“Goo! Gooo!!!” I heard Zte calling from outside the banquet cave.
I nodded for Zta, who agreed to take Roon’s place to signal Joog to start carving the mammoth but not before sharing the proudest moment of our lives. Our little girl! The youngest signaler in Homo history! All future Homo’s would know about this. Definitely going on the cave! Even if I had to draw it myself.
Zta silently told me to stay cool.
“Gooooooooog!!!! Zte was giving her last signal, framed by beams of light from the setting sun, standing in the middle of the cave entrance, arms straight up in the air. That’s the drawing! I felt myself about to tear up. Zta had warned me against this. Don’t make her feel like it’s a big deal. She just wants to be part of the team. Treat her like part of the team!
I realized she was calling my name. I told her to call me, but I didn’t say how. Normally she’d call me Da, but now, she called me by my name. “Gooog”. She wasn’t there with the r’s yet. I couldn’t be more proud! Later on, I’d take her on break with me and let food fall into my beard. I’d let it pile up then act surprised that it was there. That got her every time! She’d be laughing for moons!
Zte ran to Keen who had placed stones near the entrance for her to stand on. Her next job was to hand out welcome drinks. He mimed scooping the drinks into hollowed out stones, Zte practiced holding them up then giving them out.
So steady! Such a welcoming smile on her face! She even said “Hi!” each time she pretended to give one out! I’d never seen that!
I saw the future of great feasts!