Malevolence

After Rosemaria left the apartment Monday morning, Josh’s thoughts returned to Sammy. He was never far from his mind. The joy that Noor and Gilbert now were able to experience away from their cages at the zoo was in direct contrast to the misery Sammy had been forced to endure every day of his life for twenty-five years. But to do something about it, he knew he had to enlist famous people to help him—like Joell. Judging by conversations he’d had with her, she seemed to genuinely care about animals. But first, he needed to figure out how to get Sammy out of the zoo and to a sanctuary. He needed a solid plan, and he didn’t have that yet. He wanted Joell to understand how important ending Sammy’s suffering was to him. In return, he had to be her friend as well. No matter how famous someone may be, they still had fears and insecurities that something unforeseen or the wrong move could destroy their careers. He had intended to call and ask how her concert went, even though he had just heard from Ken this morning that it had been a huge success, with standing ovations and numerous encores that lasted half an hour. He had already decided to thank her for inviting him and Rosemaria to be her guests. Maybe she would appreciate his genuine interest and the implied offer of friendship. His conscience told him he was being awfully self-serving, but that couldn’t be helped. This was not about convincing Joell to record his songs, but rather about something he cared about a lot more.