The macaque troop is arriving tomorrow. I’m so glad that their exhibit is well and truly ready, both inside and out, moat full to the right level. I just keep on going out there and staring at it, which isn’t getting boring even though it ought to. It will be even more amazing once it contains a lively macaque troop. Once the animals are in place, we’ll be able to set in motion the rest of the timeline for opening. I don’t want to put too many expectations on us, that we won’t be able to keep. Eventually, I got up from outside the macaque exhibit and walked back inside the house, where Mum was preparing a simple dinner of salad wraps to eat on the back deck.
“Is everything all alright for tomorrow?” she checked.
“I think we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.”
Mum handed me one of the plates of dinner. I thanked her for it, then we ambled out onto the back deck. As the sun set, the anticipation ate at me like I munched on my food. Finally, though, I smiled, ready for the challenge.
Jumilah Fioray is a recent high school graduate from lutruwita, Tasmania. Her parents, Catherine and Adriano Fioray, met at the University of Melbourne in the 1990s and returned to Hobart after finishing their degrees, where they raised their daughter and worked in agriculture. Jumilah's passion for conservation reflects her grandparents' work running a sanctuary in Sumatra.
Abbey Sim is the founder of Huldah Media. She is a creative writing, law and theology student who lives on the lands of the Dharug people in Sydney, Australia. Abbey has long had a passion for the weird and the wonderful of stories, sport and zoo animals. 'From the Wild' is her first anthology.