Jiji’s Great Escape
Based On The True Story of When My Pet Tortoise Ran Away
Jiji woke up to the heat of an artificial sun. Never one to rush, he took his time making sure he was all together before committing to any actual movement. Front legs, check. Back legs, check. Slowly he stretched out his long neck, beady black eyes blinking in the bright light.
Jiji spent some time absorbing warmth through the thirteen scutes on the back of his earthy shell. Once feeling properly awake and energized, he took to his routine of banging himself against the glass walls of the tank he called home. Jiji kept up the banging until one of the humans walked up, lifted him out, and put him on the floor to roam the house.
He took off like a shot, or at least, a rather slow shot that was weighed down with protective armor. Over the course of the day Jiji roamed the house, looking for sunbeams and terrorizing the furry animals. He visited his favorite hiding places, found new ones, and did his best to cause general mayhem.
This is how the days often were for Jiji. He woke, he basked, he wandered. Eventually he would be found again, placed back in his tank, and rested for the next day.
He had no idea that today would be an entirely different kind of day.
Jiji lived with three adult humans, a few cats, and a dog. He was not bothered to be sharing his space. Jiji prioritized finding the warmest sun beam around, basking until the beam moved, and wandering the house until he found another one. There were several large windows and doors that let light in at various times throughout the day, and the exercise was good for him.
When Jiji wandered his way into the office looking for an afternoon sunbeam, on that day, he almost didn’t notice that a glass door he liked to bask against was… open? This door was never open.
Not one to be bothered, Jiji did what any cold blooded reptile would do with an open door on a warm summer afternoon. He went through it.
He found himself on warm wooden steps feeling heat that hadn’t been dispersed through glass before reaching a floor he could rest on. Feeling the stir of adventure in his small heart, Jiji stretched out his neck to survey the land around him, feel the open air, and determine a plan of action.
Jiji was, after all, a tortoise of action. This was an opportunity and Jiji was a great opportunist. He was familiar with stairs, having lived in houses, and knew that if he was brave and didn’t look down, he could withstand a small fall for the sake of making his way downward. This is what he did.
Slowly and bravely he descended down three small steps, across a porch, down two more steps, over some cement tiles, and, finally, into a forest of beautiful, fresh, green, warm grass. Nearby were some dandelion weeds and Jiji took a moment to reward himself with a salad fresh from the earth. This is what freedom is supposed to feel like, he decided.
At no point was Jiji concerned with how he would get back up the steps and into the house. He was not concerned what his people would think when they couldn’t find him later, or when they got home and found the door open. Jiji wasn’t concerned about anything at all. He was an adventurer, and he started adventuring.
Over the remainder of the warm sunny day, Jiji roamed aimlessly through grass, trees, across roads. He avoided people and was easily camouflaged with the help of his rock-like shell. He didn’t know he was in the neighbors backyards and, frankly, he didn’t care.
Tortoises are not sentimental creatures.
He did not spare a thought for his people. Eventually, despite his best efforts and his brilliant blending into the background, a person did notice him. And this person thought, “Well this is no place for a turtle” because a lot of people don’t know the difference between a tortoise and a turtle and, in their defense, Maine is not known for having a wild tortoise population. Being a generally kind human, they took the liberty of collecting Jiji and relocating him to a forest near the local high school.
Legend has it that Jiji is still out there by that high school, and has actually met a few other rogue tortoises in the area. He is not concerned about the brutal New England winter because, when it gets that cold, Jiji burrows himself into the earth and sleeps until he feels warmth from the sun. He still has adventures and is currently mapping the forest for other critters who might find themselves lost. Jiji lives without regrets, going where he wants to and eating what he finds in his path. His only goal is to live his best life.
