Spray

A mob congregates near a diamond latticework separating lush jungle from civilization. A cart laden with bloody meat halts at the outskirts of the growing crowd. It’s feeding time. A cheer emerges. The striped beast within the enclosure pads to the fence, sniffing at raw meat and humans. The bob of curious little heads strain for a better view. Fortunate children climb aloft on shoulders of their kin. Tommy isn’t one of the lucky kids. He’s tall for a seven-year-old and wears a wild mop of matted hair. Aside from being difficult to carry, Tommy’s father is too busy studying a scrolling chart of numbers on his phone to care.

“Da! I can’t see the tiger!”

Da frowns.

“Please Da!”

“Cut it out! Go over there if you want to see.” Da shoves Tommy towards a grassy hill. Another boy sits alone at the same spot, he’s a chubby gold-haired lad. He just finished crying, pinkness clings to his freckled cheeks. Tommy sits next to him. The boys watch zookeepers toss morsels of meat through a hatch in the fence. The keepers relay fun facts about the tiger named Namaste. They toss him a treat each time they speak. He’s a Bengal tiger and weighs over five hundred pounds. Aside from that information, the boys lose interest. They are too far away to enjoy the lecture or the tiger’s presence. Eventually, zookeepers throw a large section of meat inside. Namaste seizes the hunk of meat and charges along the fence. Namaste flings the meat skyward with a toothy jaw. He lunges, raking the airborne carcass with his paws. Once Namaste satisfies his savagery, he lays prone and rips the slab of meat with quick jerks of his head. The spectacle turns dull after a while and the zookeepers buzz away in their cart.

The fat boy sticks out a grimy hand, “Justice.” 

"What?" Tommy scratches his head.

"My name is Justice."

“Oh. I'm Tommy.”

“Which one is your dad?” Justice asks.

Tommy points to a tall, dark-skinned man with angular features. The crowd disperses, but Da doesn’t notice, his phone is a distraction.

“He looks just like you, but your hair wags like this.” Justice shakes his head, letting his bangs whip side to side. “And that’s Papa.” Justice points to a thin man with a brown beard and a dingy ball cap. He’s standing right next to Da. An enormous woman clings to Papa’s arm, but she breaks away to pursue an unsteady toddler escaping deeper into the zoo.

“Why were you crying?”

“I never get to see! Papa only carries Lacy, not me.”

“Is Lacy your sister?”

Justice nods, his scowl fades.

“Do you have a sister, Tommy?”

“No.”

“Why won’t your dad carry you?”

“He’s too busy…”

The boys watch the tiger pace. After the meal, he’s a sad animal with a saggy stomach. He roams back and forth, skirting along the cage with listless boredom. The tiger pauses, turns, and lifts his tail. A jet of cat spray squirts from the rear of the beast, penetrating the fence and dousing the inattentive fathers. The men exchange a glance, each face scrunches as if they ate something sour.

“Tommy!” Da’s eyes dart from head to passing head until he finds his boy sitting on the hill. “Get over here.”

Tommy waves goodbye and breaks into a run. “The tiger peed on you!” Tommy gasps once he is within earshot.

Da doesn’t laugh. Instead, he takes Tommy’s hand and heads towards the restrooms. Da grips Tommy by the shoulders. “Wait here. Don’t wander, you understand?”

Tommy nods.

A familiar father and son are also on their way to the restrooms, Justice gets left outside too.

“I want to see the lizards.” Justice tugs at Tommy’s arm.

“No, I’m supposed to wait.”

“Just a quick look.”

Tommy frowns. Justice smirks and runs off. Tommy can’t help himself. The boys weave through a flock of people before pressing their lips against a glass enclosure. 

“This one is an Iguana” Justice rises to his tiptoes and scans the ferns for the reptile.

“He’s there!” Tommy aims his finger at an inconspicuous branch. The boys navigate the maze of terrariums. They examine each habitat, seeing who can locate the critter first. Once they find all the lizards, the boys move on to the aviary and aquarium.

Justice turns pale. “We better head back.”

Tommy nods, his smile fades to worry.

Zoo-goers halt as frenzied boys dash through their midst. The boys retrace their journey to the restrooms, but no father is waiting outside. Inside the bathroom, the boys peek under stall doors at strangers.

Justice cries. “What do we do now!”

“Maybe we should wait.”

“But what if they never come back.” Justices trembles. Tommy puts an arm around his shoulder and they huddle close on a bench outside. Crying is contagious, Tommy weeps too. It isn’t long before the boys are a chorus of stuttering sobs. Passer-bys respond and soon a crowd of concerned adults form a protective shield around them.

Orange lights blaze from the roof of a green cart. A zookeeper slides out and mumbles into a radio affixed to her shoulder. She takes a knee and holds each boy’s hand in her own. “Get in. We found your fathers.”

Once aboard, the cart lets out a groan and putters along the footpath. They whiz past the reptiles, birds and water animals before passing Namaste the tiger. They soon forget their fear as the vehicle gains speed along a wider perimeter road. The zookeeper smiles in the mirror, checking on her passengers from time to time. 

The quick journey ends at the park’s entrance. Da and Papa are anxiously waiting. When the cart lurches to a stop the fathers rush to meet them. Da puts his phone away and embraces Tommy. Tommy thought Da would be angry, but worry produces greater emotions. Tommy glances over at Justice and his family. The skinny man, large woman and tiny girl wipe Justice’s teary cheeks. Once the emotions die down, Justice reaches for Tommy. Da and Papa exchange a glance.