Finding friends as an adult can be tough. Possibly, an unwanted tax of intellectual complexity or a lack of social skills and opportunities. Nevertheless, loneliness can be tough on everyone as human beings are wired for connection.
Once we get past the insanity, torture and humiliation that loneliness presumably brings upon us; we might find ways out of it. Longing for emotional connection; one could willingly adopt or at least get close to the creatures incapable of verbalising themselves in human language, animals and birds. This could be one of the many ways to mould loneliness into something more meaningful.
A tale of growing affection
A zookeeper scowls at the wave of the guard of the zoo. As the night closes in, he settles down near his post; chuckling softly at the videos of laughing people he had started watching.
It happens to be that he works at the hyena enclosure. Noticing the arrival of one such hyena, he shows it the video. The hyena finds it amusing but its pleasure isn’t received well. Its transformation into human characteristics is taken notice of and looked down upon by his mates. The zookeeper notices this change as well; one day decides to smuggle him out of the zoo.
The hyena finds the comfort of a domestic home puzzling and unruly to his nature. However, slowly but surely, he adapts and begins to fancy the new human it has adopted as its own. It protects and accepts him as one of its kind.
It accepts being taken on walks; protecting the new mate from predators. Accompanies him to a restaurant much to the onlookers’ dismay. Takes the enjoyment of riding a car to the fullest extent possible. It also happens to be the Christmas season; so, it is ecstatic to find out that it will be allowed to take a picture with some man named Santa Claus.
The zookeeper is also happy with this newest change he has made in his life. This is why, he is alarmed when on one restful day, his friend turns ferocious when he grabs the last popcorn of the bowl. The hyena; however; was only pulling a fast one on him, much to his relief.