Look at the Hippo! (Katie-May)

[wendi]

Who can take a sunrise
Sprinkle it in dew
Cover it in chocolate
and a miracle or two?

The candyman
The candyman can

Wendi giggled as she sung the silly song out loud. It was early morning and of course Wendi was awake. She loved getting up early and seeing the sunrise. It was the weekend and a perfect time for an outing. Wendi had cleared it with her grand-parents to go to the zoo. Wendi couldn't help, but smile as she got dressed. She absolutely loved the zoo! However, she did hate the idea of animals being locked up. But, when she thought about it again, the animals would never be able to go back to the wild anyway. However, that just made Wendi think about how people shouldn't take them away in the first place. The whole thing usual made Wendi's head hurt do not talking about it was the best thing. Wendi was now bouncing around her room throwing her clothes on. She put on her dark jeans, and a bright teal sweater as it was her favorite color. She laughed putting her hair in a small bun on the back of her head. All that was left was to put her wand in her pocket. Wendi did so and then shot out of her room as fast as she could.

"Jamie, get up!" Wendi giggled jumping softly up and down on her brother's bed. "Wendi." He mumbled. "Come on you are taking me to the zoo!" She smiled again. "I am?" He said still with his eyes closed. "Yes you are!" She giggled again smiling at him. "Okay, okay." He said trying to calm her a bit. "I love ya too!" She called leaving it room. "Hop, hop, hop." Wendi cheered jumping the stairs three at a time. "Hop, hop." Wendi grinned as her voice echoed off the walls making the house seem much larger than it was. Wendi then landed on the ground of the first floor and sprinted to the kitchen. "Mornin Gram, Grandpa." Wendi said walking into the kitchen. "Morning sweets." Her grandpa said as Wendi gave him a kiss on the cheek. "What's for breakfast?" She asked taking her usual place at the counter. "Oatmeal." Her gram said spooning some on Wendi's plate. "Goddies!" Wendi said seizing the bowl and started eating it with hr spoon. "Morning." Jamison said walking into the room tiredly. "Morning Sunshine!" Wendi joked watching him shadow his eyes from the sun peering in through the window. "Hurry, Jami eat!" She called to him as Wendi took the last few spoonfuls of her oatmeal. "Calm down wild child." Jamison joked. "I can't it's the zoo!" Wendi cheered hoping along the hall into the living room.

Thirty minutes later, Wendi excitedly entered the zoo. "Yay." She cheered walking through the lovely archway. "It's just the zoo, Wend." He called as she held his hand tight urging him forward. "I love the zoo!" She called back to him. It took a few minutes before they reached the actual exhibits. Wendi giggled approaching the first one. It was a large one with three big hippos in it. There were to sections of the exhibit. One of them was the grassland for them and the other was the water habitat. "Aww, look at the baby!" Wendi pointed to the little hippo. "Isn't it cute Jamie?" She asked nicely. "Very." He said not too impressed as he liked animals, but not like Wendi. "Hey, Wend I'll be back in a minute. I want to find a map." He said nicely moving a bit away from her. Okie dokie." She answered still staring at the hippos. "Don't move." Jamison said sternly walking out of sight. Wendi knew he meant it so she decided to stay put. Wendi stood their gazing at the animals. She barely noticed that someone had come up to her.

[coolasice]

Who can take tomorrow
Dip it in a dream
Separate the sorrow
And collect up all the cream?

