Dear Stanley [Watty's 2019. Completed]

You and me at the zoo

Wednesday, April 24th

Dear Stanley,

I haven't had the nightmare in a while I realized. Bad memories of you seemed to have replaced it. Which are worse because these memories are real unlike the nightmares.

However, the memory I got today wasn't bad. It was nice. It was perfect. It made my heart smile.

When I was in 5th grade and you were in 8th, you took me to the zoo. Our town is too small for a zoo, so we had to take the bus to get there.

I had an obsession with wolves at the time. I remember this vividly.

We walked along the neatly paved streets, sugary cotton candy in my hand and a popcorn bag in yours. I was stuffing my face and getting the sweet treat all over it while grabbing handfuls of popcorn.

The sun was beating down, sweltering and hot. I was walking right next to you, my little strides struggling to meet yours.

I don't remember what animals we saw, but I do remember right before we went to the wolves exhibit, we were at the cougars. My face was pressed up against the glass and the cougar - her name was Sage - was sunbathing right in front of it.

She was looking straight at me and I remember admiring her pearly green eyes. They looked like the murky ocean. Her muscles were lean and taught as she stretched and kept her smooth gaze on me. I was busy getting lost in her unique pupils when Sage opened her mouth, baring long, sharp, white teeth at me. Scared, I shrieked and tumbled back.

You laughed. "That's enough of the cougars. Let's go see your wolves."

I felt excited, a bubbly type of excitement that you only feel when you are in the zoo on a hot summer day about to see your favorite animal with your favorite person while high on sugar.

When we arrived at the area where the wolves normally were, I was disheartened when I saw the sign that read: Sorry! The wolves exhibit will be under construction until November.

I almost cried. I was extremely upset. But I bit back the tears and gave you a big toothy grin.

"It's ok Stanley! We can see them another time!" I exclaimed.

You ruffled my hair, looking more disappointed than me. You always could tell whenever I was upset, not matter how well I masked it. "I'm sorry kid. I know how much you wanted to see them." Then your face lit up and I knew you had thought of a mischievous idea.

You got on all fours and started doing your best impression of a prowl.

I giggled, disappointment replaced by fascination. "What are you doing Stanley?"

You opened her mouth and howled, throwing your head back like a wolf. People passing by gave weird glances over and you prowled back and forth in front of me, snarling.

I laughed, unable to help myself. "Stanley!"

You howled louder, and I was too busy laughing to care that people were beginning to surround us, taking videos and pictures. You attempted at doing an agile leap, but it ended up being a combination of clunky and awkward movements.

"What's the weirdo doing?" I heard someone mutter behind me.

I was rolling on the hot ground with laughter. Maybe it was a mixture of the heat and the sugar and the love for you that lead to me finding the situation very funny.

The zoo-staff however, did not find it amusing. Pretty soon after a crowd had formed around the 8th grade boy doing a very bad impersonation of a wolf, security was there, escorting us out. The two of us were busy hooting and gasping for air to actually care though.

Stanley, you used to go to any extents to get a smile on my face. Your craziness and absurdity was mind-blowing but addicting.

You were like a drug, Stanley. We knew you were bad for us with your deceiving charms and insane actions, but we couldn't stop ourselves from getting addicted.