The Chunky Monkey

I like to post on the people with whom I come into contact, even the babies. At the children's home in India I was greatly entertained and amused at the headmaster's baby son. I don't think I ever knew the baby's name, nor would I likely been able to pronounce it, but simply called him " the chunky monkey". The kids always enjoyed the nicknames I gave them when I was there. I had to because I couldn't pronounce many of their names.

Chunky monkey was a big hit at the home as he was the only baby. He had many surrogate mothers and every girl in that home would take turns caring for him. He was quite a hit.

So many times I would see that baby glued to the hip of a young girl as she paraded him around the compound. And chunky monkey lapped up all the attention. He actually turned into quite a camera ham!

Do you want to see the chunky monkey dance? Well of course you do!

Yeah he was quite a hit!

The older girl holding him was the overseer of a section of that particular girl's barracks (if that's what it's called). All the girls are in one giant room stacked with bunk beds. The older girls had the responsibility of looking after a portion of the younger ones.

Without much adult supervision, the older girls in the barracks really acted as a surrogate mother to many of the kids. Yeah, to an extent it is kids raising kids, as I posted here:

https://www.kirkstravelstories.com/post/children-raising-children

This particular girl was about 17 at the time. The children "age out" at 18 so she was in her last year here. After that, life can be difficult, especially for a girl. While there, they enjoy free food, education , and accommodations. That's why an English speaking education is so important to them. It gives them an advantage to compete for what jobs are available in rural India. But most will likely need to move to a big city to land a job that can support themselves.

But for now their lives are secure. The saddest part, to me, was the lack of a parental leadership in their lives. One of the biggest thrills for me being there, is the incredible amount of attention I would receive. They all called me "Papa" and vied for attention, it's always nice to feel wanted and needed. I tried to reciprocate as much as possible, but with so many children it's hard to make some feel special without making others feel neglected.

But Chunky Monkey provided a welcome relief for the children. It gave them the ability to offer the nurturing spirit they lacked in their lives. An outlet for their emotional strain.

This is a forgotten corner of the world in the far northeast of India. Few travelers go here. It's tribal rule as many rural areas are. And the laws we are used to don't apply. I have a future post in draft I will share to expound on this. It will blow your mind.

But for now, enjoy the Chunky Monkey!: