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Tropical Writers at
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Monthly Prizes donated by
Collins Booksellers, Smithfield.
www.CollinsBooks.com.au
Winner for June 2016 Tiny Shorts
Hazel Menehira
Topic - The elephant and the Zoo Keeper.
Samuel was a zoo man extraordinaire. Ungainly and exceptionally strong, the pockets
of his Brendon Heights Zoo dungarees bulged with bits of metal. Bolts, screws, nuts,
nails, and a motley assortment of small tools lived on him.
As both a youngster and teen Samuel walked the zoo beside his handy man father. He
gained knowledge, practical skills and know- how by osmosis. When his aged father
was rest-homed Samuel inherited the zoo position. Advice drummed into him for years
was repeated on rest home visits.
“Samuel. You let them eddicated vets and keepers deal with them animals. It don’
mean ya don' care about chimps, lions and elephants. Cos ya do...and ya show it
because ya keep em safe inside. ”
“There’s new trainee keepers,” said Samuel.
“Huh. Trainees come and go boy...their job is the animals ... yours is keeping the whole
zoo secure... running like a new Ford. Check everything.”
At the opening ceremony of the 2016
Festival, the Major Prize for the Tiny
Shorts competition will be awarded.
He checked and double checked enclosures, cages, locks, chains, barriers, doors,
machinery, but never sacrificed time to engage with animals or staff. Calm and capable
he only conversed in the staff cafeteria when approached to fix or mend a problem.
The Major Prize has been donated by
Thala Beach Nature Reserve in Port
Douglas. Web site
The day he found himself bent over the cafeteria grill his life changed direction. Across
the appliance his blue eyes locked into the questioning stare of two soft brown ones, He
found it hard to concentrate. Something new rippled deep inside him. He thought he
would explode as he fumbled in his pockets under her gaze, but all the bits of metal in
the world could not protect him. After 43 years Samuel was falling in love.
www.ThalaBeach.com.au
Read more about the competition at
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Cafeteria empty, the small quiet woman with grey curls made him coffee.
“Nari. I’m Nari. Thanks for fixing,” she said.
“Oh, Going good now.” he responded. Then after a pause. “ Samuel,” he offered
departing.
Read more about the Cairns Tropical
Writers Festival 2016 at
Hazel Menehira (left) receiving the Collins Monthly prize for her
winning entry in “Tiny Shorts” for June 2016 from
Tropical Writers Treasurer, Robyn Kienzle.
ww.CairnsTropicalWritersFestival.com
Resuming work he wondered all day if he should have offered his hand.
He was drawn to prolong his coffee breaks to watch her absorbed in kitchen tasks. They
passed few words until he discovered Nari spent all her free time by the elephant
enclosure and he began to join her there on a regular basis.
“Samuel. I love elephants. Make me happy. ..Remind me of young days in Vietnam
village before life in new country. Elephants here same as me...not free but cared for.”
Gradually Nari confided in Samuel that she was a widow living with her cousins.
“They good people –they protect, care for me but I not free... only here at work
Samuel”
He wanted to cuddle and carry her home with him. But how to express himself?
Always practical he found a perfect birthday gift for Nari and set it on her veranda.
Within hours his phone rang.
“Samuel...Samuel ...the big coloured elephant. Family very upset. He is Hindu
Ganesha. God of new beginnings. My family not Hindu. They say come collect him
please- put on your lawn. Oh I love you Samuel so you collect me too please.”