Unexpected Encounters [B.H.M.]

42

Mike struggled to find a parking spot near the zoo, so I offered that he could park in front of my house, using the visitor permit, and that was what we did. We had to walk a few minutes from my home to the zoo, but we managed. Emily was in her pushchair, and if I was honest it was a little surreal to think that the man behind that pushchair was a rock star, a rock star on worldly father duty today, and it was adorable.

Jimmy and Louisa got instructed by their father to hold my hands as we crossed the busy streets that lay between the zoo and my home. They were both very sweet and did as they were told. Because the sidewalks were narrow, the three of us were following Brian and Mike on the sidewalk. "So which animals are you two looking forward to the most?" I asked them both.

"All of them," Jimmy told me, turning to me with a big smile. "But I think I want to see some lions, and tigers. I hope we can also see meerkats. I think they're fun to watch."

"I have to admit I haven't been to a zoo in ages," I told him. "But I do remember that they are busy animals, always running around. Do you know if your Dad brought his camera?"

"I told him," Jimmy told me. "But sometimes he forgets those things."

That made me smile. They seemed like an adorable family. "I brought mine, so if he forgot, we can use that. Do you like taking pictures?"

"I do, sometimes Dad lets me take some. But if he forgot his camera then we have yours, right?"

"Right. And since you know what you're doing, you can take a few on mine if you want," I offered him.

He glanced at me with a smile and nodded. "Yes, thank you, Frida."

"And you? Do you have a favourite animal? Or just one you'd like to see today?" I asked Louisa who had been rather quiet all day.

"I like butterflies," she said. "But I don't know if they have those at the zoo. I like parrots too. They have those, don't they?"

"They do," I confirmed. I remembered that. "I think they also have butterflies actually," I added. "If I'm not wrong, then they have a building where you can walk through the butterfly enclosure. Sometimes they land on you, if you're lucky."

"Really?" She asked, looking at me with a small smile. "Then I hope we can go there too."

"We'll make time for it," I promised her, smiling.

"Do you have a favourite animal?" Louisa asked me, making me smile.

I nodded. "I do, yes. Do you know what a tapir is? I love those, I think they're adorable."

"Tapir?" Both Jimmy and Louisa asked at the same time.

"Yes, they look a bit like pigs," I explained. "But they're not pink, some are black and white, some are grey, some are brown, and most importantly they don't really have a normal nose, they have a short trunk, like if you crossed pig and elephant, tapirs are what you get. I like weird crosses. I think they also have okapis. That's what you get if you cross a giraffe and a zebra, they're funny, and beautiful I think."

"I want to see them too," Louisa agreed. "That sounds pretty funny."

"So, we have lions, tigers, meerkats, butterflies, parrots, tapirs and okapis so far. What about your Dad?" I asked them.

"The penguins," they both said at the same time, and without hesitation, making me laugh. "Dad loves penguins," Jimmy said, rolling his eyes a little which I thought was very amusing.

"Alright, we'll add penguins to the list too," I said, looking at Brian with a smile. He was a very special man.

We made it to the entrance and I went to buy tickets for us all. There was a short queue but I didn't mind. It was easier for me to do this than for Brian. I got a family ticket for us, two adults and three kids, and a single for Mike because it was the easiest that way. I also made sure to get a map of the zoo and a flyer with the times for all animal feedings and with that I returned to Brian.