On Thursday, while passing through the Riverdale West Park, I saw a poster taped to a pole:
$200 Reward
Lost Toy Monkey
Last Seen At Riverdale Farm
Please Contact xxx-xxx-xxxx
(Text or Call)
No Questions Asked
In the centre of the poster is a photo of the toy monkey. The paper has bubbled under the tape so the photo of the toy monkey is distorted in places.
Naturally, I had to photograph the poster. It raises so many questions. Most obvious is the amount of the reward. $200 is a lot of money for a toy monkey, probably more than the purchase price of most toy monkeys. What is so special about this toy monkey that it warrants a $200 reward? Is there a flash drive sewn inside with sensitive intelligence reports? Or drug-filled condoms that the monkey smuggled across the border? Does that mean that the monkey is really a mule?
And why was the monkey last seen at the Riverdale Farm? Had it come there in a show of solidarity for its captive animal friends?
Finally, there is the assurance: No Questions Asked. It suggests that the toy monkey may have been kidnapped. Maybe it was snatched by the Simian Liberation Army and, like Patty Hearst, developed Stockholm Syndrome and began to identify with its captors. The exchange of cash for toy monkey will go down in a back alley or under a bridge.
Speaking of bridges, yesterday I took a stroll down Rosedale Valley Road. I had passed that way on Thursday and was struck by all the garbage strewn under the subway and Bloor Street bridges. I wanted to come back with a wider lens to capture the scene. So yesterday I returned, and as I was positioning myself for various shots of the garbage, I saw it: a toy monkey! Could this be THE toy monkey? Naturally, I photographed it and, comparing it to the toy monkey shown on the poster, it is possible that they are one and the same. I’ve texted the photo to the number on the poster and will see what happens. What would I do with an extra $200 in my pocket?
