Legato

Legato was our monkey. She wasn’t actually ours, but belonged to a local restaurant owner who let us babysit her for the 7 weeks we were there. She lived on our balcony and there was a rumour that she was bipolar…

Most of the time she was cute as a button. Still a baby and SO affectionate, her name in Nias language meant “leech” – not quite so cute but she did attach herself to you with incredible force for such a wee thing. She responded well when you picked at her fur, going into an almost trance like state which usually ended up in sleepy time for a while. And that was the CUTEST thing (Jade: ”So cute I could punch her in the face” – these Americans are violent!). Until she woke up and peed… I was a particular favourite for toilet time it seemed, but I think it was because only I really held her long enough to go to sleep and thus wake up on!! I caught on to that particular habit quite quickly.

Gradually she got more confident and bit by bit better at climbing around on stuff. After some adventures in the roof chewing through the electrical wiring we restrained her on the lead a bit so she would stay safe. I found it kinda hard having a wild animal tied up and restricted from doing what it would naturally do anyway but it was the sad truth that it was for her protection. Occasionally (when she had been good!) we would take her for a walk on the beach, which was always fun! She got demanding though, and would freak out every meal time because she wasn’t getting any attention. This really high pitched screaming/hissing noise would start and she seriously looked like a toddler having a temper tantrum. She would jolt like she was having an electric shock. The funniest times would be when she threw herself on her back, sprawled out on the ledge and then fall off landing on her head on the floor!!