Bongo's Friendship

407 Words2 Pages
The Friendship of a Lifetime In the book I Am a Magical Teenage Princess, Luke Geddes brilliantly writes the tale of Bongo, a once renowned ape. At 3 months old, Bongo was taken from the Liberian jungle to entertain in a second rate circus without hope of being recognized for his genuine talent. Everything changed once Bongo was purchased by Jon, an up-and-coming actor and movie producer, for his TV series concept. Jon’s show “Bongo the Space Ape” became incredibly successful, and soon magazine covers, cigarette cartons and various merchandise all featured Bongo’s comical grinning face. Private jets, filet mignon, and meeting famous celebrities accompanied Jon and Bongo’s sudden stardom. But, fast forward 50 years and Bongo is forgotten…show more content…
Trained apes were passé. Most other animal actors were sold to research and cosmetics companies. Society’s demands and wishes are unpredictable; fame is fleeting. Despite adversity, Bongo and Jon shared an authentic, lasting bond that made their roller-coaster ride worthwhile. Having spent greater than 5 decades together, their bodies and minds decaying, they now face death. Struggling, Bongo suffers the ravages and deprivation of diabetes while Jon ignores his bloody cough, hoping it resolves. Priceless and longstanding, their friendship not only survives, but thrives amidst their poverty and pathos. The beginning of Bongo’s life story parallels that of Native Americans in our country. Circus workers pulled him out of his natural habitat forcing him to adopt a “human” lifestyle and dream “human” dreams. In the same way, Europeans settled and forced Native Americans to adopt English culture, including language, clothing, commerce, etc., or perish. Misguided humans forced Bongo to depend on humans, ensuring that he could never be released back into the wild. Indians were robbed of their livelihood, never able to return to their rich traditions. Unfair advantage was taken s and the death in culture can be equally blamed on the settlers and the circus
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