Tiger & Kangaroo

a short story of Tiger and Kangaroo.

TIGER & KANGAROO

 

It was wintertime; the air twirling around was chilly and frozen, invading your bones and freezing them. It became dark very early. This was a happy time for the children because of the school holidays, which meant the arrival of the circus. For every child, a circus is the epitome of happiness. The story is different when things are seen from the inside of a circus world.

Circus Redickuless was in town, as they were every year. As early as May one could see the big trucks transporting the equipment, animals, staff, and other attractions. The major attractions were the variety of animals they brought with them; ranging from exotic animals like tigers to unimaginable ones like penguins and koalas.

Tiger and Kangaroo were two of the animals whose daily purpose was to perform acts and tricks in front of the public. Children were amused by what their eyes saw inside this magic world. It was not a particularly dignified life.

For Tiger, who was fast approaching old age, the demanding routines were taking a toll on his health and also affecting his sanity. Plenty of times he had seen other tigers die of starvation and wounds sustained while attempting the dangerous tricks. He was the only one left of his species. The organizers of the circus had put him as the main attraction once a week, for everyone to see; the last remaining Bengal white tiger who, despite fighting against his health, could still jump trough the ring of fire. The public loved Tiger’s act, kids absolutely adored Tiger.

At the end of the stable, Kangaroo could be found: a timid shy shadow, a brown kangaroo, still a young adult, who could not imagine himself doing anything else but bringing a smile to the public’s face. Kangaroo believed the public deserved value for their money, and his daily act, consisting of jumping hurdles and kicking basketballs, was sacred to him. The life inside the circus, with its good and bad moments, was what Kangaroo had known all his life. He had been born in that very same circus, where his parents had died years ago due to old age.

One night fire broke out in one of the animal’s stables. In a matter of minutes, the fire had expanded. Pandemonium reigned. Animals were screaming to get out of their cages. The staff members however were running to save their lives, without thinking for a second about the caged animals.

Kangaroo’s cage landed on the floor, the lock broken. The fire was nearing, so he pushed the door and ran for his life. While running he passed Tiger’s cage. It was already surrounded by flames.

“Please help me escape! Open the door and let me free or else I will burn and die!” Tiger yelled at Kangaroo.

Kangaroo did not know what to do. His instinct warned him that Tiger’s nature was to attack and kill.

“How can I be sure that you won’t kill me and eat me once I open the door?” Kangaroo asked. “Your instinct is to be aggressive.”  

“Please, I promise, if you let me free, I will help you flee and will protect you. Please open the cage right now! I can’t handle the fire anymore!”

Tiger was very aware that Kangaroo was timid and very insecure. He knew Kangaroo would not survive on his own.

Kangaroo realised he had to do something right away, the flames were all around them, and even though his instinct told him not to do so, he grabbed the key on top of the cage and opened Tiger’s cage to set him free. Kangaroo ran away the moment the cage opened. He was terrified that Tiger would eat him.

Tiger jumped so high that he landed in front of Kangaroo. Kangaroo panicked, he could feel his heart beating so fast that it almost jumped out of his chest. He struggled to control his nerves; he was on the brink of screaming.

“Thank you!” Tiger said, and started walking as if he knew where to go. All he could think of was reaching the forest where he would be free and have a new life.

Kangaroo anxiously asked: “What do I do now? Where do I go from here?”

“Just follow me,” Tiger replied. “I’ve promised to help and protect you and I will now honour that promise. You saved me from burning to death. Come with me. You need me and you know it.”  

Together they embarked on their search for the jungle, hoping to find a new home and start a new life. Behind them lay a life of slavery and the burned remains of the many animals that had died in that tragic fire.

They walked and walked for hours until they finally reached the jungle, where they wondered around, not sure which direction to take. At times they found themselves walking in circles. When sunset descended, they were both starving and thirsty.

They stopped by a small fountain. Tiger started to drink water unstoppably. Kangaroo hesitated, not sure whether it was safe to kneel down next to Tiger and also start drinking.

“Drink by my side,” Tiger invited. “You must be thirsty by now. We both need our strength to find food.”

“Yes, I will do so,” Kangaroo replied, although tentatively. He bent down next to Tiger and while looking at their reflection in the water, saw the striking differences between themselves.

After drinking and resting, they realized that they needed to eat.

“There has to be grass somewhere around this jungle for me to eat,” Kangaroo thought aloud.

“I need meat; I won’t be able to function properly without food and I am already starting to feel tired and weak,” Tiger said.

“How can I get you meat?” asked Kangaroo

“You can’t. I have to get it myself.”

With a stroke of luck, two wild pigs appeared under a tree. Tiger went after them as fast as he could. The skinny one managed to escape, but Tiger’s canines inflicted a severe and fatal wound to the neck of the fat one, causing its instant death.

