* Theme and Style :
Theme: Maternal detachment, helplessness, and the struggle for survival. The story explores the emotional plight of a baby monkey as it faces rejection from its mother and the challenges of growing up too soon.
Style: Emotional and empathetic, with a focus on the baby monkey’s desperation and the mother’s firm resolve, leaving readers feeling both sympathy and curiosity.
* Short Story :
In the quiet corner of the forest, under the shade of a large tree, a tiny baby monkey named Timo clung desperately to its mother. Timo’s soft cries echoed through the trees, his tiny hands reaching out, pleading for the comfort and nourishment he had always known. But his mother, Lila, turned her head away, her eyes distant and resolute.
It wasn’t that Lila didn’t love her baby—she did. But in her mind, it was time for Timo to learn to fend for himself. The troop had moved to a new area where food was scarcer, and Lila knew she couldn’t sustain both herself and her baby if Timo didn’t start eating solid food.
Timo, however, couldn’t understand this. All he knew was that he was hungry, and the only comfort he had ever known was being taken away from him. He clung tightly to Lila’s fur, his cries growing louder as he tried to nuzzle close, seeking the milk he so desperately needed.
But Lila gently pushed him away, her face calm but firm. She reached down to pick up a ripe fruit and offered it to him instead, but Timo swatted it aside, too frustrated and confused to accept it.
The other monkeys in the troop glanced over, some chattering softly as if discussing the scene. A few of the younger ones approached curiously, their eyes wide as they watched Timo’s struggle.
For hours, Timo followed Lila wherever she went, his cries growing hoarse. His tiny legs wobbled as he stumbled after her, his energy waning. Yet, Lila remained steadfast, occasionally looking back with a hint of sadness in her eyes but never relenting.
As the sun began to set, painting the forest in warm hues, Timo finally gave up. Exhausted and defeated, he collapsed onto the soft ground, his little body heaving with sobs. Lila sat nearby, watching him closely.
After a few moments, she approached him, her movements slow and deliberate. She gently picked up a piece of fruit and placed it beside him, her eyes softening. Timo sniffled, looking up at her, his big eyes filled with confusion and sadness. But this time, he didn’t push the fruit away. Hesitantly, he took a small bite.
Lila stayed close, her presence a silent reassurance. She wasn’t abandoning him; she was teaching him, in the only way she knew how, to survive in a world that wasn’t always kind.
* Excerpt :
Timo clung to his mother’s leg, his tiny cries piercing the forest air. “Why won’t she give me milk?” his eyes seemed to ask, filled with desperation.
Lila looked down at him, her gaze firm but tinged with sadness. She pushed a piece of fruit toward him, but he slapped it away, his frustration boiling over.
As the day wore on, Timo’s strength waned. Finally, as the sun set, he took a hesitant bite of the fruit, his tears mingling with the sweet taste. Lila stayed beside him, silently watching, her presence a quiet promise that she would always be there, even as she encouraged him to grow.
Source from YouTube “Tuabang Monkey“
