Taronga Zoo runs a series of so-called "animal encounters" for its members. They send us a quarterly zoo magazine inviting us to apply for tickets. I bought Darren a chimpanzee experience as one of his birthday presents, though with hindsight I could have left him alone in the flat with Ella for a few hours to pretty much the same effect.
"Bedtime for Chimps" happens at 4.45pm. The zoo closes at 5pm. They won't allow children under 12 into the chimp enclosure so Ella and I got turfed out by the management right on cue (through the shop; today's haul, a giraffe). The sky was threatening, Ella was whingeing. We had no petrol.
"I'll see you in twenty minutes".
My mobile phone rang. The skies opened, loud claps of thunder and the sort of rain that leads you to understand why the kerbstones in Australia are three times the size of the ones at home.
"This is going to go on longer than we thought. I don't think I'll be out before 6pm".
So Ella and I spent 1 hour 15 minutes sitting in the car, watching the windows steam up, unable to put the air conditioning on because I was worried about the petrol tank running totally flat.
"Sing it" commands Ella over and over again. She says it in the tone of voice that suggests her next line is going to be "or the puppy gets it". I can assure you that the cure for a hangover is not being forced to sing "Incy Wincy Spider" for a whole hour.
Is one person's pleasure worth the other one's pain?
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