Humans are Weird - Why
The wood smoke was curling up through the branches of the thin canopy over the river in a lazy and untamed fashion as First Sister carefully wove the smoke guide that would hopefully make their little gathering that much more comfortable. Human Second Father and Human Second mother didn’t seem to mind the smoke occasionally finding them as they lounged in their folding chairs but First Sister was enjoying the activity and it did seem to prevent Human Second Cousin Betty from attempting to lure her into the water again. Second Cousin was gently coaching Fifth Sister through arranging enough sticks and detritus to start another fire for practice and various thumps and cracks from the underbrush around them indicated where the various human Brothers had dispersed to ‘get more firewood’. Though their efficiency in that task indicated that they were exploring the riverbank more than not.
First Sister gave a satisfied click as she finished the last of the weave work and thrust it into the soft, silty soil of the riverbank beside the ring of stones that contained the fire. She stepped back and watched pleased as the rising air slowly heated the weave work, creating a contorted draft of air that lifted the smoke up, above the heads of even the towering Human Second Father.
“Look at that!” Human Second Father called out, his bifocal eyes rolling to follow the smoke.
“Thank you First Sister,” Human Second Mother said, reaching out her hand to gently pat First Sister between her antenna.
First Sister clicked with pleasure and turned her attention to admiring the newest tiny human that Human Second Mother held. One Fourth Cousin Baby. First Sister had heard other names used for the little one, but Baby was by far the most prominent. The undergrowth rustled and several Human Brothers burst forth and dropped loads of wood in various piles before descending on the snacks stored in a cold-box. First Sister subtly eased closer to Second Cousin and Fifth Sister and gestured reassuringly with her antenna, and they went back to attempting to start the practice fire despite the chaos that had descended on the little riverbank. One of the Human Brother’s hoisted Human Fifth Cousin Baby onto his shoulders and began a hopping dance and song that had Second Cousin chittering with amusement despite how close it took them both to the fire and the rest of the Brothers had produced hatchets and saws and, after being shooed away to safe distances, had set to work reducing the wood to fuel sized fragments.
“The water is wonderful and your First Father said it was safe,” Human Second Cousin Betty declared as she sloshed her way out of the water where she had apparently been collecting small crustaceans in a basket. One of the Human Brothers descended on the basket and snatched it with perfunctory thanks and Human Second Cousin Betty let it go without comment. Taking her long braid of hair and twisting the water out.
“Must you do that?” demanded Second Cousin, clamping her frill to her neck in horror.
The human grinned and nodded.
“Gotta get the extra water out,” she said. “What did you want all the snip-toes for?”
First Sister noted that Human Second Cousin Betty’s attention was fully diverted from her attempts to lure First Sister into the heat stealing, toe abrading river and she relaxed the conversation turned to some aquaponics project a few of the older brothers were maintaining. The conversation drifted to a stop and one of the brother’s commented on the mid-summer heat.
“You’re hot?” Human Second Cousin Betty demanded in surprise.
“You’re not?” the Brother replied, equally surprised.
“No!” Human Second Cousin Betty said as she took a bite of fire roasted meat. “I wonder why?”
First Sister angled her antenna meaningfully and gave an attention click.
“Could it have something to do with the hour you just spent in the water?” she asked indicating the river.
There was a general pause in the conversation around the fire and then the adult humans burst out laughing, followed by the juveniles.
“That would do it,” Human Second Cousin Betty admitted with a grin.
The conversation began climbing it’s natural course a spark indicated that Fifth Sister had successfully started the fire.
Her mentorship done Second Cousin crept closer to First Sister.
“Did she forget she was just in the river?” she asked in low tones.
“I think that humans just store their memory vines differently than we do,” First Sister observed.
First Sister gave a satisfied click as she finished the last of the weave work and thrust it into the soft, silty soil of the riverbank beside the ring of stones that contained the fire. She stepped back and watched pleased as the rising air slowly heated the weave work, creating a contorted draft of air that lifted the smoke up, above the heads of even the towering Human Second Father.
“Look at that!” Human Second Father called out, his bifocal eyes rolling to follow the smoke.
“Thank you First Sister,” Human Second Mother said, reaching out her hand to gently pat First Sister between her antenna.
First Sister clicked with pleasure and turned her attention to admiring the newest tiny human that Human Second Mother held. One Fourth Cousin Baby. First Sister had heard other names used for the little one, but Baby was by far the most prominent. The undergrowth rustled and several Human Brothers burst forth and dropped loads of wood in various piles before descending on the snacks stored in a cold-box. First Sister subtly eased closer to Second Cousin and Fifth Sister and gestured reassuringly with her antenna, and they went back to attempting to start the practice fire despite the chaos that had descended on the little riverbank. One of the Human Brother’s hoisted Human Fifth Cousin Baby onto his shoulders and began a hopping dance and song that had Second Cousin chittering with amusement despite how close it took them both to the fire and the rest of the Brothers had produced hatchets and saws and, after being shooed away to safe distances, had set to work reducing the wood to fuel sized fragments.
“The water is wonderful and your First Father said it was safe,” Human Second Cousin Betty declared as she sloshed her way out of the water where she had apparently been collecting small crustaceans in a basket. One of the Human Brothers descended on the basket and snatched it with perfunctory thanks and Human Second Cousin Betty let it go without comment. Taking her long braid of hair and twisting the water out.
“Must you do that?” demanded Second Cousin, clamping her frill to her neck in horror.
The human grinned and nodded.
“Gotta get the extra water out,” she said. “What did you want all the snip-toes for?”
First Sister noted that Human Second Cousin Betty’s attention was fully diverted from her attempts to lure First Sister into the heat stealing, toe abrading river and she relaxed the conversation turned to some aquaponics project a few of the older brothers were maintaining. The conversation drifted to a stop and one of the brother’s commented on the mid-summer heat.
“You’re hot?” Human Second Cousin Betty demanded in surprise.
“You’re not?” the Brother replied, equally surprised.
“No!” Human Second Cousin Betty said as she took a bite of fire roasted meat. “I wonder why?”
First Sister angled her antenna meaningfully and gave an attention click.
“Could it have something to do with the hour you just spent in the water?” she asked indicating the river.
There was a general pause in the conversation around the fire and then the adult humans burst out laughing, followed by the juveniles.
“That would do it,” Human Second Cousin Betty admitted with a grin.
The conversation began climbing it’s natural course a spark indicated that Fifth Sister had successfully started the fire.
Her mentorship done Second Cousin crept closer to First Sister.
“Did she forget she was just in the river?” she asked in low tones.
“I think that humans just store their memory vines differently than we do,” First Sister observed.
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