Along the Hudson River the green claver that spangles the grass and the thick foliage that decorates the peaks of the sky atop attracts many wildlife. The narrow strip of vegetation forms a sensational vestige of wild life in the midst of Manhattan’s west side. The uncontrolled nature along the shore is notorious around the city and its cultured inhabitants. Of course, some parts of the park might be less threatening than others of the strip which covers a total area from 72nd to 122nd street, where the great general lies buried.
The park at riverside can be entered through a small number of solidified gates that open up the walling that surrounds the deeper lain green. The walling of solid rock locks the piece of nature in toward the Hudson river shore and at the same time protects the housing that lies directly at Riverside avenue. But most people will not cross into the park if they do not have to risk their safety unnecessarily. Most of Gotham’s folk will jump on the rusty subway trains or a yellow cab before taking a fresh nose in the park and just so.
Me on the other hand am not the type to be deteriorated by a minor or major threat. And thus, at the sun’s zenith in this summer afternoon, I strap on my just-do-it nikees and make my way to this dreadful park two blocks from my house. I enter at the general’s footstep around hundred twentieth street and find my way down the dusty sand path. I slowly jog toward the area around eightieth street, and area known for being the habitat of a small troop of huge African elephants. As I started to approach the borders of their base I was already pretty heated up from my jog in a hundred degrees temperature. Then, there finally I could distinguish the big slow and gray heads of these sluggish but not completely harmless animals.
Most beasts lay knelled down in a medium sized pool of water in the middle of the pathway. The leader of the pact lifted its heavy head from the water and turned its face toward me, spotting me already from a small distance. Another animal spotted the attention being casted in my direction and searched in the fields for the object of the leader’s attention. The main beast was staring consistently at me now, keeping his and his troop’s guard, ready to jump up and attack if necessary.
However, knowing the language of nature I did not alter my steady pace and upright posture as not to disturb the peace of mind of the group of elephants bathing and seeking to cool off and as not to behave suspiciously. I gradually slowed down and as such was able to near the group of giant bathers up to about ten meters now. A few people stood on top of the walling pointing at me, and gathering closely together. The sun was beating on my head the full beams of its warmth and the heat started to get to me at this point.
I can’t explain my motivations from this time on, but I suddenly became overwhelmed with the desire for a cool sip of water and cool down. Yet, the only available resource at hand was occupied by the group of about six giant African elephants now all ready to act in my direction and not showing any willingness to make way for me. Luckily, I reacted by instinct and didn’t hesitate, which would have been the worst action to undertake at the moment in the proximity of wild animals. Instead, I boldly walked straight up to the leader of the pack who now swayed its trunk first in the water then in a curve high up in the air. But I kept staring directly in the animal’s big bewildered eyes, hypnotizing him with my penetrating intention in this manner, I protruded my face to be right above the snout of the elephant’s trunk and it was right at that moment that he breezed out a spray of cold, most refreshing water that gently covered my head.