The implication of the Monkey’s court case: Who is right and wrong?

By Peter Reat Gatkuoth

One day, a white man went to Congo-Rwanda-Uganda border Forest to buy a small Monkey from the wildlife officers. He ended up finding a man who has caught many monkeys in the Jungle. The African man fed these animals (monkeys) regularly and he indeed taught them how to play and walk with little kids daily. He called them “the members of my family.”

When the white man asked the Jungle man that I wanted to buy a Monkey, the black man told him that “you cannot afford to buy these monkeys because they were taught to walk and listen to the people.” He said “I considered them as the members of my family because they inform the family when there is danger coming to harm us here in the village.”  They always act as bodyguard and security officers here in the village and protect my children not to be harm by other wild-monkeys.  

The two gentlemen discussed the issue over the time until the white man from North America offer the owner of the monkeys a good deal. After few minutes, the black man from Jungle decided to talk to his family for few minutes because the white man has chosen one particular monkey which is the smartest monkey. It was difficult for the black man to sell this smart monkey who always run faster to the forest and inform the family that there is something taking place in the forest.

The wife of this Blackman agreed that they can sell the monkey and use the monkey to send the small kids to school in the small district but the kids could not allow their father to sell such a smart monkey that had taught them how to climb the trees faster. It was one of the toughest decisions the family had ever gone through since selling the monkey has a benefit and disadvantages as well. The man decided that if the white man can offer him more money, he can sells this monkey and send his two boys to district school (the school where most of the family do not afford to send their kids to).

Then within a minute later, the small kids decided to go and climb the trees with their smart monkey but their father stopped them and asked them to wait. He asked them that you guys can go to town today with your mother and stay there for the whole night. I will be here with our monkeys and you will us here tomorrow morning. The man has eventually designed a plan to sell the smart monkey after the kids had gone to district city.

The kids like to go to district town and watch those noisy cars and monitors vehicles on the streets. They run to their mother and asked her to hurry up to go to town. Our father told us to go to town and “it getting dark while we need to reach there before the sun goes down.” The mother decided to take the kids to the town and meet with her old mother whom she has never seen for a month.

Within a few minutes after the family left, the man returned to his White friend who wanted to buy a monkey. He told him that his family are not happy to sell this monkey. If you wanted to buy a monkey, I can give you the coloured one which is not smarter enough and need more training. The Whiteman insisted that he can only buy the dark and smart one and then the two re-negotiate and finally, the Whiteman offered more money. The Black man accepted the offer and gave the smart monkey to the Whiteman and said "good bye my best friend."

Early in the morning, the kids came back and yelled in distant calling their monkeys. The coloured monkey came out but the kids still call the smart monkey that knows how to climb faster up to the tops of the trees but it did not appear. The kids yelled and ran to their father and asked him "where is our smart monkey?" The father replied quietly that "it was around playing with other monkeys that came from the forest." Perhaps they took it back to the jungle. The kids start crying and asked their father if he can run after those monkeys that had taken their lovely smart monkey. The father agreed and told them that I will go after them in order to find what had happened to our smart monkey.

The man took his sharp spears, and all hunting materials pretending to go and find the smart monkey. He went to the Jungle, and spent the whole day hunting wild animals for food. He came back in the afternoon carrying the meat and informs the family that “I found our monkey dead on the tree. It was beaten by elephants and these elephants are moving toward our home.” He urged the family to go back to district and wait for him there. The mother cried that "it would have been good if we sell this monkey yesterday than losing it unexpectedly." She took the kids out to dress them up and went back to the district town in her parents' home.

In the next morning, the father of the kids followed his wife and the little one. He went directly to school and paid the money for his two little one. The monkey's money was enough to educate his two children from primary one to grade 8 in boarding school which is private missionary school in Zaire/Congo. After paying everything, he went to his in law family, being happy and sat in distant according to the African traditions.

The wife was so excited that the father of the kids was safe from the forest because they expected that the elephants may have beaten him. The kids ran to father asked him that “did the elephants destroy our home?" The father answered that they came closely but they did not do anything yet. "Perhaps they will destroy our houses after I left.” The family were so excited, happy and celebrate the coming of the father to the district town safely without being hurt by elephants that had killed the smart monkey.

At late night, the father of the kids woke up his wife and told her the good news that he had found a missionary school scholarship for the two young little kids. They will start the school tomorrow with the district kids and stay there every year. The wife was so excited and happy with the husband. She could not take her hand off from the father of the kids for the whole night, calling him as a hero. He thought that the father went to white missionaries and talk to them for her little children's school issue.

At that day, it became the talk in the village that the forest man came and talk to the missionaries to admit his young kids to boarding school for free without charge. The mother prepared the clothes and blankets for the kids early in the morning at 4:00AM before the children wake up and inform her mother that her husband went to missionary school board for the issue of her kids to be admitted this morning.

The old mother  of this lady was so impressed and surprised, how come the villager who live in forest without ability to speak English could go to missionary School board, and asked them to admit his little one for free of charge. The mother of the lady encouraged her daughter (wife of the villager who sold the monkey) to stay focus and love this man as a hero. She encouraged her that even your father who worked longer with the missionary board has never got this chance.

