day, night after night. More often than not, the ape-girl helps the lil monkey when the tree was too huge to manage alone. In return, the lil monkey helps the ape-girl when she has a huge tree to climb.
The ape-girl has no master. So whatever coconut she gets – all belongs to her. The ape girl’s parents are also super supportive. So lil monkey and ape-girl get extra coconuts from ape-girl’s parents when they need extras.
The master monkey accused the ape-girl of stealing his trees. That is not possible because the ape-girl climbs a different type of tree. Totally different from what the monkey had been climbing. It’s only recently that lil monkey started climbing the same type of tree as ape-girl. The ape-girl taught the lil monkey all the tips and tricks for this new type of tree.
The master monkey does not see all this. He only wants coconuts and more coconuts. It’s not possible for the lil monkey to deliver all the coconuts alone. Other monkeys were hired. But not skilled monkeys. So ape-girl helps the lil monkey most of the time with the big ideas on how to conquer another tree.
The master monkey does not see all this. So the lil monkey works hand in hand with the ape-girl and continue to deliver coconut after coconut. Ape-girl does not get paid in coconuts for helping lil monkey. Ape-girl sees it as helping lil monkey and not the master. Whatever makes live easier for lil monkey – ape-girl will do.
When ape-girl earns enough coconuts of her own – ape-girl starts buying expensive toys for lil monkey. Toys that he fear to wear and use because he dreads what his master monkey will say.
The master monkey fails to see the complete loyalty lil monkey has for him. So today, after a little over 20 years of loyalty, the lil monkey is ready to quit. More coconuts for the lil monkey will be lost because of this. But they are coconuts and material possession. The lil monkey will walk away no richer than when he started. The ape-girl weeps for now. But she knows lil monkey will be better off in the long run. Coconuts can be earned back. Material possessions can be bought back.
Lil monkey and ape-girl already have new trees lined up. So all will be ok.
c’est la vie!