The World Of Sebastian

She quickly says hello to the others and then approaches our table.

 “It´s time. Hurry up!”, she exclaims. “Good morning, Tian,” she adds, before I have a chance to say anything. The next moment she´s on her way out again.

Bella has called me Tian, since I can remember. My name was just too long for her, when she was a little girl. And as I rather liked this nickname, I quickly got used to it. By now, almost everyone calls me that. Some inhabitants villagers have understood the reason for all this excitement, wish us lots of luck and look forward to meeting this new citizen of our earth soon. Others, however, can´t understand why we´re making such a big thing about it. They don´t really think much of Tilla, especially of the fact that she´s going to have offspring. In their view the gorilla just occupies a building they´d like to claim for themselves. How would they react, if Thera and Pan, our cats, would have babies as well? Probably with even more resentment than they already displayed toward Tilla. If news like that would make the rounds, there would be lots of long faces. Imagining how shocked they will be makes me laugh, and for a moment I entirely forget that I´m not alone. Which promptly earns me a nasty look from Conran, the mayor´s son. In my view he´s is the worst self-centered person on earth and anything else but an animal lover. I would never ever want him for a friend, even though he´s the only boy of my age in the entire village. Having to sit in class with him is already too much. He acts up the worst during biology class, when we are taught about lions, wolves, and bears, which have hurt or killed people in the past. Stories like this never miss their goal and spread suspicion, hatred, and resentment. And the worst thing is: they provide ammunition against our animals here in the zoo.

The basic message is that we are supposed to be deterred and reminded of what could happen if we venture out of the village without permission and dare to stray too far. However, I think that´s simply unfair toward our animals in the zoo. They never have harmed anyone.

Before I leave, I have to get something out of my system. “No reason to pee in your pants, Conran. When Tilla´s baby is born, it´ll be too small to eat you. All we need is a little more patience for this to happen.” A wide grin spreads across my face. Only some seconds later I start to regret my barb, however, I simply could not hold it back, as little helpful as it might have been. Even though I don´t want him for a friend, I don´t want him for an enemy either! Liah casts me a castigating look and points her head toward the door. We quickly turn around, say our hasty good-byes to the community, and walk out. My sister eyes me incredulously. “What was that supposed to mean? You should not provoke him like this. He belongs to the people who´d love to evict the animals from our village. And, most of all, you shouldn´t underestimate him, apart from the fact that he´s the mayor´s son!