Chapter 13
The default sexual orientation for all human fetus
brains is female for the first eight weeks of development. But for reasons not totally understood, males,
that is the ones with both an X and a Y chromosome, suddenly get a massive
infusion of testosterone at about 8 weeks, which causes the brain to suddenly
make space in and around the hypothalamus for sexual pursuit, problem solving,
spacial awareness, muscular coordination, pecking order hierarchy, aggression
and in the core of the most primitive area of the brain, the amygdala, the
alarm system for threats, fear and danger.
Roger stiffened as he noticed a small hut nestled in
the shadow of a huge corkwood tree in front of him and Patty. As they got closer, he and Patty laid down in
the grass and crawled around to the front of the hut where they watched an old
woman and some young children on the front verandah.
They had managed to find a trail, probably a game
trail from forest elephants, which meandered through the jungle along the creek.
“What should we do?” Patty asked.
“Just sit tight for a bit. Let’s see if they have
the bonobo.”
An old woman was sitting with the children and at
least one other woman was in the hut.
As they watched, Roger checked his .38 and tucked it
back into the holster on his belt. The
AK47 had about 25 rounds in a banana clip and was good to go. He checked his
watch. 18:20 hours. Several minutes went by. Then the woman from inside the hut
stepped out carrying a bonobo.
“Bingo. There it is, Let’s go.”
“Wait!” Patty’s heart took off like a speeding
freight train. Roger had stood up and was walking towards the hut, weapon at
the ready. She fell in behind him, trying not to get shot as she cautiously
peaked around him.
Roger called out a greeting to the hut as he got
within yelling distance. The old woman gasped
and started hustling the children into the hut, while the other woman handed
her the bonobo. Roger stopped. He stepped to the side so they could see Patty.
He spoke in Swahili, telling them that he and Patty meant no harm and that they
came for the bonobo. The woman answered him. The old woman came back out
carrying the bonobo. She asked a question.
“She wants to know what happened to their men.”
Roger spoke to the old woman and she answered back a couple of times.
“Go ahead Patty. Go get the bonobo. She says we can
have it.”
Patty looked at him incredulously.
“Go ahead. I’ve got your back.” He smiled.
Patty slowly walked towards the women. The bonobo was handed from woman to woman to
woman. Patty took it with a quiet nod
and walked back to Roger.
“See? Easey
peasey.” He spoke again to the women.
“What did you tell them about their men?”
“Oh no more than I had to. Let’s go.” They continued
on the trail past the hut, down the trail beside the creek. Patty’s heart was
still racing but gradually she calmed down.
Roger looked back at the women who had gone into the
hut. “Here, let me see the bonobo.”
Roger stopped and held the young bonobo up.
“She’s a year old, maybe a little older.”
“It’s a girl?
She’s adorable.” Patty laughed, her uterus flipping as she took back the
bonobo.
The young bonobo was asleep, sucking its thumb while
it curled up in a ball. He handed it to
Patty.
“We better get it to the camp unless you think you
can feed it?”
Patty slapped Roger playfully. “Yea I don’t think
so.”
“So what now?” Patty asked as they started walking
again.
“Well unless you want a hungry bonobo on your hands,
we better get back. I’m betting this trail will follow the creek right down the
valley.”
Roger switched his radio on. “Mike Cooper, are you on. Roger to Mike,
over.”
The radio cackled for a moment. “Go ahead Rodge, this is Mike.”
“Yes Mike, all is well. We have the package and are
headed back down a trail along the creek.”
“Ten four. Stay in touch.”
Roger spoke to Patty. “There. See?
I learned a long time ago that it’s better to ask forgiveness than it is
to seek permission. All is well.”
Roger pulled a machete out of his pack and led the
way down the trail. Patty followed a few steps behind as she watched out for
the swinging machete and branches that snapped back at her face. She was hopelessly lost and relying on
Roger’s spacial awareness, among other things.
As evening fell on the Congo, the baby bonobo began
to squirm. “I think she’s getting hungry” Patty called ahead to Roger.
“No problem. Let me find her something to eat.” Roger stopped a few minutes later. He reached high up over his head and
liberated a bunch of bananas with a two-handed slash of his machete.
“Here.” He
handed a couple of smaller bananas to Patty.
“Will she run away if I set her down?”
“Maybe. Just wrap that tie on her leg around your
wrist.”
Patty squatted down in the grass and released the
young bonobo. She spoke in a candy sweet
voice, “Here you go….”
“Do I just give it to her or should I peel it?”
“Just break the end off of it for her.”
Patty went to break the stem off of the banana.
“No no, the other end. Only humans open a banana from the stem. Just
twist the top of the banana off.”
Patty twisted the top of the banana off and waved it
under the bonobo’s nose. The bonobo snapped the banana from Patty’s hand. It
sat up and took several bites of the banana, peeling it back.
“Good... very good. Yes she knows what she is doing.”
Roger opened his pack and pulled out a bottle of
water. He offered it to the bonobo.
The bonobo dropped the banana and began to drink
from the water bottle with Roger’s help.
“Oh the poor thing is so thirsty.” Said Patty. She
picked up the banana and handed it back to the bonobo.
Patty and Roger both ate a banana and drank some
water.
“How much further?” asked Patty.
“Not far. Do
you see that brown spot on the mountain over there?” he pointed across the
valley.
“Yes.”
“It’s right across from the second camp I think, so
if we head this way, we will come onto the main trail up this valley. I’d say it’s less than 2 kilometers. If we don’t want to bushwhack our way across
there, we can just stay on this trail and it’s bound to take us down to the
river eventually. This creek will end up at the river.”
Patty shrugged.
“Whatever you think. I just don’t want to spend the night out here.” She
listened to the croaks, howls, and screeches in the surrounding forest.
“No worries.” Roger stood up and shouldered his pack
while Patty bundled up the bonobo.
“Let’s do some bushwhacking.” Roger said as he took
a visual on the clear cut across the valley.
He headed out, chopping limbs and branches as he cleared the way.
Roger and Patty slashed their way through the jungle
until they came onto a trail which they followed down into the valley. Just as the evening twilight faded into
darkness they heard the beating of African drums and walked into camp somewhat
exhausted.
