Jimmy's Zoo Read online

  “IQ doesn’t mean as much as most people think, Mike,” Joe now said, coming back into the world he knew best and putting aside the sheep ranch, as if a curtain had been drawn over it. “In fact, knowing the IQ can be a detriment to good learning. Someone with a known high IQ tends to be expected to learn more, faster, and more thoroughly than the person with the average IQ, but in reality, the higher IQ is just getting a better education than the person with the average IQ.

  “The same is true for the person with the known lower IQ. People assume that because of his low IQ he can’t learn, but in reality he can learn a lot, if taught. The problem is that since he has a low IQ no one takes the time to teach him and learning comes harder.

  “Now IQ does mean something. Don’t get me wrong. High IQs mean better functioning brains and low IQs mean lesser functioning brains, but they are only a guide to intelligence. You can’t take them for ‘givens’. Some people score low on IQ tests more because of how they were raised, and the environment in which they were raised, than anything else. When in fact, they could have high IQs. The best thing you can do for someone with a low IQ is not to test them and treat them as close as possible to an average person.”

  “I suspected as much,” Mike responded, but then education is not my expertise. I am...or I was a wheeler-dealer. I used to put people with other people to solve problems. I never solved any myself. However, I wanted a professional opinion on this one. Would you be up to the challenge of trying to help this man?”

  Joe’s eyes lit up. “Of course, but how? He’s in Chicago and I don’t have facilities to do any teaching. Tell me though what he can already do?”

  “Well, he holds down a job, he rides the bus by memorizing what the route names look like more than reading them, he knows different types of animals, only because he’s been told and he remembers them. He lives alone, makes it to a diner to eat and is clean enough. His clothes look pretty worn and don’t fit real well so I suspect he gets them handed down from somewhere.

  “He’s in Chicago now, but he doesn’t have to stay there. No one there cares if he lives or dies. I did some checking on him before I left and discovered a few things about how he lives and how he is treated.

  “I found out that the guys he works with arrange for him to do their work so that they can goof off and still get paid. His boss pays him only three dollars an hour for a forty-hour week in which he actually works closer to seventy. The pay records show he makes nine dollars an hour for a forty-hour week, but he never takes home more than a hundred and thirty a week, even with overtime that he is not always paid for.

  “There is a woman at the local diner who takes thirty dollars a week from him, but only twenty of that is used for his food, which doesn’t amount to much more than the daily special, some peanut butter, bread, some canned items, and milk. The other ten finds its way into the woman’s pocket.

  “His landlord gets sixty dollars a week from him for a one-room hole in the wall, but he gets only twenty a week from all his other tenants. There’s a George Molen who takes some of the guy’s extra money and buys some things for him, but uses most of the money to buy things for George Molen. Which leaves this guy five or ten bucks a week if he is lucky and he uses most of that to buy a bus ride and entrance fee to the Brookfield zoo on Saturday. Anything left over he puts in the collection plate at his church and starts over again on Monday. Rain or shine, cold or hot, every week is the same to him until the zoo closes for the winter then he goes nowhere.”

  Doc put in, “How do you know all that, Mike?”

  “I have my ways, Doc and my connections, even though I still look like a bum. By the way, I didn’t hear you telling Joe here, or his brothers, to get a haircut and a shave. Seems to me they look a lot like me, but it just so happens they are respectable sheep ranchers and I ride a motorcycle around the country.”

  Doc just smiled and said nothing.

  “Sounds to me like he has what it takes to learn, Mike. He might not ever learn to read and write, but he can get along and improve if he was in a better environment where people really cared about him. So what can I do?” Joe asked.

  “Nothing right now. I’ll go back to Chicago and bring him back here. His name is Jimmy Peters by the way, and he loves animals, all animals, and from what I can see they love him.

  “Now it seems to me that you Ranney boys have lots of animals over there at your place and he would be handy when it was time for educating. I’ll gladly pay what is necessary for his keep and I’ll even put up the money for the salary you will pay him. If you want I’ll throw in a salary for you to try and teach him.”

  Joe held up his hand and the other Ranney boys perked up. In unison they all said, “No way.”