Kangaroo saw the whole hunting scene and was surprised that Tiger could end, with such ease, another breathing life. He would have liked to imagine Tiger also getting used to eating grass, but that was naivety on the part of Kangaroo. Tiger was already devouring the wild pig and the blood on Tiger’s face was the only reminder that the pig had once existed.

It was becoming night already; the precious full moon in the clear sky provided a beam of light for Tiger and Kangaroo. Both being fed, they decided to pass the night under a tree and continue their march into the forest the next morning.

The next day, they walked for hours, endlessly, feeling optimistic about finding proper shelter. However, bad fortune struck.

“I have a problem; I am not able to continue this walk anymore.”

“What’s the matter?” asked Tiger

“My legs are sore, very sore”, Kangaroo said. His legs were swollen, as a result of the distance they had travelled already. He was not used to such physical strain. In the circus, Kangaroo used to spend many hours inside his cage without any sort of physical movement.

Tiger looked at Kangaroo’s legs, nodding in agreement. “It looks bad, if not terrible,” he said. Tiger himself was nursing an ankle injury sustained during one of the circus practices.

Aware of the dangers it would represent if they stopped and rested for a while and didn’t continue their march to find a safe place, Tiger made the decision that stopping was not an option. Tiger was driven by the vision of himself being free without any boundaries. Any other outcome would be a failure. They simply had to continue or they would be left in the dust.

“Get on my back! I will carry you until we find shelter for tonight,” Tiger said.

Those words sounded like rain drops in a desert. Totally inexplicable. Kangaroo never imagined that such a confident and determined Tiger could even be caring towards him. Tiger’s pursuit of freedom and fear of failure was more important than anything else. Kangaroo thought anyone in Tiger’s position would have left Kangaroo behind, instead of putting his dream at risk.

They continued their march, Kangaroo being carried on Tiger’s back. Tiger was moving forward but his pace was abysmally reduced. Each step felt one step too many.

There was still no sign of shelter and sunset was again approaching. The wind was no longer the only sound that could be heard; there was an echo in the air, a familiar sound, almost like the jeering laughter of the clowns in the circus. However, in the jungle that laughter represented imminent danger.

A pack of hyenas intercepted Tiger and Kangaroo. There were four hyenas, dark on the outside as well as the inside. They wanted to isolate Kangaroo, as they had noticed the timid kangaroo being carried by the tiger. Tiger, however, would not let the hyenas get close to Kangaroo. Knowing that Kangaroo was too weak to even try to run, Tiger told Kangaroo to hold tight onto him. Tiger, full of bravery and with determination in his eyes, jumped over the leader of the pack and landed safely in a bushy spot where he instructed Kangaroo to let go and hide under the bush. Kangaroo obliged. Tiger, still feeling severe pain in his ankle, then went after the hyenas, growling at the top of his lungs and bearing his sharp and dangerous canines; allowing the hyenas to understand that he intended to hurt them. The hyenas, typical scavengers that they are, realised that their best tactic would be to retreat and leave Tiger and Kangaroo alone.

The darkness of the night fell upon the jungle. Its nocturnal melody was everywhere to be heard. Tiger found a cave that they could sleep in. He gently lifted Kangaroo by the neck with his teeth and carried him to the cave. Tiger also gathered tree leaves and soft grass to make a bed for Kangaroo to sleep on.

“Thank you for saving my life today. Why are you helping me?” asked Kangaroo.

“Because I gave you my word. You provided me with a new reason to live the moment you opened my cage in the middle of the fire. You took me out of my misery,” said Tiger.

“I feel too weak to continue this path with you. You should rather let me stay here and find freedom on your own,” said Kangaroo.

“I am not going anywhere without you. I care about you; the same way you care about me,” said Tiger, while looking tenderly into Kangaroo’s eyes.  

Kangaroo fell asleep first, and then Tiger. Kangaroo’s head rested on Tiger’s back the entire night. It felt natural and intense at the same time.

Three days later, and after many miles travelled by Tiger and Kangaroo, they finally found a place in the jungle where they could have shelter and water close by. They inspected the area for possible dangers. There were none. Tiger felt this was the paradise he had always dreamt of. The sun was shining brightly above, a flowing river was nearby with plenty of fish, and he could hunt for other food, should he get tired of fish. Kangaroo could not be happier as well, as this place provided him with grass for food and plenty of water. They both decided to settle there together, in their own private space, almost like in the circus, but without the rusty barriers of the cages that stopped them from being free. A world where being yourself was the only act to perform.

More days passed. Tiger’s frustration started to grow as his dream also included being surrounded by other tigers, all living in perfect harmony. But there were no signs of other tigers in the area.

One evening Kangaroo returned to the shelter and found Tiger sad, lying under the tree.

“What’s the matter, Tiger? Why are you sad?” asked Kangaroo.

Tiger did not reply.

“How can I bring a smile to your face, Tiger?” asked Kangaroo.

Without any warning Tiger jumped towards Kangaroo, growling loudly, and threw Kangaroo to the floor with his strong paw. Kangaroo lay on the floor, trembling, looking at Tiger who was now crawling towards him, his eyes carrying the same fury as when hunting for food.

