The morning sun peeked through the bamboo curtains, painting golden stripes across the old wooden floor of the farmhouse. CUTIS, a playful and curious boy with a knack for turning ordinary days into grand adventures, stretched and yawned. His best friend, a baby monkey with shiny eyes and quick fingers, was already awake, climbing the rafters and swinging from rope to rope with boundless energy.
It was supposed to be an ordinary day. Breakfast would be sweet rice porridge, then helping in the fields, then maybe fishing by the pond in the afternoon. But something felt strange.
CUTIS noticed it first—the hushed whispers of his parents in the kitchen. They weren’t laughing like usual, nor did they call him in to taste the porridge before it was ready. Instead, they spoke quietly, their words sharp but low, as though hiding something.
The baby monkey crept down from the rafters and tugged CUTIS’s sleeve, tilting his head with a questioning “ee-ee” sound. CUTIS nodded. He felt it too. Something was different.
The Departure
By mid-morning, the strangeness deepened. CUTIS’s parents, without their usual morning chatter, dressed in plain clothes instead of their work clothes. They packed a small bag, careful and deliberate, as if they didn’t want to be noticed.
“CUTIS,” his mother said softly, kneeling down to his height. She stroked his hair. “Stay home today. Take care of the baby monkey. Don’t leave the yard.”
His father added nothing, only gave a long, meaningful look that CUTIS didn’t understand. Then, without explanation, they stepped out of the house. Their footsteps faded down the dirt path until the sound was gone, leaving the house eerily silent.
CUTIS blinked. The baby monkey clung to his shoulder, eyes wide and trembling. “Why didn’t they say where they were going?” CUTIS whispered.
The baby monkey chattered nervously, hopping down and running to the door. CUTIS followed, pushing it open just in time to see dust rising in the distance where his parents had walked away.
For the first time in his young life, CUTIS felt something unfamiliar—a heavy mix of confusion and worry.
Questions Without Answers
“They’ll be back soon,” CUTIS said aloud, more to comfort himself than to convince the baby monkey. But the house felt too quiet. The fields beyond the windows, usually filled with his father’s voice calling to the ox or his mother humming while she harvested herbs, now stood silent.
The baby monkey paced the floor, tail twitching. He darted to the shelves where dried fruit was stored, pulling down a jar, then pushed it toward CUTIS as if to say, Eat. Distract yourself.
But CUTIS couldn’t eat. He sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the doorway, his mind buzzing. “What if something’s wrong? Why would they tell us not to leave the yard?”
The baby monkey clambered into his lap and wrapped tiny arms around CUTIS’s chest. Together they sat in silence, the minutes dragging like hours.
Strange Noises
By afternoon, CUTIS’s worry grew sharper. He thought he heard noises outside—a rustling in the bushes, the creak of the old gate. Every sound made him jump. Once, he thought he saw a shadow pass quickly near the fence, but when he ran to look, nothing was there.
The baby monkey climbed onto the roof, scanning the distance with sharp eyes. He screeched suddenly, pointing toward the horizon. CUTIS followed his gaze but saw only heat waves dancing above the dusty path.
“Are they in trouble?” CUTIS muttered. “What if someone took them away?” His imagination filled with wild pictures: thieves, secret missions, even magical creatures from the stories his grandmother used to tell.
The more he thought, the more his chest tightened. The baby monkey returned to his side, pressing a banana into CUTIS’s hand as if insisting he stay strong.
A Bold Decision
By late afternoon, CUTIS couldn’t take it anymore. “We can’t just wait here,” he said firmly, standing up. “If something happened, we have to find them.”
The baby monkey’s ears perked up. He jumped onto CUTIS’s shoulder, ready for the quest. Together they stepped outside the gate, even though his mother’s words still echoed in his mind: Don’t leave the yard.
The path stretched ahead, long and lonely. The trees cast strange shadows as the sun began to dip. Every few steps, CUTIS glanced around nervously, but he kept going. The baby monkey pointed out broken twigs, footprints in the dust, tiny signs that his parents had passed this way.
“Good eyes,” CUTIS whispered, patting his friend’s head.
The Unbelievable Truth
After what felt like forever, they reached a clearing near the old banyan tree at the edge of the village. Voices drifted from beyond, soft but familiar. CUTIS’s heart leapt.
He crept closer, the baby monkey clinging tight. Peeking through the branches, they saw his parents—safe, unharmed, and… smiling?
But what they were doing left CUTIS speechless.
Before them stood a group of strangers—thin, tired-looking families with children younger than CUTIS. His parents were handing out bundles of food, medicine, and blankets from the very bag they carried that morning. His mother knelt, wrapping a small child in a warm cloth, while his father passed rice to an elderly man.
It wasn’t a secret mission or danger—it was kindness.
CUTIS’s confusion melted into awe. His parents weren’t avoiding him; they were protecting him. They didn’t want him or the baby monkey to worry, so they left without explanation.
The baby monkey chirped softly, as if understanding too.
Reunion
When CUTIS finally stepped out from behind the trees, his parents turned in surprise. His mother’s eyes widened, then softened. “CUTIS… you followed us?”
“I was scared,” CUTIS admitted, hugging the baby monkey tighter. “I thought something bad happened.”
His father placed a strong hand on his shoulder. “We’re sorry, son. We didn’t mean to worry you. Sometimes, helping others means keeping secrets until the right moment.”
CUTIS looked around at the families receiving help. His worry slowly shifted into pride. “Can I help too?”
His mother smiled warmly. “Of course.”
And so, that evening, CUTIS and the baby monkey joined in—passing rice, sharing fruit, and making the children laugh with silly monkey tricks. What began as a day of fear turned into a lesson about compassion, bravery, and the hidden strength of his parents’ mysterious journey.
Back Home
By nightfall, the small group of families departed, carrying the kindness of CUTIS’s parents with them. As the stars filled the sky, the family returned home together.
The baby monkey curled up in CUTIS’s lap, finally calm, while CUTIS leaned against his mother. “Next time,” he said sleepily, “tell me. I want to be part of the plan.”
His parents exchanged a glance, then chuckled. “You’re growing up faster than we thought,” his father said.
The house was no longer silent—it was filled with warmth again. And though the day had started with confusion and worry, CUTIS now understood something important: even when the world felt uncertain, love and kindness always lit the way back home.
