Oswal.

By Elizabeth Pizarro

Inspired by: The Lives of Animals by: J. M. COETZEE

In a laboratory hidden in the forest, a chimpanzee named Oswal was undergoing an

extraordinary change. Subjected to the cruel practices of human scientists, Oswal developed

the ability to speak and a surprising intelligence. His curious mind was filled with questions

about the essence of humanity.

Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Oswal began to investigate what made humans

truly human. His quest took him beyond the confines of his cage, capturing humans for his

own experiments. Roles were reversed, and the primate became the experimenter.

However, one day, Oswal captured a lone man who had been a farmer all his life. In the midst

of a cruel experiment, the farmer, in an angry voice, told Oswal that, as much as he longed to

be more human, he would always be inferior and wild. Cruel words, but really loaded.

Despite his actions, Oswal felt a spark of compassion. When it came time to end the farmer’s

suffering, he did so as gently as possible. However, as the man’s eyes faded, Oswal looked at

him without compassion, facing the truth of his own existence.