Dum shines (Dum tales 9)

                                          Wah-Wah with Dong

Dum rose early the next day after Yum had eaten the poisoned berries. She had slept the night and did not hear Wah-Wah cry as she was so ill. Dum now moved away from her to be near the entrance. Dum looked at all the mothers in the cave and approached a woman whose child was still feeding from her but was also eating other things. Dum indicated that Yum was ill and pointed to Wah-Wah then to the woman’s breasts. She looked nervously around to see if her husband was there and seeing he wasn’t, nodded doubtfully.

Wah-Wah wasn’t sure either and he kept turning back to look at Dum for reassurance but he eventually suckled. As the woman whose name was Dong-Dong settled back to feed the baby, she looked up at Dum and indicated he should go by shooing him away. Dum was uncertain but he crawled a little way away and sat down near the entrance looking out for her husband.

After Wah-Wah had fed, Dong called to Dum and smiling handed him back. She then put her finger to her lips and to indicate they should keep quiet. Dum shook his head and drew in the sand a picture of him talking to another man, her husband, with their spears on the ground. Dong looked doubtful but finally agreed Dum should ask her husband for Dong’s approval and Dum would give him something.

All day Dum tried to think what to give him. Then just as the sun was setting and after Wah-Wah had had two more feeds with Dong he saw Grunt, Dong’s husband coming home with a rabbit slung over his shoulder. He decided give him a basket and indicate he wanted Dong to feed Wah-Wah.

He went back in the cave to Yum who was barely awake and let her hold Wah-Wah and grabbed a basket and went to talk to Grunt.. He beckoned for Grunt to follow him to where Yum was and showed him that she was ill and Wah-Wah needed food. He pointed back to where Dong was and indicated she could feed him in exchange for the basket.

Grunt looked closely at Yum and could see she was falling sleep again and wasn’t even holding Wah-Wah properly; he then looked back at Dong who was feeding their own child with water while starting to skin the rabbit he had given her before throwing it on the fire to cook. He knew Dong would chew the rabbit meat up then put it their baby's mouth as he already was putting everything else in.

Grunt looked down at the basket, tested its strength and then nodded. Suddenly he looked as though he would change his mind. He grabbed hold of Dum pointed to Dong, shook his head and put his fist in Dum’s face to show him he wasn’t to touch Dong.

Dum almost made the mistake of offering him another basket, but then realised that might mean he would give more to have her as well, so he just nodded and bent down over Yum and touched her face tenderly. That was enough for Grunt who laughed at the thought of Dong wanting Dum who only had one eye.

So Wah-Wah was fed by Dong and after a few days Yum was feeling much better and ravenous for food and looking well again. She went down in the bushes each day with Dum and the baby and expressed her milk until Dum was satisfied that the poison would have gone from her body.

Yum knew Dum had been a good father and she went to talk to Dong to thank her too. Dong loved having the basket that Dum had made. She asked Yum if Dum could teach her how to make one. Yum shook her head and said the two of them could make one together. Dong was quite happy with that and didn't look disappointed that Dum would not approach her again.