  Joe then finished for them, “We aren’t taking any money for this. We’ve been on our own since our parents died, except for Doc here helpings us, and we know what it’s like to need help. We’ve got plenty of room over at the ranch and we haven’t been short of food for years. We can always use more help and I’m sure if this boy is good with animals he will catch right on. Animals mostly just need love. Like people. He’ll do just fine and we won’t hear no more about money.”

  Mike was surprised to hear that, but then he realized he shouldn’t be. He had heard the stories of the Ranney boys helping anyone and everyone who asked. The whole community was pretty much the same way. He shouldn’t have expected less.

  “Okay, guys and thanks. Now, I’d best be on my way. I’ll rent a car and drive to Chicago so I expect Jimmy will be here with me no later than the first of next week. Probably sooner. I doubt there is much to do to wrap up his affairs in Chicago.”

  Doc asked, “You sure he will come with you? Chicago is probably all he knows and he doesn’t know much about you.”

  “He’ll come. Just as soon as he hears he will be practically living at a zoo with farm animals, not lions and tigers, but farm animals that he can pet, feed, and love, he’ll come.”

  ~*~

  Mike walked up the decrepit stairway and turned down the dimly lit hallway to the door of Jimmy’s apartment. He reached the door, knocked gently, and the door was opened with a rattling of chains on the other side. Jimmy Peters stood looking out.

  “Hello, Jimmy. Remember me?”

  Jimmy concentrated and stared at Mike’s face in the dim light and soon recognition flooded his face, and he answered, “Yes, sir. You was wif me at the zoo. I remember we was on the buth together. We had a good time.”

  “Right. Can I come in?”

  “Sure,” Jimmy said and stepped back, opening the door all the way.

  Mike looked around quickly in the one-room apartment and saw what he half expected to see. A small bed in one corner, a single chair by a small table and one lamp on the table. No bath, but an old porcelain sink in the corner opposite the bed with a cracked mirror above it. There were no other furnishings and no other rooms unless you counted a small closet with no door.

  Surprisingly though the place was as neat as a pin. No clothes lying about and no muss at all. Jimmy Peters might not have much, but what he had he took care of and kept clean.

  “You can sit in the chair there and I will sit on the bed. I know how to sit on it so it won’t break no more.”

  “Okay, Jimmy, thanks.”

  “Zoo’s closed. If you want to go there, you’ll have to wait til morning, but I got to work tomorrow so I can’t go with you. I go Saturday. That’s the day after tomorrow. I think. I got it marked on my calendar. I mark off all the days so I can keep track better. I don’t want to miss no work days.”

  “No, I didn’t come here to go to the zoo again. I came to ask you if you would like to go for a ride with me. To a place out of the city where there are other animals.”

  “Another zoo. I didn’t know there was another zoo around.”

  “No, not a zoo. This is a ranch. They raise sheep there and they have some dogs and cats, too. A few pigs and a couple of horses, but mostly just sheep. Som
etimes you see some wild animals like deer and such, because it’s out in the country, but it doesn’t have lions and tigers.”

  “I don’t care. You can’t pet the lions and tigers anyway. Sheep you can pet. I know ‘cause they got sheep at the zoo and I petted them before. They are neat and they like me a lot. I can tell.”

  “Okay. So how about it, want to take that ride?”

  “Would we be back by work time tomorrow? I got to work, it’s the fifth day I think and I gets my pay and everyone will be waiting to take some from me.”

  “No, Jimmy. If you go we won’t be back at all. You will have a new job on this sheep ranch. You can help take care of them and see them every day. You will live out there on the ranch with them and there is a man there who knows about schools. I think he can help you learn some things you didn’t learn in school.”

  “Live with the animals? Sure, I’d like that. Animals every day and all day. Sure! Sure!” No more had he finished than he leapt off the bed and spun around landing on his knees.

  At first Mike thought he had slipped and hurt himself, but then he realized he was kneeling by his bed with his hands folded—praying. No more had he realized that when Jimmy jumped up, turned to Mike and said, “I had to thank God for answering my prayers. Don’t want Him to get mad at me and change His mind. I been praying a long time to get to live with animals. When do we go?”