The candyman
The candyman can

Katie-May sang the song happily, jumped out of her bed as though a spring had been attached to her feet. She bounced all the way to her closet, casting a careless eye into the area. She didn’t really mind much what she wore- May did care about her looks, of course, but believed for people to like you, you really didn’t need to look brilliant. She chose some pale blue shorts with a simple white top above it, and hugged her feet warmly in some simple trainers. She checked her uncomplicated image in the mirror and smiled, pleased with the highly straight forward ensemble. The blue shorts made May’s slender, short legs seem longer and the huge white top she wore had on it a sketch Leon had charmed onto it. He himself had drawn the picture- it was of a mighty elephant, with it’s great trunk held up high. The trunk curled around a tiny little girl who had the expression of pure joy upon her pale face. White-blonde hair flew in all directions and she was being safely carried by the elephant. The little girl was of course May herself, and the elephant her favourite animal. May’s own white-blonde hair was no however flying around in all directions, but was braided tight to her head. It had taken ages for the lady Leon had payed to do the style but he had waited patiently until it was finished and had clapped louder than ever when it was. May smiled at the neat little braids, turning her head this way and that to get a better view. Her happy thoughts were interrupted by arms reaching around her side, lifting her high into the air and throwing her gently onto the bed.

“Leon!” May squealed loudly as her brother laughed. His own light-blonde hair was wet and as he shook his head in her face, clear water droplets fell onto her outfit. He smiled at her and turned back round to the door.
“Stop admiring your hair Pixie, and hurry up! Don’t forget I paid for all of those silly little beads to be stuck into your hair. You haven’t forgotten where we are going today, have you?” Leon gave his little sister an expression of mock surprise as he flicked a braid with a sigh, as though he regretted the deed her had shown. May just laughed, swatting his hand away as she slung a large white bag around her shoulder.
“Of course I haven’t, Mr Harrow. The ZOO! It’s great they went out today, don’t you think? Bit odd that on this exact day, Matt falls ill with those itchy-scratchies things…” May shook her head, bemused but still happy. “I wonder why mum was stupid enough to give the little squirt egg.” She caught Leon looking at her, brow raised and a culprit look on his clear face. May opened her mouth in protest, seeing what had happened. Before she could scold Leon, she was interrupted by her brother.

“Don’t tell them about it, you know you have been waiting for this day for ages! And who, exactly, are you calling squirt?” Leon laughed, standing up. When he stood he was about three heads taller than his tiny sister. But although May was so short she didn’t seem to have to look up when they spoke, and seemed to be eye-level with Leon. She smiled at him for making the point, and then poked his shoulder childishly while running for the door in a hurry. Leon, taken by surprised by the sudden rebellious attack, laughed loudly and sprinted after her quickly.
It wasn’t long until Leon caught May and tackled her onto the soft cream carpet in the lounge, both laughing and giggling uncontrollably. Leon poked May in the shoulder triumphantly as he slipped on his black trainers over his black jeans, white shirt ensemble. After collecting almost the last of his savings from the spelled piggy-bank in his room, Leon snatched his large black coat and May’s far smaller white one, and they left the house together. May smiled all the while, so happy she was finally going to the Zoo. She hadn’t been for four years and had been so happy when Leon told her he would take her today. She didn’t approve completely of him tricking the parents into taking their baby brother, Matt, to the doctors for the day, but certainly did not complain. After all, four years was an awful long time. Smiling at her brother as they took the train he had organised to the zoo, May was so happy she had Leon to keep her from going insane with their annoying baby brother.

Half an hour later May was bouncing yet again, and Leon was getting slightly annoyed. She ran everywhere and always had a huge smile on her face while she pestered Leon- “When will we get inside?” “How much longer?” and, “The queue is too BIG!” Her cries of awe and disbelief on hearing the trumpets of elephants and the yaps of the monkeys became too loud and eventually, five babies in the queue around them broke into fits of wails. Once Leon had calmed his sister down it was time to enter the Zoo. Leon wasn’t so much into zoo animals and did not agree with the way they were put on display for everyone to gaze at, mouths wide open. But May disagreed- the creatures in the zoo had nowhere else to go and for all May knew, they were treated quite nicely.

