Zoo Lady

by Rod Hunsicker

copyright 5-24-1998

She waited patiently to get into the zoo, as she had done daily for the last seventeen years. She was a late middle aged woman with a round figure, graying hair and a pair of thick glasses. She was rather homely; the glasses didn't help, and although she no longer needed them, she placed them on her nose each morning as she had done for the better part of her 55 years. She wore a plain dress, white socks and a pair of black shoes. Slung over her shoulder was a worn purse. She shuffled forward as the line drew closer to the entrance of the zoo.

All the ticket sellers knew who she was. She was a regular. One of those lonely people who visited the animals every day. They knew her as a friendly, soft spoken woman. Often they amused themselves with stories of how she talked to the animals, particularly the big cats, and they were certain that she had at least one cat at home. For all her
peculiarity, she was a harmless soul, and one they were fond of seeing as a regular part of
the zoo background.

"Good morning, Jean." It was Sue, one of the nicer girls to work the window.

"Good morning, Sue. Looks like a pleasant days for the animals,"replied Jean Rose as she handed over the money for her ticket.

"Yeah, lots of kids on the elephant ride today," said Sue with a grin.

Jean Rose smiled, adjusted her glasses, and passed through the turnstile into the park. As was her custom, she went directly to the refreshment stand and bought a cup of coffee. Mr. Alverez, who usually waited on her shook his head.

"I don't know how you take it so hot, Mrs. Rose. Even with all that creme in it," he said.

"I like it hot, Mr. Jose. Seems like I can't get it hot enough lately. I guess my old mouth is used to the heat," she said with a smile.

Sipping on the coffee, she wandered through the zoo, knowing that she would end up at the Big Cat House. Here she would sit on the bleachers and watch the cats for hours, often talking with other cat lovers. There was a surprising number of them that visited the
Big Cat House as often as Jean Rose.

"Yo, Mrs. Rose, are you here again?"

She turned to smile at the lanky black man. He had been a caretaker in the zoo as long as Jean Rose could remember. Standing at his side was his granddaughter, a pretty little girl whose name was Kiki. Jean Rose and Kiki were good friends. They shared a love of animals, though Kiki preferred birds to cats.

"I should deliver your mail, John. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor shadow of darkness will keep me away," she said with a laugh.

John rubbed his chin and frowned. "We can use all the visitors we get, Mrs. Rose. The suits are talking about making cuts again. If it weren't for my seniority, I'd be worried."

Jean Rose saw by the deep furrows in his forehead that John was worried. She knew just about everyone at the zoo. She talked to everyone and was friendly with most. She knew how the employment hierarchy was set up, and wondered if there was trouble in John's future. He was just a custodian. There were certain quotas to be kept, though that was not an issue about such a good worker as John, at least in Jean Rose's opinion. But John was getting old, and in the modern world there was a growing tendency to discard the old to make room for the young. Jean Rose had just obtained senior citizen status, a position in society she was not certain she wanted.

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, John. You've been at the zoo a long time," she said weakly.

"I hope you're right, ma'am. I truly do," he replied. "I wonder if you could do me a favor. Kiki's mom had to go somewhere, and I got to do the baby-sitting." He looked around as if searching for his supervisor. "Kiki was just saying how she wants to visit the Big Cats. Do you mind taking her over there, Mrs. Rose?"

"Not at all, John. I can always use the company. Would you like to go see Big Tawny, Kiki?" she asked the girl. A big smile and nod indicated the affirmative.

It was still early, and the big cats hadn't been fed yet. Feeding was a big attraction in the Cat House. People were fascinated at watching the big felines tear at their meat, growl, roaring as they fed. The primal savagery of a lion devouring a hunk of red meat was intoxicating to the ordinary citizen. It was reminiscent of a primeval lifestyle that would never be part of city life. For Jean Rose it accentuated her fascination with the big cats.

Entering the Cat House, Jean guided Kiki up the steps to the bleachers where several regulars were already sitting. The musky odor of cat combined with freshly washed down concrete and formed the usual atmosphere. Jean sat down next to a old looking man in a wrinkled black suit.

"Damn sun is too hot again today," commented the old man. "Glad to get indoors."

"Oh, Robert, you always say that. Either its too hot or its too cold. Too dry or to wet. You're never happy," said Jean gaily.

"Well, Mrs. Rose, when you get my age you'll understand," retorted Robert Armis.

"You're not that old, Robert. Only a few years older than me."

"At my age a few years mean a lot," insisted the old man with a grunt.