  “Tomorrow, first thing.”

  They chatted for a while longer, but Jimmy never mentioned telling his boss or landlord that he was leaving and Mike didn’t see the need, either. He doubted anyone would even report his absence, they just didn’t care. At first Mike thought surely someone who had regular contact with Jimmy would miss him or really cared about him, but he hadn’t been able to find anyone who did. As hard as it was to believe, they all seemed to only be interested in what they could get out of him. Then it occurred to him that maybe there was someone, his church, the bus driver, and a couple of the zoo workers. Plus, he decided that the others needed to be told, even if they wouldn’t care.

  “Ever been to the zoo during the week, Jimmy?”

  “No, I always had to work during the week and I only had enough money for the Saturday anyway.”

  “Well, in the morning we will take the bus out to the zoo and have a look around.”

  “I gots no money lessen I go to work tomorrow and get my money then I’ll have to stay and work to get my money. They won’t give me no money or let me leave til it’s time on the clock. Boss won’t like me leaving town. He’ll be mad.”

  “As far as the zoo, I’ll pay your way, but we’ll stop to get your money before we leave town and don’t worry about your boss, I’ll see to him.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. It’ll work out, you’ll see.”

  “Okay then.”

  ~*~

  On his way out, Mike knocked on the landlord’s door and waited. The landlord didn’t care, but Mike did.

  The door opened and a fat, unshaven man in a dirty T-shirt looked Mike up and down carefully with a frown and said, “Yeah, what can I do for you? Got no more rooms if that’s what you want.”

  Mike replied, “Well now that’s nice since I’m not looking for a room. Just wanted to tell you that Jimmy Peters will be leaving tomorrow so you now have a room.”

  “Where’s he going?”

  “What’s it to you?”

  “I look out for him.”

  “Sure you do, you charge him more than your other tenants and give him less.”

  “What’s that to you?”

  “Nothing, just letting you know that the Jimmy Peters’ gravy train is ending and before we leave town I’m going to make a call to the Housing Inspector Office. I suspect you’ll be hearing from them soon. This place is a fire trap and any pipe that doesn’t leak is stopped up.”

  “I got an arrangement with the inspector’s office,” the landlord stated and winked, continuing, “if you know what I mean. The Chicago river is only green on Saint Patrick’s Day, but every other day green is what this town lives on.”

  “You’ll need that arrangement, because I happen to know the director of the Housing Inspector Office, had dinner with him last night in fact, told him I’d give him a call in the next couple of days.”

  The landlord’s face turned a pasty shade of gray.

  “Well anyway. Jimmy will be gone tomorrow. Have a nice life.”

  ~*~

  The next morning, not too early, because the zoo didn’t open until 10:00, they had a nice leisurely breakfast at the diner and Mike informed the nice lady that Jimmy was leaving town. She grunted something and that was the end of the story there.

  At the Marshon box factory it was a different story. The boss, who turned out to be the owner, was not at all happy to be losing Jimmy Peters.

  “He’s good help,” Marshon said and continued, “don’t want to lose him and I’m not going to let you take advantage of him. He’s not going anywhere with you.”

  “You don’t get to make that call, Mr. Marshon, Jimmy isn’t your slave. While we are on the subject, let’s talk about taking advantage of someone. Like how you take advantage of Jimmy.”

  “Don’t know what you are talking about and you don’t, either.”

  “Oh I think you do. I’m talking about working someone sixty or seventy hours a week with no breaks, a short lunch, no overtime, and well below minimum wage. Don’t take my word for that though, Mr. Marshon, just look at your own time records. The Department of Labor is going to, this afternoon. How many others are you doing the same to, or worse? How many other Jimmy Peters have you got around here?”

  “Got no one else like Jimmy and I pay him a fair wage for no more than he does. How’s a bum like you come off telling me how to run my business and threatening me with an investigation from the department? You’re a nothing in this town or anywhere else from the looks of you. Best you keep your nose out of other people’s business and mind your own business.”

