Monkey Trouble

Watercolor illustration of Grandfather, a kind elderly man with spectacles perched on his nose and wearing a crisp white dhoti, purchasing a small, mischievous-looking monkey, Tutu, from a weary-looking street performer with two other bored monkeys. The scene takes place on a bustling Indian street bathed in the golden light of late afternoon. Rich, warm shadows stretch long across the dusty ground. Colorful fabrics (silks, cottons, and handloom), overflowing baskets of spices (turmeric, chili, coriander), and earthenware pots are on display. The air is thick with the aroma of cardamom and roasted nuts. Grandfather’s expression is one of gentle amusement, while the street performer looks resigned. Tutu’s eyes gleam with playful cunning. Consistent watercolor style with soft blending and natural flow.

Grandfather bought Tutu from a street performer for ten rupees. The man had three monkeys. Tutu was the smallest, but the naughtiest. She was usually tied up. The little monkey looked so sad with a collar and chain that Grandfather thought she would be much happier at our house. Grandfather loved having unusual pets. It was something I, who was eight or nine, always wanted him to do.

Watercolor illustration of Grandmother, a stern but loving woman in a vibrant red and gold silk sari, standing inside her traditional Indian home with a concerned expression etched on her face. Light streams through a latticed window, casting intricate shadows on the worn wooden floor. Grandfather is happily holding Tutu the monkey, who is reaching for Grandmother’s jewelry. A white goat chews contentedly in a corner, white mice scurry in a bamboo cage, and a painted clay turtle sits motionless near the doorway. The color palette leans towards warm browns, reds, and golds, creating a feeling of comfortable domesticity, tinged with a hint of apprehension. The textures of the sari, the wooden floor, and the animal fur should be subtly evident. Consistent watercolor style with soft blending and natural flow.

Grandmother didn’t want a monkey in the house at first. ‘You already have lots of pets,’ she said, talking about Grandfather’s goat, some white mice, and a little turtle.

‘But I don’t have any,’ I said.

‘You’re naughty enough for two monkeys. One boy in this house is all I can handle.’

‘But Tutu isn’t a boy,’ Grandfather said happily. ‘She’s a little girl monkey!’

Grandmother agreed. She always wanted a little girl in the house. She thought girls caused less trouble than boys. Tutu would show her she was wrong.

She was a cute little monkey. Her bright eyes sparkled with mischief under her eyebrows. And her teeth, which were white like pearls, showed when she grinned, which scared Aunt Ruby, who was already jumpy because of Grandfather’s pet snake. But this was my grandparents’ house, so aunts and uncles had to deal with our pets.

Watercolor illustration of Tutu, the small monkey with wrinkled hands and bright, intelligent eyes, shaking hands (or rather, paw-shaking) with a grumpy, elderly Major Malik. The setting is a cozy living room with traditional Indian decor - ornate wooden furniture, faded floral wallpaper, and framed portraits of past generations. Sunlight filters through sheer curtains, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Major Malik is stiff and unimpressed, his military posture contrasting sharply with Tutu’s playful energy. Tutu’s grip is surprisingly firm. The color palette is muted and nostalgic, with hints of olive green, faded rose, and mahogany brown. Emphasize the textures of the old furniture and the soft fabric of the curtains. Consistent watercolor style with soft blending and natural flow.

Tutu’s hands looked old and wrinkled, like they had been left in the sun for a long time. One of the first things I taught her was to shake hands, and she wanted to shake hands with everyone who visited. Grumpy Major Malik had to bend down and shake Tutu’s hand before he could go into the living room, or else Tutu would climb on his shoulder and mess up his hair and play with his mustache.

Uncle Benji hated all our pets and especially didn’t like Tutu, who was always making funny faces at him. But Uncle Benji didn’t keep a job for very long, so he depended on Grandfather being nice to him. He had to shake hands with Tutu, like everyone else.

Tutu’s fingers were quick and sneaky. And her tail made her look good (Grandfather thought a tail made anyone look good!), and it also worked like a third hand. She could hang from a branch with it, and she could use it to grab any yummy treat that was too far away for her hands.

