Yum-Yum has her baby (Dum tales 6)

Every night Dum and Yum curled up together. She was very big now and didn’t hit him like she used to. He was able to put his face close to hers and breathe in her scent and to nibble at her cheek and her lips, her ears and nose with his lips. She liked him fussing over her and drawing pictures on her bare flesh. When he did this she would sigh with happiness and fall asleep. Early one morning when it was still dark he woke up to hear her moaning and struggling to get up. He helped her to get to the entrance of the cave and in the dim light before sunrise she turned to him and pushed him in the face indicating he wasn’t to follow her. It was a gentle gesture and showed her love for him but he didn’t want to leave her when there was a chance of danger from wild animals. She sensed this and this time she reluctantly showed him her fist in the half light, turned and staggered away.

Dum watched her go and then followed behind quietly at a distance trying not to be seen. Then all of a sudden there were two women pushing him out the way. The first asked “Yum?” so he pointed to where she had gone. The other glared at him shook her head and pointed back to the cave. So Dum returned to the cave and sat outside waiting. 

The sun rose and the birds started singing and while he was waiting Dum started stripping leaves from the trees to make a bed for the baby. Then he thought about the baskets he had made to carry fruit and shellfish so he started making another basket. It had to be bigger than the ones he had made before so he made one longer than his forearm and by the time he had finished it the leaves he had gathered were going limp and soft so he gathered them up and placed them in the basket.

Yum was very pleased when she came home with the baby and saw what he had done but didn’t put baby in it. She cradled him in her arms shading its eyes from the light and then sat with her back to the rocks nursing it. She looked up saw Dum looking awkward so she patted the ground beside her for him to sit down too. She took his hand let him touch the baby then sat back and tried to get the baby to suckle. Yum smiled when she saw the look in Dum’s eye.

Dum then pointed to the baby and looked at Yum quizzically. He then pointed to Yum and said "Yum", he then pointed to himself and said "Dum" then pointed to the baby again and suggested "Bum?" Yum looked strangely at him then shook her head vigorously and was just going to say something when the baby opened its mouth and cried. Yum immediately smiled and then said "Wah-Wah" pointing to the baby.

Dum then repeated the name "Wah-Wah" and the baby half opened his eyes and stared at him. So Yum smiled and making baby talk said in baby talk "Duh-Duh" as she pointed to Dum showing Wah-Wah his daddy.