A Day at the Zoo

A Day at the Zoo

Harold remembered the zoo, realizing that was the day it started. He went alone, being quiet, he had few friends to socialize with. They’d just opened a traveling exhibit, a rare snake from Africa, only in the city a month and this was the only day he could see it. It turned out unimpressive in Harold’s opinion, he stared at it for a few minutes, it just stared back.

But that was certainly the day he’d changed, Harold thought. Before he left the zoo he’d started talking to strangers. At first just chatty, then helping with things, playing with their children. So unlike him! But then, it had stuck.

The last few weeks had been heady! Harold met his neighbors, started hanging with co-workers, and finally asked Janice out. He was like a new man, and it was easy. Gone were the days of avoidance, awkwardness and frankly, loneliness. He explored his city, with Janice, as if he’d never seen it before! He never wanted it to end. But it had.

This morning when he woke, he knew. All his feelings of insecurity had returned as if the new feelings were a spell, now broken after only four short weeks. He lay there, wanting to cry when something moved in his bed. Startled, he turned, there was Janice asleep beside him. He had loved her from afar for so long, he wasn’t willing to give her up! He decided on the spot to pretend to be the man he’d been, for as long as it took to become real!

At the zoo they were loading the snake into a crate. He was going to the Cincinnati Zoo next. He had really enjoyed his time being Harold, he couldn’t wait to find someone he could channel in Cincinnati, wherever Cincinnati was.