View over the ocean (Dum Tales no 30)

It was a beautiful morning. The skies were blue and the air was still and there was barely a cloud in the sky. Song walked through the village and saw that Dum was repairing a post in the barricade around the settlement that kept wild animals away at night. Yum sat outside their hut threading shells on a small necklet for one of the children of the village.

“Let’s go for a walk” invited Song. “I know a place where there is a great view of the sea". She pointed to the hills behind them, “Dum can come too.”

“What are you planning, Song?” Yum asked.

Song smiled, “I have a yearning. I want more; I want to see more; I want to learn more.”

Yum looked sadly at Song as they walked along, “Sometimes happiness is staying still, just living our lives in safety.”

Dum finished finished his work and caught up with them. It was just the three adults as the children had been left safely behind within the village playing with their friends.

They climbed higher up the mountainside than they had ever done before. A light breeze blew their hair and the smell of the trees and the flowers was much different than on the plain and by the seashore.

Dum kept looking out to sea. He could see further than he had ever done before even with his one eye, as the air was so still and the sky so clear and the heat of summer was not yet upon them.

"I must rest" said Yum finding a small open area to look out over the ocean. Song sat as well and they noticed she extracted some nibbles for them to eat while they admired the view. While they chatted Yum continued to observe the horizon and suddenly called out, “Look, look far in the distance do you see what I see?” all the while pointing with her fingers to where she was looking. Dum of course only had one eye so he said “What is it you see?”

Song just smiled. “That is why we have come up here. When the sky is so clear we can see so very far, far away when we look out from here. I have seen it before. It looks like another land...I want to go there.”

Dum looked at Yum and Yum looked as though she would cry, for she loved Song for she was such a strong woman and knew so much. She did not want to lose her. So then Dum asked Song “How will you get there?”

“Well Dum, you will build a boat for me...well, for us all perhaps. We should all see what is there. We have the ability, we have the courage and we have the love to explore our world.”

Yum looked doubtful, “What if it is terrible or dangerous there?”

Song put her hand on Yum’s face “Then we will come back” she smiled. “But remember we have much to trade.”

So this was the day that man instead of wandering by foot on land decided to explore the world by sea.

Note that Song’s reference to their having much to trade was of course their knowledge.

I cannot guarantee that we shall hear any more of Dum's family but there is always a chance my time machine will take me back there again.

Image found at www.spatialdrift.com