Call the zoo

Realizing that I didn't really have anyone's specific phone number, I decided I should probably just call the zoo's general phone number. After ringing only twice, someone answered the phone. It was just a receptionist for general questions & answers. But they’re probably also the one to connect me through...

"Hello, can I talk with Stacey, please?", I asked. I wasn’t sure who I should ask for, but given how Stacey had asked me if I wanted to become a permanent resident, she would probably also be the one who had more details, or with whom I could discuss time lines. Also, I should probably make her aware that I'm having some issues selling my place, and it may take a bit - or quite a while - longer than expected.

"What did you say your name was again? We don't typically connect anybody to our zoo keepers. Especially because they're often working outside and not necessarily near a phone", the receptionist asked. The question made sense, and it dawned on me that it could be a bit of a challenge to get connected with someone.

"Uhm, I'm Bridget", I said. It was a simple answer to a simple question. But not necessarily an answer that would help the receptionist.

"Okay, and what is your relation to Stacey, or what is it about?"

"Well, I'm the new exhibit, and was wanting to discuss some details about it" - as I heard myself talking, I realized it didn't necessarily make a lot of sense. I could also be some kind of mental person just making a prank call. But right for this moment, this was everything I could offer.

"You are the new exhibit? Usually people call about exhibits. I'm not sure I understand, but let me see what I can do. Can you hold for a moment?". I breathed a sigh of relief. As the receptionist started her sentence, I thought for a moment that she was going to hang up on me, leaving me totally stranded, so to speak. However, the second part of her sentence did offer a glimmer of hope.

It took a few minutes, but finally the receptionist came back to me; "Hi you still there?", she asked.

"uhu" was all I could utter, hoping that she would have good news for me.

"Okay, good. I looked into this, and it turns out you are actually our new exhibit! That's so cool! I would never dare to go naked in front of so many people, let alone visit the toilet in front of them, and perform all those lewd acts.", she slowly trailed off. "Anyways, ", she tried to recompose herself, "it turns out Stacey is on leave until further notice. But apparently our CEO is in charge of this exhibit personally. He's in a call right now, but can he call you back?"

Of course it was okay! I quickly ended the conversation, waiting to be called by the director. I wasn't sure what to make of the fact that Stacey was on leave. The fact that she would be my exhibit mate was the thing that pushed me over the edge and made me decide to do this thing. What if it had been just an act to get me to say 'yes' and I would never see her again? The decision to become a permanent resident of the zoo had been quickly made. Selling my condo was quite a permanent move, one that's not easy to come back at.

Hypothetically speaking, this could be a huge trap that I was walking straight into. But so far, everything had been really enjoyable and the people had been really nice. So I should probably simply accept the risk and carry on, I figured. Maybe there was a sensible explanation for why Stacey was on leave.