When the kids woke up, they were told by the mother that your father went to the missionary board and registered your names in the boarding school. They jumped up and they were so excited and could not wait to join their friends in the boarding school. It was fun for the family and the parents of the lady to get this chance for their kids. They take the kids in groups and gave them to school class room teachers.

After the two small kids were admitted, the Black man/villager decided to go back to his own village with his wife, leaving the two little one in school. Some of the villagers were reporting their kids to him that “Sir you can help me to register my kids or talk to the missionary school Board so that my kids can go to school. The villager/black man encouraged the people that “he will eventually make an arrangement or set up a time for the school board principal and discuss the issue of the other kids with the school board principal next time. The man took his spears and asked his wife to get more water for them as the village is in far distant.

While the family of the villager case was so successful, their White friend from North America, boarded his flight to London England and paid all the costs for the transportation of the Monkey. He was so excited on the other hand and happy, remembering his new friend in the border of Congo-Rwanda/Uganda who kindly offered him what he wanted for so long. He took more than one night travelling to London and arrived early in the morning in Heathrow International Airport. The home-land security groups in London, England stopped him and investigated him in the transit or terminal areas to check the animal. They let him go to connect his flight quickly to North America.

In the afternoon around 10:30 PM, the man arrived safely in North America and called his best black friend in Africa, right after he got home. He said “I appreciated the offer and tell them that he arrived safe and in peace. The man liked this animal that make a lot of joke when in public. He always drives with the monkey to public parks and make a joke with the people in the public park and backyard areas.

One day, he went to the Casino to drink with his drink-mate, and found a written sign that “no animals are allowed in this building.” He asked the security officer if he can get in with his small monkey but the security officer shown him the sign that “there are no animals allowed in this building.” While the discussion ensued bitterly as the owner of the monkey is claiming that “this monkey is not an animal,” one of the black man came around holding a bunch of bananas, and stood behind the security officer, being attracted to the bitter argument.

The owner of the monkey decided to leave the security officer and went to the Black man who stood behind them. He greeted him and asked him quietly that “can you take care of your little brother (monkey)?” The black man did not say anything, thinking that the old man was not talking to him. He turned his head to the other side looking at the parking lot area. The old man repeated the statement again that “hey, can you take care of your little brother (monkey)? I wanted to go to washroom and come back real quick.”

The Black-man who holds bananas smiled and holds his anger as it is the typical North America characters not to show your attitude and behaviour in the public. He holds the monkey until the old man comes back. When the old man came back to him, he repeated the same statement that “can you give me your little brother?” The man kindly gave the monkey back to the old man. They both stood on the gate wanting to enter to the Casino building in order to drink some beer and winter drinks but the black man has all bunches of bananas in his hand and the old man has a monkey that the security officer could not allow to get in.

After few seconds, the black man asked the old man to hold his bananas because he wanted to go to washroom. The old man said, “yeah, yeah, it is okay. Put them here. I will take care of your things, don’t worry.” The black man put his bananas down and went to washroom. While he was in the washroom, the monkey ran to eat all the bananas and the old man do not care, and he just kept sing his old country song. The man came back and saw all his bananas gone. He asked the old man with attitude that “where is my bananas?” The old man quietly answered that “ask your brother.” The black man felt so sad with the old man but could not do anything. He stood wavering and moving around the old man while the security guard is watching them closely because he does not wanted them to enter to the building.

By luck, the old man asked the black man again that “can you take care of your little brother? I wanted to run real quick to the washroom for few minutes and come before I drive back to the highway 2.” The black man hold the monkey and when the old man entered to the build, the black man decided to broke the next of the monkey, kill it and put it down in the parking lot.

The typical old cowboy man came back quickly, and started his car in distant with the keyless starter. He asked the black man that “where is your little brother because he wanted to drop to the highway real quick?” The black man pointed the dead monkey down and then the white man cried……”oh my God, Oh my God.” He asked the black man that “what happened to my small monkey?” The black man told the old man that “do not involve. This is a brotherly fight. It is a family business/matter. Keep yourself away from this fight.”

The old man called 911 quickly while yelling in the parking lot, and then the police came to investigate the issue. It was seen to be complicated case and asked the old man to hire a lawyer in order to fight for the full compensation. He demands more money because he transported this small animal from Central –East Africa border.  The old man has mistakenly thought that it was a normal thing to call the monkey brother to the black man because he was told by the first black man whom he bought the monkey from that “the monkey are the members of my family.” You are kindly asked to analyze this case, commend and judge it appropriate with full consideration of how the case started. You are the judge brothers and sisters.

The author is the observer of this case and the case is in progress. He is an active member of Jonglei People’s federation and former deputy camp Chairman of Fignido Refugee camp in Western Ethiopia. He holds BA in Sociology and Political Science and he is currently pursuing his Master of art degree in International law and Human Right. Please reach him at Peterreat@yahoo.com or visit his blog at www.peterreat.blogspot.com