She clung hard to her knees, almost like she wanted to hug herself to bring her a certain peace,
The look in her felt similar to one I had on days when I went through a very hard phase.
I asked the locals for her story and it was indeed the most devastating one;
Bungee was previously one of the most playful members of the flange to which she belonged;
She spent her mornings ensuring the chants during their morning rituals were the loudest in her family despite their size; especially during the great call, which is the climax of the song, usually led by the female.
She would use the same high spirit later in the day to visit her friends; almost as if her presence was endorsed with a different kind of happiness;
One only Bungee could give.
If in the end she couldn't fully cheer you up, she would return with a gift before bed, just to ensure she contributed to your healing process.
Most times, the troop said she was wiser than her age.
Bungee had a friend she had discovered really early in her course of swinging around;
His parents were captured by poachers when he was really young. The poachers came to visit once every five years.
It was the period they dreaded the most, as more families were left unaided.
His series of soft, trembling whimpers led her to him; she fed him with the little food she gathered, for days, till she couldn't anymore, and took him to her flange.
Initially, her mom scolded her; they were the smallest flange in that area, and she always thought her mom was the laziest and didn't want to cater for a large one.
It was just Bungee and her brother. But her mom felt differently; she wanted a little family she could take care of — gibbons are monogamous in nature.
Adding her new friend meant a larger mouth to feed, but she promised she would help her mom through the course of it.
Bungee and her new friend grew up together, and she was happier having him by her side than she ever thought;
After years of genuine friendship and exploring, they decided they needed their own troop;
Bungee was the happiest, as she would settle down with the guy she grew up with and spend her remaining lifespan loving him.
She thought of how large her family would be and how dearly she would love them;
Not long after her first child, the poachers returned and snatched her infant that was suckling at her breast, and took the guy she loved the most.
The jungle was silent for weeks, as her absence from the morning ritual was greatly felt.
She sat on the same branch her family was taken from, day and night, with her shoulders hunched; her head dropped, with her long arms clutched around her chest.
