Rob was worried about Ringo, not like a zookeeper should be worried about a majestic African Lion but because there was something, well almost human about Ringo. He would sit and stare at Ringo’s enclosure for hours and on days Ringo would stare back; then on other days he would just sit in the shade and stare at nothing at all.
Ringo had come into the zoo only two months ago and for Rob it was love at first sight. Tall, lean and royal with a mane that would put any other lion to shame. Ringo was just the most handsome animal that he had ever seen. Ringo was also the saddest animal he had ever seen. He would not eat, sleep a lot and moan instead of roaring like a lion should. Something was surely off. Rob only wished there was a way of finding out.
“Have you heard of Nancy The Psychic?” his wife asked him over dinner one evening. Rob shook his head. “She is an animal Psychic. Talks to animals or you could say she picks up on the thoughts of the animals.” Rob laughed out loud. “Don’t be ridiculous. That cannot be.” His wife shrugged and said nothing more.
The next morning when Rob saw Ringo forlorn he thought back to the conversation about Nancy. What did he have to lose by calling her to meet Ringo? Perhaps, it was a good idea.
Nancy was a petite young woman with an easy smile. She came by on a Grey Saturday morning and Rob quickly took her across to meet Ringo. She was at once saddened on seeing Ringo, as if Ringo was saying something to her. Ringo, on his part, found a shoulder to cry on in Nancy. They stared at each other for a good ten minutes. Nancy began to cry at the end of the ten minutes, Ringo turned around and walked away.
“Did you bring him in from the Munich Zoo two months back” quizzed Nancy. Rob couldn’t believe that Ringo told her that. “Ringo did tell me that!” Nancy confirmed. “He also told me that there is a Lioness by the name of ‘Lily’ who shared the enclosure with him in Munich. They were in love. You brought him here and separated the lovers. He is devastated and thinks of her all the time.”
Nancy left Rob very thoughtful.
Two weeks later Ringo lazily ambled out of his shed to find Lily waiting for him in his enclosure. With a roar of delight he ran to her and then both Lily and Ringo rolled on the grass in a dance of lovers reuniting.
Rob watched the whole scene unfold in front of his eyes. It was worth all the pain and circumventing the red tape to bring Lily here. This time he did not need a Psychic to tell him that there was just one universal language and that was love.
-Arsee.