Watercolor illustration of Tutu sitting precariously on the back of a white goat in a lush, green Indian backyard. The scene is bathed in the bright, dappled sunlight of midday. The goat is calmly grazing on vibrant green grass, while Tutu looks mischievously at the viewer with a glint in her eye. Frangipani trees bloom in the background, their fragrant blossoms adding splashes of white and yellow to the scene. The air hums with the sound of crickets. Use a bright and cheerful color palette to convey a sense of playful energy. The textures of the goat’s shaggy fur and the lush foliage should be realistically rendered. Consistent watercolor style with soft blending and natural flow.

Still, Grandmother didn’t want Tutu running around the house all the time. Tutu had to spend her nights in the shed outside, with the goat. They got along well, and soon Tutu was sitting on the goat’s back while the goat walked around the backyard looking for grass.

Watercolor illustration of Grandfather and the young narrator on a crowded Indian train, with Tutu peeking mischievously out of a worn black travel bag placed on the floor. Harsh sunlight streams through the open windows, casting strong shadows across the dusty interior. Other passengers are looking curiously at the bag with expressions ranging from amusement to annoyance. The scene captures the interior of an Indian train carriage - worn leather seats, overhead luggage racks, and chattering passengers. The air is thick with the smell of chai and spices. The color palette is dominated by browns, yellows, and muted reds, reflecting the age and wear of the train carriage. Grandfather smiles reassuringly at a concerned passenger. The narrator hides a grin. Consistent watercolor style with soft blending and natural flow.

One day Grandfather had to go to Meerut to get his money from his retirement, and he decided to take Tutu and me with him so we wouldn’t get into trouble, he said. To keep Tutu from running around on the train and bothering people, she had a big black travel bag. We put some straw at the bottom, and it became her special place.

Grandfather and I paid for our tickets, and we took Tutu along as our carry-on bag.

Tutu had enough space to peek out of the bag sometimes and eat bananas and cookies, but she couldn’t reach her hands through the opening, and the bag was too strong for her to bite through.

Tutu trying to get out just made the bag roll around on the floor or sometimes jump up in the air. This made a lot of people curious and they gathered around at the train stations in Dehra and Meerut.

Watercolor illustration of Tutu taking a bath in a large, steaming bowl of hot water near a crackling kitchen fire. The scene is illuminated by the warm glow of the flames. She is reluctantly using Aunt Ruby’s expensive lavender-scented shampoo, which is producing an enormous quantity of bubbles. Tutu looks upset and indignant because someone (likely the young narrator) is laughing at her from behind the doorway. The kitchen is rustic and cluttered, with copper pots hanging from the walls and spices drying on a windowsill. The color palette is warm and inviting, with shades of orange, yellow, and brown dominating the scene. Emphasize the textures of the bubbly water, the crackling fire, and the rough clay walls. Consistent watercolor style with soft blending and natural flow.

Winters in North India can be very cold. Tutu loved when Grandfather gave her a big bowl of hot water for a bath in the evenings. Tutu would carefully test the water with her hand, then slowly step into the bath, one foot and then the other (like she saw me doing) until she was in the water up to her neck.

When she was comfortable, she would take the soap in her hands or feet and rub herself all over. When the water got cold, she would get out and run as fast as she could to the kitchen fire to dry herself. If anyone laughed at her while she was doing this, Tutu would get upset and wouldn’t finish her bath.

Watercolor illustration of a chaotic scene in a busy Indian market. The scene is flooded with the bright, diffused light of midday. Tutu is running away with a shimmering pearl necklace wrapped around her neck, pursued by the panicked jeweler, a young boy (the narrator) with tousled hair and a determined expression, the portly and flustered Rocky Fernandes, and a growing crowd of curious onlookers. There are overturned fruit stands, with oranges and mangoes rolling across the cobblestone street, and scattering people. Chickens squawk and flap their wings. The air is alive with the sounds of shouting and laughter. The color palette is vibrant and chaotic, reflecting the energy of the market scene. Emphasize the textures of the cobblestones, the fruit, and the clothing of the crowd. Consistent watercolor style with soft blending and natural flow.

One day I heard them talking about going to the market to buy an engagement ring. I decided I would go with them. But Aunt Ruby didn’t want me around, so I decided I would follow them secretly.

