Chasing Fire

Sweet Beast - Part 9

Noralee's mood changed as she conquered her fear of heights.  She was in the best mood she had ever been in her whole life. It had been a sweet, romantic day spent walking in the forest with Bear and even though she had hung upside in a tree earlier that day, she was quite recovered from the excitement. Bear lead her to a small stream and caught some fish for their lunch. As he prepared them, they talked about living wild and free.

"I feel like I am an animal in a cage when I go into modern society." He was busy cooking the fish and tending the fire.

"I bet that is a sad feeling. I know the animals at the zoo look so sad in their cages." She remembered a trip to the Atlanta Zoo when she was in Middle School. The boys told this hilarious joke about a woman and a gorilla on the bus ride there. It made her laugh so hard she almost peed her pants.

"I hate that they put animals in cages. I have never been to a Zoo before and I will never go to one." Bear looked a little sad so Noralee decided to tell him the joke to change the mood, though it was a little off color and wasn't very proper.

"Well, you know it is for the safety of the humans that they are in their cages." She smiled a little, "Did you ever hear about the woman who was attacked by a Gorilla when she got in his cage?"

Bear thought she was serious and this gave her such delight because the best jokes are the ones that catch the unsuspecting off guard.

She leaned in and cast her line, "This lady was watching the giant Silverback Gorilla sitting all alone in his cage. She was so enraptured by the almost human look in his eyes. He looked so lonely and sad sitting there in his cage alone. She felt really sorry for him. After a while, they started to lock eyes and sort of shared a moment of tender understanding. Surprisingly, the Gorilla threw one of his bananas to her."

Bear looked up from his cooking and gave her a little grin. He was on to her ruse, but patiently let her continue.

"The lady said, "Ahhh, that is so sweet of you to give me your banana." She took the banana and ate it. The gorilla seemed very happy with this and started to wave her over to him. She said, "Oh, you want me to come inside the cage with you? I don't think this is a good idea. There are signs everywhere that say don't go inside the cage with wild animals." But the lady thought this was the most human acting gorilla she had ever met. So, she said to the gorilla, "If you promise to be a Gentleman, I will come in for just one minute."

Bear was folding his arms over his chest and cupped his hand under his chin, intently listening and never saying a word with a small grin on his face.

Noralee continued, trying not to laugh and hold a straight face, "The lady slides in between the bars and stands inside the cage with the massive beast of a gorilla. The gorilla points to his head and pulls his fingers outwards. She had worn her hair up that day and she said, "Oh you want to play with my hair. Ok." She takes her hair down and the gorilla runs his fingers through it gently and he starts sniffing it and making grunting noises. Then, the gorilla naughtily points to his chest and pretends to pull open an imaginary shirt. The lady laughs and says, "Oh no, I just met you! I can't do that." "

In her cute Southern accent and brilliant inflection, Noralee was a vibrant storyteller and Bear was hanging on every word by this time, though he was laughing a little.

"The gorilla doesn't have any hard feelings and shakes his head that it is ok. The lady just can't believe how human this gorilla is acting and she feels really special to be sharing this incredible moment with an amazing animal. She feels really comfortable with him now, and the gorilla pats the rock beside him gently. "Oh you want me to come sit next to you? Ok. You really are a sweet beast."

Bear's face is red with trying to hold back his laughter and Noralee continues in her cute, singsong Southern voice rolling out the tall tale, one nugget at a time, "The lady sits beside the gorilla and he opens his arms to her. "Oh, you must want a hug. Ok. I will give you one hug and then I need to go home." She gives the gorilla a big, warm hug and can't believe how sweet and affectionate he is, just like a human. The gorilla purses his big lips and makes smooches in the air. "Oh, you want a little kiss. You really are a sweet baby aren't you?" The lady gives the gorilla a nice, little kiss on the lips and for a second their eyes meet and she thinks she sees something so human in his wild eyes."

"Oh no. Please, Noralee." Bear's tummy is starting to bounce from the giggles and he covers his face with his hands.

"Please, let me finish the story." Noralee continues, also trying to contain her own mirth, "All of a sudden the gorilla grabs her by the hair and flips her body north, south, east and west! He whips her, he beats her, he pounds her. He turns her anyway but loose!" Noralee was very animated at this point and Bear stared at her in disbelief. "Then, he rips her clothes off and has his way with her in the cage before the Zookeepers could tranquilize him."

"Oh, my Lord." Bear sat with a shocked expression and Noralee had to stifle the laughter that was bursting inside her.

"There wasn't a part of her that wasn't busted up. She had to be life flighted to the local hospital and spent several months in there in traction. A friend from Church paid her a visit and she was shocked to see the state that she was in and said, "Honey, I just don't understand what possessed you to get into a cage with a wild beast?" The lady smiled weakly, "It is hard to explain really. It seemed like he was so human and the look in his eyes told me he was so lonely and just wanted a friend. He acted like he was gentle and sweet at first, and just wanted a little company." Her friend shook her head, "Oh Honey," as she looked her up and down in her full head to toe body cast, "Does it still hurt?"

Noralee stuck her arms and legs out imitating she was in a body cast and this sent Bear rolling off of his rock as she went in for the punch line with wild abandon and dramatic, Southern flare, "Does it hurt? Oh, Hell, yes it hurts! It hurts everyday! He never writes! He never calls! He never sends me flowers! I feel so used! He was the best I ever had!"

Bear was laughing so hard there was no sound coming out of him, only a state of paralysis as he clutched his belly on the ground before the raucous laughter finally left his lungs. Tears streamed down both of their faces and Noralee sat down on the rock and imitating the gorilla's kissy face she patted the rock softly. This sent Bear over the edge of hysterical laughter once again. Bear seemed to bring out a funny side of her. She could never tell jokes to her ex- boyfriend. For one thing, he was impatient and yelled at her to get to the point. A good joke always had details, or at least Noralee thought they did. Secondly, he had no sense of humor. It was like trying to tell a joke to a potato when she told one to him. For so long, probably since the end of Middle School, Noralee had not told a funny joke and now she felt so good getting one out and knowing Bear would need stitches in his sides from laughing so hard. She felt like her old self when she was kid, calm and happy.

Once he had recovered enough to come join her on the rock, he flung his arms out wide and hooted like a gorilla and gave her a big, Bear hug. She hugged him back and enjoyed the sweetness of his embrace. His was very warm and lovable, so when he moved in closer to her lips to kiss her, she didn't try to break away. She stuck out her monkey love lips and smooched at him, and laughing they shared a nice, funny and sweet, first kiss.