  “I’m not much, Mr. Marshon, not anymore, just a bum like you say, but I still know a few people. I’m not here to argue with you, what happens will happen and you’ll be the first to know. Now how about paying Jimmy his salary to date and we’ll be on our way.”

  “So you can take his money from him and go buy some more drugs? Not likely. Besides I don’t pay until the end of the day on Friday. Maybe if you come back at five I’ll see what I can do.”

  Jimmy said nothing, he seemed content to let Mike do any talking, but Mike was finished talking, he just turned and motioned for Jimmy to follow him out of Marshon’s office. Once outside the building two men climbed out of a sedan and met them on the sidewalk.

  “Mike, did you get the man’s pay?”

  “No, Steve.”

  “No problem, we’ll see to it. Did you tell him we’d be here this afternoon?”

  “Yes, just like you told me.”

  “Good, we’ll go see him right now. He won’t have thought about destroying any records yet so we’ll lay a subpoena on him and take them with us.”

  “We’re going to the zoo, Steve. You get the pay give it to a good charity. Jimmy doesn’t need it, I just wanted to meet Marshon and see for myself.”

  “Okay, Mike, thanks for the tip.” Hesitating a moment he continued, “Can’t get used to that beard you are sporting now. Last time we met you were clean-shaven. So you got any good deals cooking to bring some more jobs to the state?”

  “Not right now, Steve, maybe later. I’m kind of out of that line, but occasionally I come up with something. I’m afraid I don’t have a new factory for you this time, but maybe something later on.”

  “Keep us in mind, Mike. Those three thousand jobs you brought to the state a few years ago was a real boon to the economy.”

  “I’ll do what I can, Steve. I’m really not into that big-time deal making anymore, most of my deals are on the personal level now.”

  “Sorry to hear that. Well, come on Ted, let�
��s go have a chat with Mr. Marshon. Got the subpoena?”

  Ted just tapped his left hand breast pocket and nodded to Mike on the way by.

  Steve waved a farewell and said over his shoulder, “Say hi to Mary for me, Mike.”

  Mike didn’t reply.

  ~*~

  Climbing on the bus Mike noted that the driver from the last time was not driving, but Jimmy knew him, or seemed to and he knew Jimmy.

  “Hi, Mr. Buthman.”

  “Hello, Jimmy, what you doing riding this bus on a Friday? I usually see you on the Halstead to Downtown route going to work.”

  Mike put in, “Jimmy and me are going to the zoo today and then he is going to come work for me down state.” Peering down at the driver’s nametag, Mike continued, “Trent, is it?”

  “Yeah, Trent Wilson.”

  “Well, Trent, do me a favor and tell the Saturday driver, Dick, you know Dick?”

  “Sure.”

  “Okay, tell Dick that Jimmy has a new job on a sheep ranch down state and ask if he’d tell the cops on this beat that Jimmy is okay and just moved. Here’s a card with my name, phone number and the address and phone number of the place Jimmy will be. Feel free to check me out. The mayor knows me.”

  “The mayor? Okay, sure, me and the mayor had dinner just last night,” the driver said sarcastically.

  Mike laughed and then said, “Seriously, he does know me, but no need to call him. Just mention my name to any of the police officers and they will run a check. It won’t take long to get the verification they want. If you are interested that is. Don’t do anything on my account, just wanted to let someone know Jimmy was going to be gone.”

  “Okay, mister, whatever you say.”

  They took their seats, Jimmy’s favorite, and chatted on the way out to the zoo. Unlike Saturday, the zoo had pretty light attendance on a Friday so they just strolled around lazily and those people who knew Jimmy were told of his new position and everyone seemed glad for him.

  It was late evening before they left the zoo so Mike decided to wait until the next morning to leave town, he disliked driving at night, especially in Chicago. Besides, they hadn’t stopped at Jimmy’s church yet and he felt they should. More things to Jimmy’s life than I thought, he mused. He got Jimmy a room in his hotel and it was clear that Jimmy had never had such nice accommodations. Mike was thinking that Jimmy was so excited with the TV and king size bed that he wouldn’t get a wink of sleep. He left him enthralled in the Animal Planet and told him to wait in the room for him the next morning.