Tutu knew something important was happening, so she decided to follow me. But I didn’t ask her to come, so she also decided to stay hidden.

When we got to the busy market, I got close to Aunt Ruby and Rocky without them seeing me. I waited until they were sitting in a jewelry store before I walked by and saw them, like it was an accident. Aunt Ruby wasn’t happy to see me, but Rocky waved and said, ‘Come join us! Help your aunt pick out a beautiful ring!’

Watercolor illustration of Tutu sitting triumphantly at the very top of a lush, green jackfruit tree in a sun-drenched orchard. The scene is bathed in the warm light of a late afternoon. She is playfully throwing pieces of white wedding cake and handfuls of colorful confetti down at the disgruntled Uncle Benji and the sputtering Major Malik below, who are both covered in sugary frosting and paper scraps. The orchard is filled with the sweet scent of ripening jackfruit. Use a cheerful and playful color palette to convey a sense of mischievous fun. The textures of the jackfruit, the cake, and the confetti should be clearly rendered. Consistent watercolor style with soft blending and natural flow.

The big day came, and the wedding guests went to the little church outside of Dehra—a town with a church, two mosques, and some temples.

I wanted to dress Tutu up as a bridesmaid and bring her along, but no one except Grandfather thought it was a good idea. So I was a good boy and locked Tutu in the shed. But I left the skylight open a little. Grandmother always said fresh air was good for kids, and I thought Tutu should have some too.

The wedding went perfectly. Aunt Ruby looked beautiful, and Rocky looked like a movie star.

Grandfather played the organ very loudly, so the choir could barely be heard. Grandmother cried a little. I sat quietly in a corner with the little turtle on my lap.

When the service was over, we walked out into the sunshine and went back to the house for the party.

The food was on tables in the garden. The gardener was in charge, so everything was perfect. Tutu was behaving herself. She had used the skylight to get some fresh air outside, and now she was sitting next to the wedding cake, protecting it from crows, squirrels, and the goat. She greeted the guests with happy squeals.

It was too much for Aunt Ruby. She got angry and ran at Tutu. Tutu knew she wasn’t welcome, so she jumped away, taking the top layer of the wedding cake with her.

Major Malik led us into the orchard, where we found Tutu at the top of the jackfruit tree. She started throwing pieces of wedding cake at us. She also got a bag of confetti and showered us with it when she ran out of cake.

‘That’s more like it!’ said Rocky. ‘Now let’s go back to the party, everyone!’

Uncle Benji and Major Malik stayed behind to chase Tutu away. He kept throwing stones at the tree until he got a big piece of cake right on his nose.

He grumbled and went back to the party, leaving the major to fight Tutu.

Watercolor illustration of Aunt Ruby, dressed in a radiant, shimmering wedding sari of deep sapphire blue, and Rocky Fernandes waving goodbye with happy tears in their eyes from the back seat of a vintage, open-topped car. The car is decorated with flowers and ribbons. Tutu is clinging to the back bumper of the car, showering them with a final flurry of confetti. Grandfather, Grandmother, and the young narrator are waving goodbye from the sun-drenched porch of their home. The golden light of the setting sun casts long, warm shadows across the scene. The color palette is rich and celebratory, with blues, golds, and reds dominating the scene. Capture the joy and bittersweet emotions of the moment. Consistent watercolor style with soft blending and natural flow.

When the party was over, Uncle Benji drove the old car out of the garage and up to the porch steps. He was going to drive Aunt Ruby and Rocky to the nearby mountains for their honeymoon.

Aunt Ruby got into the back seat while her family and friends watched. She waved to everyone. She leaned out the window and let me kiss her goodbye. Everyone wished them good luck.

As Rocky started to sing, Uncle Benji pushed down the gas pedal. The car shot forward in a cloud of dust.

Rocky and Aunt Ruby kept waving to us. And so did Tutu, from her perch on the back bumper! She was holding a bag and showering confetti on everyone in the driveway.

‘They don’t know Tutu’s with them!’ I said. ‘She’ll go all the way to the mountains! Will Aunt Ruby let her stay with them?’

‘Tutu might ruin the honeymoon,’ said Grandfather. ‘But don’t worry—our Benji will bring her back!’

←

Munna's Three Rabbits

Monkey and Wedge

→