“Stop, Tiger, please! You’ve promised to protect me and to care for me and not to hurt me!” cried Kangaroo.

Tiger stood right in front of Kangaroo, looking at him down on the floor, then took a breath and jumped back while growling as loud as he could.

“Get up! I am sorry!” said Tiger.

“Why are you behaving like this, Tiger? What have I done wrong?” asked Kangaroo.

“It is my instinct,” Tiger said.

“What do you mean?”

“My instinct is to kill. It’s my true nature, to deceive my prey, to fool it, to make it believe what it wants to hear,” said Tiger.

Kangaroo got up nervously. “Do you want to hurt me? Am I now your prey?”  

“I care about you, I really do, even if you do not believe me. At the same time, I can’t hide my nature from you anymore. Still, I owe you much,” said Tiger.

“You owe me nothing. You’re all I have in life now. I do not want to lose you, Tiger. What can I do to bring a smile to your face again? Whatever it is, tell me and I will do it. No matter what it is.”

“You can’t give what you don’t have,” said Tiger.

“What do you mean?” said Kangaroo.

“I need to be my true self and I cannot be that around you. You are special to me but my instinct puts you at risk,” said Tiger.

“But I am your family now.”

Tiger did not respond to Kangaroo’s remark. Kangaroo looked at the sky as if expecting the forces of nature to give him an answer.

“I have an idea!” Kangaroo suddenly exclaimed. “Perhaps there is another side of the jungle. Let’s explore it together, maybe we can find what you are really looking for. Maybe that can bring a smile back to your face.”

As tempted as Tiger was by Kangaroo’s idea, he knew deep inside that he was most probably the last of his species, that there were no more tigers in that jungle.

As days went by Tiger became more distant towards Kangaroo, knowing he could not offer Kangaroo an honest friendship without his instincts lurking in the background, always threatening to hurt Kangaroo.

Kangaroo noticed the change in Tiger’s mood; the moments of closeness and sharing were getting fewer day by day. At first Kangaroo did not know what to do to change things for the better. Until one day.

“Tiger, I am going to put the smile back on your face. I want you to eat me, please,” said Kangaroo.

“What on earth are you saying? Have you lost your mind!” shouted Tiger.

“Your problems and frustrations will all be gone once you have eaten me. Your face will smile again, you’ll see. You won’t carry the guilt anymore of not being trustworthy. You can be yourself again,” Kangaroo explained.

“No! No! No!” Tiger sighed and wanted to walk away.

“My mouth speaks the truth. The truth that comes from the heart of the one that gave you a chance to have freedom in life. The truth that comes from the one who got to see the real you. The truth that comes from the one who would do anything for you to smile again. Long ago, I decided to trust you the same way you trust me. It is you Tiger who can’t trust himself anymore,” said Kangaroo.

“I am not going to hurt you. I care deeply about you and will honour my promise to protect you. Kangaroo, please forgive me my mistakes. Do not take it personally. It is not you, it is me,” said Tiger.

“Of course it is me! You are now dishonest with me, do not tell me lies,” said Kangaroo.

“Believe what you must believe”, said Tiger. “What do you want from me anyway?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know.” Kangaroo was close to tears. “What more can I ask of you, my dear Tiger, when you have given me so much already? All I ever wanted was to bring a smile to your face,” said Kangaroo.

For a few more days Tiger and Kangaroo spent time together, the closeness, believed to be gone, magically returned; the intensity of their interaction was the highest ever. It was sublime. They were no longer two separate creatures but one harmonious pair, a state of mind only possible to achieve when the loving forces of nature are working in your favour.

Nothing lasts forever though. One morning, just after sunrise, Kangaroo returned to the shelter after setting up a net in the river to catch fish for Tiger. He was met by a heavy sadness in the air, as if all the gravity of the world was collapsing upon him.

Standing in front of Tiger, seeing the faraway look in his eyes, a cold shiver invaded Kangaroo’s body as if he knew what was going to happen.

“I am leaving you. I love you enough to do the right thing and that is to protect you, my dear Kangaroo,” said Tiger.

“No! Do not leave me, please! Can we try to sort this out? I need you!”

“I have to go! I really have to go, now!” Tiger said.

With those words Tiger threw his loudest growl up into the air. Defeated he turned around and stepped into the deep green forest without once looking back at Kangaroo, carrying nothing but tearful eyes and a tormented heart. Kangaroo just stood there, startled, feeling as sad and empty as the black stripes crying down Tiger’s white skin.

Kangaroo never saw Tiger again.

 

 

-THE END-

 by Daniel Veliz

Reviews

[OBWhiteHawk]

Wow this is deep and so very sad, it shows how those creatures from different worlds can love, care, and nurture one another, and then how quickly that can all change........ the air can change, and so can our hearts and minds.
A great write, and welcome to WC!