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When she had pointed to the winged insect to ask what it was called she’d not yet had a name. She was sure the humans at the zoo had called her something, but her mind could not yet recall it. So when Maurice had explained that what she’d pointed to was a moth that was the name she’d taken. Not knowing that the insect was different from the butterflies she so often had chased in her cage. They represented brief moments of time during her captivity where she felt joy. They also represented freedom and as she was now permitted to roam as she wished she wanted to be called after them.
Moth tried to pick up on the hand language the others used. Yet while her mind seemed able to read it her hands seemed unable to keep up. If another signed something she did not understand she would ask them to say it another way. Most tolerated this to a point, but there were a few who would outright ignore her request and simply continue speaking. Leaving her behind in the conversation. It made her grateful for Maurice’s patience and even more so for the fact Caesar seemed to prefer to speak his mind out loud rather than with sign.
She sat with the orangutan now. Surrounded on both sides by infants and a handful of others closer to her age who had also come from the zoo. All those from the zoo seemed to struggle with picking up the hand language compared to those from the shelter and lab. As Maurice went over the words they were meant to be learning, Moth's mind began to wander and instead she took to observing the apes go about their day in their new home. The gorillas were just changing who was on guard, she noticed that Luca had not returned with the old shift nor was he going out with the new one. She assumed he must still be at his post and admired his determination to stick to the job he’d assigned himself even if he must be exhausted. In the open area of their home she spotted Rocket’s young son Ash playing with Caesar’s boy Blue Eyes along with two others that went by Fox and Flint. Part of her was relieved to not see the strange half ape among them even though she knew it was a rarity to view him outside the alpha’s oak. Chocolate brown eyes ran over other apes, looking for something in particular without knowing it. Coming to rest on the only other bonobo within the troop as he conversed with Grey and Stone. Koba stopped midsign as if he felt her eyes on him and she quickly turned her attention back to the orang as the other’s attention turned to her.
Maurice’s expression quickly changed from one of gentle understanding to harsh scrutiny. Quickly signing something that was too advanced for Moth to understand. Looking back over her shoulder once more she watched Koba huff and signal for his friends to move out of view of the class.
The scene played over and over again in the ape’s mind as the lesson continued. By the end she was certain she hadn’t retained any of the new words her teacher had been trying to help them understand. As the class dispersed Moth lagged behind, waiting for the orangutan to be free so she could talk with him in private.
Sensing her presence looming behind him as he cleaned up the materials for the day he decided to approach her first. “What is it?”
“What Koba say?” Moth asked, feeling the familiar bite at the back of her throat as she spoke.
Maurice frowned and shook his head.
“What say?” She pressed.
He released a heavy sigh, “Koba called apes caterpillar.”
Her brows furrowed, head tilting slightly in her confusion. Perhaps she had misunderstood him? Or perhaps he had not understood Koba? “Caterpillar?”
The other simply nodded which only caused the furrow in her brow to deepen.
“Moth is caterpillar.” She replied.
Now it was Maurice who was tilting his head in confusion. Shaking his head in an adamant no.
“Moth saw caterpillar make shelter then moth leave shelter.” She tried her best to sign this, hoping her attempt would not only please him, but also help to better get her point across. “Caterpillar moth.”
Slowly he nodded. While he had not witnessed this oddity as often as she had, he had seen it occur at least once since they’d entered Muir woods. Others had asked him to explain it, but he had no way to. It was as alien to him as the question of how the humans were able to fly in their machines. Still it happened whether he understood it or not. “Koba use in mean way.” He tried to explain.
“Why?” She asked.
“Koba think ape can not sign are caterpillar.” The orang replied.
The bonobo frowned, once again lost in the conversation. “I am.” She repeated, pointing to herself emphatically.
Maurice simply signed and shook his head again. He was patient, easily the most patient of everyone in the troop. He knew when to give up though. Resting a gentle palm on her shoulder he smiled. “You will understand in time.” He left her then, leaving her more befuddled than ever.
She wanted to understand now. How was it rude to call somebody what they were? Was it because she was named Moth not Caterpillar? Perhaps Koba was the only other one who understood that caterpillars and moths were the same thing? She scratched her head in her confusion. A stray pondering of when she had last been groomed distracted her from her musing momentarily. Was it possible to complete both tasks in one? This question was promptly followed by another. When was the last time she had seen Koba be groomed? The more she thought about it the more she was sure she hadn’t.
