When the sun dropped below the horizon, Tia found her way back to the path that led to her village. As she walked past her uncle’s place, she heard her little brother calling her name.
“I’m here Jack,” Tia said as she walked toward their main home.
“There you are. Pa has been wondering where you’ve been,” Jack fluttered in front of her.
“Is Pa home? I’ve got some important news to discuss with him,” Tia said.
“Yes, he’s finishing his dinner,” Jack landed and walked beside her.
As they walked home together, Tia asked Jack if he had ever seen a bugger before. When he said no, she tried to explain what the little creature looked like. He told her that one day when he wandered further into the forest, he saw movement up high in the trees but didn’t see anything.
“You weren’t curious enough to fly up there to see what it might have been?” Tia asked.
“No, I was kind of busy that day,” Jack plucked a plum off the tree in front of their home.
Tia walked into their main home and saw Pa sitting at their dining table. He had just wiped his mouth and licked his lips.
“Where have you been Tia? I was starting to worry when you weren’t here before dark?” Pa asked.
Ma looked at Tia, smiled, and put a plate of greens and sprouts for her on the table.
“Thank you Ma,” Tia sat down at the table. “I’m sorry Pa, I didn’t mean to make you worry. But I have something important to tell you.”
Tia hoped that her father wouldn’t get angry with her for going to the edge of the forest. But she knew that she had to tell him what she saw. Jack then plopped down on a stump next to Tia and waited to hear what she was going to say. Tia first nibbled on some of the sprouts that were in front of her, and then cleared her throat. She told her Pa and Ma what cousin Bo told her two days ago. Then she explained that she had to see for herself before telling anyone. Tia told her Pa that she saw the humans cutting down and removing more trees, and building more structures.
“Pa, I’m worried. I think the humans are going to take away our home soon. They are taking our forest away,” Tia began to cry.
Ma walked up alongside Tia and caressed her arm. Pa looked at Tia and told her that he will tell the elders and they all will look into it.
“Don’t worry Tia, we’ll be alright,” Pa reached out and tapped her hand.
Tia smiled at her Pa and then looked up at her Ma. She felt somewhat relieved just by how her Pa reassured her. He has always had a way of making his family feel safe.
“Pa, do you think that we’ll have to move?” Jack asked.
“Like I said, us elders will look into it and see what can be done. Now, enough of this talk Jack. Tia, eat your dinner,” Pa smiled.
So, the rest of the evening, the thought of losing their community worried Tia, but she was also confident that her Pa would handle things. Pa knew that Tia was already upset about the situation so he wasn’t going to say anything about her going out to the edge of the forest by herself. Ma tried to soften the mood of the house by telling some stories of when she and their Pa first got together. Even though they have heard many stories of their Ma and Pa’s young life together, Ma always made them sound special but humorous.
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