They had known each other for many years. Robert had been a good friend since the death of her husband. The strongest interest they shared was the zoo. Robert liked the apes better than the cats, but he rarely missed the opportunity to watch the cats feed. A retired bank clerk, he had little else to do with his time.

"They gave the job to that damn Gillian," said Robert suddenly. He kept his eyes forward, avoiding Jean's sudden stare.

"Oh no! He's to temperamental to handle the cats. I don't know how he got his job."

"Its not who you know, you know," Robert said in a surly tone.

"What happened to Hubert? He has done such a wonderful job with the cats." said Jean.

"Retired. Tossed away like a piece of rotten wood," grunted Robert.

Jean turned her attention to the cage windows. Several lions were pacing back and forth in anticipation of being fed. The largest lion was a magnificent beast called Big Tawny. He stood in the middle of the central cage with the pride and majesty of a true king of beasts.

"I hope Gillian isn't carrying his prod. I don't like that," said Jean. Jake Gillian was a stern man, equipped with a suitcase of zoological degrees and flawed with a bad temper which was the result of a superiority complex. He was a man who had to be master.
Perhaps that's why he had chosen to deal with animals rather than people.

"I wish I could feed Big Tawny," said Kiki suddenly.

"I don't think that would be wise, dear," replied Jean.

"She couldn't do a worse job than Gillian," sneered Robert.

The shoot door to the main cage slid open and a large, black haired man stepped inside. He was dressed in traditional safari clothing, including a pith helmet, and carried a four foot electrical prod in his left hand. In his right hand was a bucket of steaks. He set the bucket down and surveyed the cage with a crooked smile on his broad, tanned face.

Big Tawny stepped forward, anticipating his meat. As the alpha male of the cage it was
his expected right to be fed first. Today it would be different. Gillian decided to let one
of the lesser lions feed first and tossed a steak to a small male. Big Tawny growled and pounced on the smaller cat before he could scoop up the steak. Gillian barked an order, directing Big Tawny to back away from the steak, and when the King of Beasts refused to do so, Gillian touched him with the prod.

The shock kicked in and hurled Big Tawny four feet off the floor. He landed in a limp heap, not on his feet as cats are supposed to do. Gillian stood over the simpering lion with a smirking smile.

Jean Rose leaned forward when she saw Gillian point his prod toward Big Tawny. In her hands the metal railing she had grasped in horror twisted and broke. Without thought, she
raced to the big cage, pushing the attendants aside as if they were children, and slipped
inside the cage. Gillian turned and pointed at her with a haughty finger.

"Ah, Mrs. Rose. You are out of order. I must ask you to leave the zoo for going where you are not authorized to go," said Gillian. A blue white chain of sparks played on the metal head of the prod. Gillian kept it pointed in Big Tawny's direction.

"Don't ever do that again, Mr. Gillian," warned Jean. Her blue eyes had narrowed into angry slits.

"Do what? Discipline an animal. I am director of the this department, Mrs. Rose. Discipline is mine to distribute as I see fit."

Jean was more angry than she had been in a very long time. This monster was
intolerable. She blurred forward and grabbed the 'live' end of the prod. Electricity
streamed up her arm and around her body like an aura.

"You won't distribute it with this nasty toy, Mr. Gillian," she said through tight lips. With a slight tug she tore the prod from Gillian's hand. A quick moment crushed the prod into a one inch flat piece of metal and pulverized wood.

"Good God," exclaimed Gillian as he backed away from Jean in fear. "You're a Brute, aren't you?"

"I don't like that label, Mr. Gillian. I trust you won't refer to me in that way again," said Jean as she pushed Gillian against the wall. When Gillian had called her a Brute she realized that she had revealed her secret. Since becoming one of the miraculous
Changed, Jean Rose had not needed to use any Brute advantages. Her one desire had
been to lead a normal life. Now that was changed because of her anger. That realization made her more angry.

"As for you being the director I must now inform you that there's a new authority in the zoo. Treat my cats kindly, Mr. Gillian. Remember, I'm watching," she whispered to the frightened man. She backed away and walked toward the door. She paused to pet one of the lions before she left. Outside she made her way to her usual seat.

Robert stared at her with wide eyes. "Did I just see something unbelievable, Jean? Are >you a Brute?"

Jean frowned and tossed her nose in the air. "I am certainly not, Robert. There is nothing brutish about me, I dare say. I trust you won't be so rude as to call me that again. That's not the way friends talk to each other."

Jean sat down beside the little girl, smiled and patted her on the head. "Quite a show, today, wasn't it, dear?"

"Yes, Mrs. Rose. Can I pet the lion like you did?"

"That might be arranged, sweety," replied Jean.

The End

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