Finding Koba was easy as he tended to stay around one of two places when inside the ape’s home. He was still conversing with Stone and Grey. Though from watching the trio for a moment she felt it was perhaps more like he was conversing at them as neither seemed to give much input themselves. She would have liked to know what he was saying, but with his back to her it was impossible to read his hands. Five eyes focused on her approach, but realizing who it was seemed to dismiss her quickly to return to their chat. Nervous but undeterred, the bonobo continued her approach. Stopping within arms reach of Koba she faltered. She had yet to figure out what the exact proper decorum was for approaching another with the desire to be groomed. With Maurice she simply asked, others however had taken offense to this. So she decided to try a new approach. As the other three continued to pay her no mind she slowly reached out a hand, fingers outstretched she let them gingerly comb over his fur.
Immediately he whipped around with a snarl. “What doing?” He barked.
Quickly she retracted her hand, pulling into herself somewhat. “Moth groom Koba.” She explained and all three sets of eyes blinked at her in confusion. Moth retreated more, taking a physical step back from them. It was unclear to her what boundary she had broken, yet she felt nonetheless that she had broken one.
“Why?” The one-eyed bonobo finally asked after a long pause.
This question puzzled her. Was she supposed to have a reason for wanting to groom somebody? That had never been the case before. “Want to.” Was the best and easiest to explain reason she could come up with.
His eyes narrowed for a moment then he nodded. Turning back to his companions once more and picking up the conversation as if it had been uninterrupted.
She hesitated for a second before taking a few steps closer. While that still present unawakened nature helped to guide her fingers she knew they were unpracticed. Other apes were able to skillfully pluck debris and insects from other’s fur without snagging or tugging. Moth was not as skilled at this yet and on a few occasions Koba would look over his shoulder at her with a sneer if she pulled too hard at his fur. Her progress was also slow, hindered by an untrained eye. Skilled apes would quickly pick over a spot once, combing it not just with their fingers, but their eyes as well. If they spotted nothing they would move on to the next section of fur. Untrained, Moth would pause in her grooming to make sure the skin was clear of lice and salt and to be sure she’d pulled all the small bits of leaf and twig from the fur. By the time she was only half done Stone and Grey had finished talking and were beginning to depart. They gave no sign to her as they made their way to their individual dens. With them finally gone though the bonobo felt she could finally try to put voice to her question.
“Moth caterpillar?” She asked. Koba remained silent so she tried again. “Me caterpillar?”
He huffed, “Koba wrong.” The words were signed close to his body which made it hard for her to read them. “You ape.”
“Moth is caterpillar.” She insisted, finding herself more lost than she’d been when talking with Maurice.
Teeth bared, he let out a loud bark as he pulled away from her and turned to face her head on. “You mock Koba!”
Moth shook her head fervently, “No!” A deep frown covered her features as her mind raced away. What had she said wrong? Had he not called her that? Had Maurice misunderstood? “Maurice say that what Koba say.”
Somehow his features got darker as he snarled. “Maurice lie!”
Fur standing on end from the tension she took a step back, lowering her posture as she’d seen others do when close to a fight. “Moth not angry Koba. Koba right.” She tried to explain with her hands despite their trembling. “Caterpillar-” She froze, not knowing the correct sign, “Become moth.”
Understanding seemed to finally come as the harshness of his features softened slightly. “Bug not ape.”
“Me ape,” She pointed to herself for emphasis, “and me bug.”
Koba shook his head, frustration still lingering. “Moth ape!” Sharply he poked his finger to her chest and then pointed to himself. “Koba ape. Bug bug.”
“Moth bug. Bug fly.” What she wanted to say was stuck at the tip of her tongue. Coherent in her mind, but unable to be voiced by her limited vocabulary.
“Bug free.” The words coming from his mouth and not her own sent a jolt down her spine.
She nodded once the strange chill had left her. “Free.”
Suddenly his face was much closer to hers, his one good eye staring directly into her own. Darting from her left eye to her right and then back again. “Green.” Something that was almost a smile tugged the corners of his mouth upwards. Chuffing to himself he turned away and began to make his way to his den nearly as quickly as he’d gotten in her face.
Moth sat there puzzled. She had come to him for answers yet had only gotten more questions. Confusion over his words mixed with an odd thrumming in her chest. As the sun began its descent below the trees she hoped sleep might help clear her mind. It at least couldn’t confuse her any more than her waking day had.