There were two monkey brothers in a Zoo, let’s call them “The Pretentious” or ‘P’ and “The authentic” or ‘A’. They were born, raised, and locked together in the same cage, yet they behaved differently. Their cage’s design emulates African forest wildlife without predators. Inside, each monkey had crafted his roof, decorated his space, and created a routine in harmony with the firm system of the zoo. At 9 am sharp, the zoo opens its doors and visitors start to flow. Meanwhile, ‘A’ is munching his breakfast delightfully where ‘P’ had already devoured it in seconds.
Leaning against the cage bars or balancing on a branch, ‘P’ prepares himself to flatten the first visitors. On an ideal day, he performs strength and flexibility shows. The monkey initiates them by loosening up his muscles. After, he squeezes them together as in a bodybuilding championship. He runs and jumps with acrobatic movements trying hard to make himself the perfect entertainer.
Along the day, he tries to impress people, joyful with their applauses and gloomy otherwise. He was always fretting about his performance and how visitors perceive him. When he doesn’t get the awaited cheers, he scowls and sneers on visitor’s faces. Sometimes he starts to glower at a crying baby. When he loses his audience, he lurks behind a big rock, gazes at his brother, and frowns at the thought that he is more successful. On occasions, ‘The pretentious’ tries to faze ‘The authentic’ but the impassivity of the latter made him feel worst. A bad day usually announces itself with ‘P’ dashing out of his crafted cell inside the cage and gibbering wildly in all directions.
Where ‘The pretentious’ is unpredictable, ‘The authentic’ is serene and peaceful. When approaching visitors, he connects with them with a pleasant smile and wonderful eye contact. He then starts screeching in excitement while spinning on the ground or jumping amongst the trees. Smiles beam from parents’ faces when their children scamper in all directions and shriek in excitement. ‘A’ is selfless and dedicated to inducing a sense of gaiety and joyfulness in others’ hearts. He is authentic to himself and visitors; without being a performer, he is a creature of bonding.
With months and years passed, the same pattern repeated itself over and over, until one day, something unexpected occurred. ‘The Pretentious’ was performing his see-I’m-the-best show when he suddenly faltered and fell to the ground. Minutes passed and the monkey couldn’t get up, he was hovering between life and death. A fainted-heart woman from visitors swooned at the sight while fearful looks clouded others’ faces. The rescue team cleared its way among the crowd and reached the monkey while his brother was watching over him and soothing his pain. After giving him first aids, the team transported the monkey to the veterinary hospital. Inside an intensive care unit, he was breathing using a connected oxygen concentrator. A team of veterinarians monitored his critical condition. They also ensured a continuous injection of medication in his blood.
