The sun had barely risen over the forest when the soft cries of baby monkey Lu echoed through the wooden hut. CUTIS, the kind-hearted farmer who had adopted Lu, gently picked him up and cradled him in his arms. Lu had clung to him tightly, sensing something was different that morning. His bright eyes were filled with worry. Something was wrong. Something was changing.
CUTIS was preparing for a trip. For the first time in months, he had to leave the farm for a few days. It was only a short journey to the neighboring village to help an old friend fix a collapsed irrigation system, but for baby Lu, it felt like the end of the world. He had never been separated from CUTIS, not even for a night.
“Be a good boy, Lu,” CUTIS whispered softly, brushing his hand through the baby monkey’s soft brown fur. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
But Lu didn’t understand time. He didn’t know what “a few days” meant. All he knew was that his dad—his protector, his playmate, his everything—was walking toward the gate with a bag slung over his shoulder. Panic welled up in his tiny chest. With a sharp squeak, he leapt from CUTIS’s arms and ran toward the door, screeching in distress.
CUTIS turned back, his heart aching at the sight. He crouched down to comfort Lu, who was now joined by Thuy, the teenage girl who helped on the farm. She had picked up Lu and was trying to calm him, but he squirmed and whimpered, stretching his little hands toward CUTIS.
Then came something unexpected. Tears. Actual tears rolled down Lu’s furry cheeks. CUTIS froze, stunned. He knew monkeys were emotional, but seeing Lu cry so openly—his eyes wide with fear and his mouth trembling—was too much to bear.
“No, no, no,” CUTIS murmured, embracing the little monkey again. “Don’t cry, buddy. It’s only for a little while.”
But Lu didn’t want to hear that. He pressed his face against CUTIS’s chest, sobbing quietly. CUTIS held him tightly, feeling his shirt slowly dampen with tears. Then, to everyone’s surprise, CUTIS began to cry too.
Thuy watched with her hand over her mouth, tears forming in her own eyes. “He thinks you’re leaving him forever,” she said softly.
CUTIS nodded. “I know. He doesn’t understand. I wish I could tell him it’s going to be okay.”
And then Lu did something that broke CUTIS’s heart all over again. He grabbed CUTIS’s hand, kissed it gently, and looked into his eyes with a desperate expression that could only mean one thing: Please don’t go.
CUTIS knelt on the ground, overwhelmed. Never had he imagined that this small creature, once found abandoned in the rain near the river, could become such a deep part of his life. CUTIS had nursed Lu back to health, fed him, played with him, even sang him to sleep during thunderstorms. They were more than caretaker and pet—they were family.
Beside them, CUTIS’s dog, Bo, also lay quietly, sensing the emotion in the air. Even the hens near the barnyard had paused their scratching and clucking, as though they, too, knew something important was happening.
Thuy stepped forward again and said gently, “CUTIS, maybe I should go in your place.”
CUTIS looked at her with gratitude but shook his head. “No, I gave my word to Mr. Than. But…” He paused, considering something. “Maybe there’s another way.”
He stood up and walked back inside the house. Lu followed closely, refusing to let go of his leg. CUTIS rummaged through the cupboard and pulled out a cloth sling—something he used to carry Lu when he was younger. The monkey watched him with wide, hopeful eyes.
“I can’t take you with me for the whole trip,” CUTIS said to Lu, “but I can bring you as far as the village gate. That way, you’ll know I’m coming back.”
Lu seemed to calm at the idea. He hopped into the sling, wrapping his arms around CUTIS’s neck, and nestled there with a soft sigh. Thuy smiled with relief, brushing away her tears.
As they made their way toward the village gate, CUTIS pointed out familiar sights to Lu. “Look, there’s the old mango tree you love to climb… and over there’s the pond where you learned to splash.”
Lu’s eyes followed everything carefully, his grip loosening just a little, his breathing growing slower. CUTIS spoke in a soothing tone, telling stories about when they first met, about how Lu was so small he could fit into his coat pocket, and how he once tried to eat a banana peel without opening it.
Finally, they reached the tall stone gate. CUTIS stopped, gently unwrapping the sling and lowering Lu into Thuy’s arms.
“This is where you wait,” he whispered. “Thuy will take you home. I’ll be back before sunset tomorrow.”
Lu looked up at him one last time, eyes full of pleading. CUTIS bent down, kissed his tiny forehead, and smiled. “Be strong, little guy.”
As CUTIS walked away, Lu squirmed, calling out with small cries, not the wild screaming from earlier, but soft, mournful whimpers. Thuy rocked him gently and whispered, “He’ll be back, Lu. Just like he said.”
From behind a tree, Bo the dog had quietly followed them and now lay beside Lu, nuzzling him comfortingly.
CUTIS turned around one last time. He raised his hand and called out, “I love you, Lu!”
The baby monkey reached his hand up toward the sky, as if returning the love.
Back at the hut, Thuy did her best to keep Lu occupied. She played his favorite music, let him eat from his special banana bowl, and even wrapped him in a warm towel that smelled like CUTIS. Bo stayed by his side, offering silent comfort.
Lu was quieter now, his body still and his eyes focused on the door. He didn’t run or cry anymore—he simply waited.
Hours passed. The sky darkened.
Then—just as twilight set in—footsteps approached.
Lu’s ears perked up. He leapt from the blanket and dashed to the door, Thuy right behind him.
And there he was.
CUTIS stood in the doorway, tired but smiling, a bunch of wildflowers in one hand and his bag in the other.
“I told you I’d be back.”
Lu squealed with joy and flew into his arms, hugging him tightly, refusing to let go.
CUTIS held him close, whispering, “I missed you too.”
In that moment, everything was perfect again. The little family was whole. And from that day on, Lu understood something deep in his little heart: no matter how far his dad had to go, he would always, always, come back.
