The Chronicles of Amon book 1 LINK

  Chapter 7.

  Childhood was a wonderful time for the young human. He was inquisitive, like any other youngster, always poking into one thing or another, investigating this, experimenting with that. His world was literally filled with new and exciting things to do and see. Every sound, every smell, every sensation filled him with awe. The jungle was the perfect playground for this first generation of homo-sapiens: Trees to climb, water to play in, endless things to investigate.

  He was born with the capability of speech. But because he was essentially alone in this respect, he rarely used this ability. He simply had no need. Communication with his parents was no different than that of any other advanced primate. Apart from the names he had chosen for his parents, he had no need for language.

  When he was very young, he remembered, his father sometimes left during the day and would be gone for a long time. He would always come back just before nightfall. Then he would sit on the edge of the nest for what seemed to him to be a very long time. Sometimes it would be so dark that he feared his father had left. But eventually the nest would quiver slightly and then his father’s silhouette would come into view.

  The young father had continued being vigilant. But since the birth of his son, he had experienced growing concern for their safety. Life in this environment was difficult under the best of circumstances. Before, there had been the family unit, the clan, a built-in support system. There were baby sitters, security. Here, there was only what he could provide. Ma-m-ma (he couldn’t say it, but this was how he thought of her now) was so busy with the baby that it was all she could do to look out for herself and the child.

  He had ventured further outward every day, scouting for any signs of danger, expanding the safety perimeter around his new family.

  One afternoon just as he was preparing for the return trip, he heard a faint sound in the distance, opposite the direction of the sun, moving toward the horizon. This couldn’t be ignored, he had to find out what had made the sound. It could be danger, or it could be food. It was never nothing.

  Moving forward as quietly as he could, he stopped every few steps and listened. The sound was a little more distinct. The sound was familiar . . . but that didn’t make sense. The clan (the ‘others’), was another day away from here. They made those sounds, no one in the jungle made sounded just like them. It couldn’t be them. It had to be. . . .

  He glimpsed movement ahead. Frozen in position, he saw a face pointed straight in his direction. He hadn’t been seen though. He inched forward slowly on all-fours, a stone clutched in each hand. The rustling grew louder.

  Ever so slowly, he raised his head, peering carefully over the top of an old, rotten log. A termite scurried over his upper lip, then fell off the other side. He didn’t notice. He was awed at the sight before him.

  There in a small clearing just ahead were four individuals. They had obviously paired off, the couples sat on opposite sides of the clearing. One of the females held an infant in her arms. It looked almost identical to his son!

  They all got up at the same time and started moving off into the growing shadows. It looked like they were settling in for the night. He waited until they were out of sight. Then he sat down with a thump, letting the stone fall from his grasp.

  There were OTHERS! Others like HIM! He knew they were like him! He could see the difference! Their mannerisms were different, more deliberate, less random.

  And there were FOUR of them. Two mated pairs. And they were cooperating. At least it appeared that way. And one couple had a CHILD. One that looked like HIS SON.

  What should he do now? He was almost frantic with excitement. Here was an opportunity he had never considered. Many of the struggles he and his mate were having were the result of them being alone, away from the clan in which they had been raised. A large family made it easier to find food. Also, there was security in numbers. Many pairs of eyes could watch larger areas, maintaining a 360 degree vigil, where just a few were limited in the area they could observe.

  For the females, a large family meant less work for the individual. Many young ones could be watched over by a single mother, at least for short periods of time, thus providing an opportunity for the other mothers to get a momentary break from the routine of raising their young. His mind raced with the possibilities.

  Was it possible that he and Ma-m-ma could join this group? He had no inkling of what problems might present themselves in such a group. All he really understood was that family life was easier than a solitary existence.

  His only experience had been in his original family group. The routines of daily living weren’t much different there than what he had now. But foraging and security were quite another matter.

  Carefully and quietly he backed away from the clearing, making sure no one saw his departure. When he felt he was far enough away that he wouldn’t be seen or heard, he turned away and took up a loping gate, running on all fours. At this pace he continued non-stop all the way back to where he had left his family.

  That evening was one of frenetic activity on his part, and uneasy confusion on her part. It quickly became evident to her that communication between them was becoming a major problem. Her mate kept scurrying around excitedly, grunting and yapping. Then he’d stop to face her. He’d begin pointing first to his eye, then pounding himself on the chest, then stand there unmoving, staring at her. After a few seconds pause he’d grunt, exhale loudly, and begin the routine again.

  She had no idea what it was he was trying to convey. She had never seen him so agitated. Trying to calm him, she reached out and gently touched his arm. The lightness of the touch caused him to pause and look questioningly in her direction. She tugged gently, encouraging him to come sit beside her. As he sat down, she took the infant from her breast and placed it carefully into his arms.

  The effect was immediate. His son lay there cooing to himself, gently twisting the thick fur on his father’s arm. A contented expression flowed over his face. The adventure of the day seemed to fade as he gazed into his son’s innocent eyes.

  Feeling the tension ebb in her mate’s body, the young female leaned back contentedly and began to slowly and gently groom the top of his head.