Page 21 of The Summer Island Swap
I shuddered, glad she’d reminded me of this.
‘No. Honestly, Amy, I’m not looking for love. I’m here for adventure in terms of… of learning new skills and broadening my mind. Then back in England I’ll be focusing on pushing my career forwards so whilst this might be tough, it’ll also be a good break – a complete change of scenery.’
‘Fair enough,’ she said and her shoulders relaxed. ‘As long as you are staying foryou.’
No. I’m staying foryou.
‘Come on,’ I said. ‘Helga will be making all the shack rules without us.’
She gave me the tightest hug. ‘I’m so glad we’re doing this together, sis. It’s going to be the best four weeks ever.’
10
I stared over at Rick, having reluctantly joined the tour of my home for the next month. My heart started to melt. I wanted to tickle him under the chin and behind those adorable ears. Chatty, that was – the Capuchin monkey, sitting on Rick’s shoulder, a lead around its neck, the other end of which had a handle and was wrapped around Rick’s wrist.
The little creature kept pulling off his hat and throwing it onto the ground. Everyone chuckled. Rick encouraged people to take photos on their phones. I batted away thoughts suggesting that he looked even more attractive wearing his caring side for this adorable animal.
‘This is the star of our zoo – or so he thinks,’ said Rick. ‘Chatty came to us six months ago. I was getting in supplies, on Tortola island, and overheard a tourist describing a monkey she’d seen being used as street entertainment. It’s rare in the British Virgin Islands. Jackie gained a lot of experience in Colombia, working with animals that had been kept by circuses or caught up in the illegal exotic pet trade. She’d dealt with monkeys coming from similar circumstances and that’s why I thought we’d be able to give him a good home.’
‘Doesn’t he need to mix with his own kind?’ asked Benedikt. Chatty was talking in a series of whistles and squeaks. I admired the gloriously blond face and bib that contrasted the dark fur elsewhere.
Rick turned to Chatty and tickled his cheek. The monkey swiped him and stuck out his tongue. Jonas and I caught each other’s eyes. Even we had to laugh. I’d changed into comfortable yet stylish shorts, spurning the long trousers Amy had secretly packed, despite an increasing number of mosquito bites. I was determined to enjoy as much of this stay as I could, and wearing my new, fashionable wardrobe was part of that. I compromised by wearing the only pair of trainers I’d brought, bearing rose gold stars.
‘It’s not going to be a straightforward rescue, rehabilitate and rehome story,’ he said. ‘Otherwise it would have been better for him to go somewhere where his species is indigenous. You see, this little fella’s blind. That’s one reason we think he’s particularly vocal – one sense making up for another. His lack of sight probably made him easy to catch in the first place. Funnily enough it might have been a blessing in disguise. He wouldn’t have lasted long at all, in the wild, with predators such as snakes or eagles, and finding food and defending himself against other monkeys would have proved nigh on impossible.’
My heart melted further into a messy, emotional puddle.
‘For those reasons we can’t ever release him or house him with fellow monkeys.’
‘Why don’t you make him a real pet, then, and keep him in your living quarters?’ I asked. I bet Rick didn’t live in one of the shacks. No doubt his evenings and nights were luxurious, up at the house he’d spoken of.
‘Won’t he become sexually mature when he’s five?’ said Amy. ‘That could introduce a whole set of problems.’
Rick looked surprised. ‘Yes… that’s it, Amy. Spot on.’
Her cheeks glowed.
‘Chatty is currently about two years old. At five his behaviour could really change. He might become more aggressive. So we’ll see… but for now he seems happy enough with positive human contact during the day and his swinging ropes and trees at night. His confidence has grown since arriving here and now he’s a cheeky little guy.’ He smiled. ‘Someone give me their phone.’
Benedikt darted forward. Rick switched the camera to selfie mode. He reached out, holding the phone.
‘Chatty. Selfieee,’ he said.
The monkey wrapped his arms around Rick’s head. Everyone looked rapt as Rick took the photo.
‘Preparing the food for our animals is a messy but important daily task. It has to be fresh and healthy. Chatty was in a terrible state when he first arrived. He’d been fed nothing but junk food. Patches of his fur had fallen out with the stress.’
‘I hope his captor was flung in jail,’ said Amy and screwed up her face. I’d seen that expression before when she’d brought home an animal that needed twenty-four hour love and attention.
‘The authorities never caught him,’ said Rick. ‘By the time I got to his patch he’d done a runner and left a whimpering Chatty tied to a lamppost, right by the edge of a road. He could have been killed. It’s taken a lot of time day in, day out, and gentle care to get him to trust humans again. In fact…’ He laughed. ‘I think Jackie and I went too far. He has absolutely no respect for us now.’
Everyone laughed.
‘Let me show you the rest of the animal quarters. There’s a large aviary.’
‘For parrots and parakeets?’ asked Amy. ‘Didn’t some need their wings amputating after the hurricane?’
Rick smiled. ‘Nice to see someone has been reading the website.’
