Monkey Business

Quit ‘monkeying around’ has a new meaning in my neighbourhood which is currently in combat with rogue primates. These mischief makers are considerably wiser than their caged colleagues as they make it on their own in our concrete jungle. These new age ‘junglees’ invade people’s homes and steal food and sometimes lipstick even (I swear I am not making this up)!

On one such lazy afternoon, while we were lounging in the living room, one of these creatures managed to squeeze in through the window bars and grabbed a banana crashing the fruit basket in the process. Startled by the sound, my grandma hurried to the kitchen and screamed in horror as the hairy creature unabashedly skittered out of the window snarling at her instead! On a separate occasion, another one of its ‘buddies’ managed to scare a worker half to death as he dangled precariously at the side of our building where he was trying to do some plaster work. I presume the monkey was feeling rather possessive of his precious coconut trees that hug our building and are his main source of livelihood.

They have managed to ruin our garden so much that no one bothers to plant saplings any more. It is pointless to put in that effort when these crazy creatures make breakfast of them. I am not heartless, I don’t mind when they devour all the fruits and flowers in our garden, and it is kind of gratifying to see our garden being appreciated, but to destroy little plants in the process seems cruel!

Today we ran out of water, because these mean creatures managed to turn the terrace tap on and they left it on for a day or two which exhausted our overhead water supply tank. It sure gets annoying when you have to run down to the pump room early in the morning even before brushing your teeth.

Enough monkeying around I say or the residents of Mithaghar Road may have to unite to form a Quit M Road movement against these irksome invaders!