Not longer after, May was perched on the bench beside the large, wallowing area of hippos. They kept staring at her with their beady eyes. Leon was away, buying some ice-creams for the two, and May looked around. She had seen the giraffes, zebra’s, monkeys, and now the hippos. When would the Elephants come? With a small sigh May looked up, and caught sight of a familiar face. She slowly walked over to the figure, careful not to look at the scary hippos. Once nearby she smiled happily as recognised the girl. In one swift movement she hugged the Hufflepuff from her school, smiling and laughing. “Wendi! Fancy us meeting here! Ooohh…” She shuddered. A huge hippo had stumbled right up to the glass wall, and was staring intently at May and Wendi. Retreating from the embrace, May smiled hastily at the creature before laughing lightly. She looked uncertainly at Wendi and explained she thought the hippos unnerving, while all the while watching the daunting creature.

[wendi]

Wendi looked intently at the creature in the glass. It seemed so cruel sometimes even Wendi knew the zoo keepers kept the best care of their animals. Wendi had always been fond of any animals at all and she extremely loved hippos. They were so much bigger than her and comical and their size. They seemed to slowly trot around and it often amused Wendi. She gave a big giggled watching the creatures and in particular the baby. It was just so cute even though it weighed a ton. Wendi had to laugh thinking at birth more than a hundred Wendi's would make up a baby hippo. She laughed at the thought smiled as it seemed to smile at her. Wendi took out her hand waving at the creature. It was just so beautiful and Wendi hated to think of why many were dying all the time in the wild. It was just so sad to her. Often Wendi found herself wondering if she could ever survive out there. Could she? Well, Wendi was not weak, but a tiny eleven year old could barely make it one weekend without food. No, Wendi wasn't that brave and that sometimes made her a bit sad.

Suddenly, much to Wendi's surprise, someone ran over to her hugging her lightly. Wendi turned abruptly seeing who it was. "May!" She shrieked at the sight of the girl. "How are you.." Wendi started, but was interrupted by a thud. She leaped from May looking towards the noise. Wendi giggled upon seeing the large hippo looking at the two girls. She looked at it's pretty eyes and could almost see in reflection in them. Wendi laughed looking back at May. "I think it likes us." She laughed. Wendi looked back at the hippo for a moment and then at her friend, May. "I didn't know you were coming to the zoo today!" She called excitedly. Wendi was truly glad to see her friend at the zoo. actually, Wendi was glad to see anyone there. She loved the place and the fact that she could share the experience with someone else, made her livid.

Wendi smiled comically putting her hand over her eyes to shield them from the orange sun. It flashed right on them instantly hurting them and making her glance away imminently. Wendi smiled at May. "I'm so glad to see you!" She squeaked out nosily. Wendi always made such a fuss over people. But, that was just a Wendism. There were so many things about her that were different than other people. Not just in her background, but her reactions to people. She always saw things differently than some. Sometimes, they thought of her as weird for that, but Wendi knew May wouldn't. "So, are you having fun? I absolutely love the zoo! Did Leon come with you? Jami came with me. He's off getting a map somewhere I think." Wendi let out happily. True, she did talk alot, but most got over it. Wendi loved talking as that told people exactly what she was feeling. Which, was something she really loved to do.

Wendi looked back at the hippo that had now moved back away from the girls. It was eating something over in the grassland part of the exhibit. He looked so innocent and funny to Wendi that she had to give him her adorable smile. She loved the way large animals just seemed like big sweethearts. Wendi glanced over at May. "Pretty, isn't he?" She giggled nicely. Suddenly, a man holding the balloon cart, started calling something near by. Wendi turned instantly to see what was the matter. It was strange, some of the balloons had blown away, but had not gone in the air. No, they had gone straight for Wendi and May. She happily grabbed the purple one that flew in her hand and watched as May grabbed the pink. The man came up to the girls in a huff. "Stupid wind! Just take them!" He said angrily. "Thanks." Wendi called back nicely. She then looked at May. "I'm thinking this was Jamie's doing." She laughed waiting for May to respond.