I placed Johnny in the left seat of the stroller and Emma in the right. I took a deep breath and pushed them up to the small white building. Standing as far back as I could from the smudged plastic, I looked at the women beyond. I couldn't help noticing her slight mustache and masculine eyes. Wishing she had not worn such a low shirt, I shoved the money into the slit, and continued in through the gate. Leaning forward, I balanced my backpack on the worn handles of the stroller.

“Hey guys, look, there are the zebras.” I knelt down next to Johnny, smiling up at both of them. Emma looked up curiously with a straight face. Johnny gazed up with a beaming smile, then he looked down at me giggling. Drool dripped down his chin as his small mouth opened with laughter. “Aren't they cool?” I exclaimed. He giggled again.

One of the zebras stepped closer to the edge of the pen. He reached over the railing, blowing through his nostrils. Johnny looked up, and let out a screech then a loud laugh. The zebra jerked his head up high with his ears pointed towards us. He snorted and stomped the dusty ground. Emma looked up – her eyes growing big and her lower lip trembling. “Oh, it's okay Emma.” I quickly pulled the stroller back and continued down the dirt path.

Small flowers lay thick, close to the path. Behind them were some bushes and tall trees. The blue sky was visible through the branches, and settled like a fishbowl over our heads. Sweat accumulated on the back of my neck as the sun heated my whole body. After a few minutes of travel, I parked the stroller by a new enclosure. Johnny and Emma both agreed this time. Surprisingly, they were equally fascinated by the monkeys. I watched the dirty animals hop around awkwardly – noticing their oily coat and horrible smell. I stepped back and sighed. Pulling out my heavy water bottle, I drank a long gulp. All too soon, Emma began to get antsy, so we started up again.