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Favourite Teacher

February 12, 2022 17 Comments

By Michelein

An orangutan named Whimsical was my favourite teacher. He used charades for allegories. He wrote his thesis on Animal Misrepresentation in Colonial Literature, but his journals were scarce as it’s hard writing papers with short thumbs.

Our English class once got straight A’s when Whimsical mistakenly ate our papers. Pandemic-wise, it was hard. He sucked on Zoom. He always sighed under his mask as we sat six feet apart writing poems about a world stockpiling anxiety and toilet paper.

After he got fired, I’d visit his tree, and meditate on his nest, while he built with purple bellflowers our secret canopy.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Helen C says

    February 12, 2022 at 7:01 am

    A very evocative story.

    Reply
    • Michele says

      February 12, 2022 at 2:25 pm

      Thank you kindly!

      Reply
  2. Tim Goldstone says

    February 12, 2022 at 7:07 am

    Lovely!

    Reply
    • Michele says

      February 12, 2022 at 2:28 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Dart Humeston says

    February 12, 2022 at 8:21 am

    An excellent story I will remember. Clever. Flows dmooth and entertaining.

    Reply
    • Michele says

      February 12, 2022 at 2:28 pm

      Thank you so kindly. It was a lesson in being economical & as you say, still letting it flow!

      Reply
  4. Nina says

    February 12, 2022 at 8:52 am

    So wonderfully creative and fun!
    I love the imagery that will stay with me.

    Reply
    • Michele says

      February 12, 2022 at 2:25 pm

      Thank you so much

      Reply
  5. Peter Caunt says

    February 13, 2022 at 4:15 am

    Excellent name for an orangutan. I have seen a few of them who exhibit this characteristic. While his sucking at Zoom brings forth an interesting, more physical meaning.

    An orangutan worthy of running a library…

    Reply
    • Michele says

      February 13, 2022 at 3:33 pm

      I have sadly only seen them at a zoo. There are some famous ones like Ah Meng who was a rescue one. Thank you for so much for reading!

      Reply
  6. Alastair says

    February 13, 2022 at 5:29 am

    A lovely tale, thanks for sharing it with us 🙂

    Reply
  7. Michele says

    February 13, 2022 at 3:34 pm

    Thank you kindly ?

    Reply
    • Michele says

      February 23, 2022 at 4:44 pm

      oh so sorry. The ? was a typo

      Thank you kindly ! was what I meant!

      Reply
  8. Bob says

    February 16, 2022 at 5:18 pm

    Just beautiful from the killer first sentence to the last word.

    Reply
    • Michele says

      February 23, 2022 at 4:44 pm

      So grateful you enjoyed it !

      Reply
  9. Doug Jacquier says

    February 23, 2022 at 5:19 pm

    A flight of fancy that’s not fanciful. A whole anthropological study in 101 words. Very impressive.

    Reply
    • Michelein says

      April 15, 2022 at 10:57 am

      thank you kindly!

      Reply

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