Leaves that Fly

With all the other Vaux children off doing chores for the community, Alwetis now had to determine where first to look for the absentee Gonyaul. He was known to be in a multitude of locations in the canopy when he disappeared, some more precarious than others. While thinking it through, her upward peripheral vision caught a very peculiar leaf gliding through the air from one of the higher platforms in the canopy. She would start there, though she was pretty sure after seeing a second peculiar leaf following the first, that is where she would find him.

Alwetis was getting additional exercise today as she worked her way upwards via the inclining bridges, ramps, ladders, steps, or self-elevating platforms via manual pulley. Eventually she made it to the sun salutation platform; however, Gonyaul was no where in sight. The platform had a series of oddly folded leaves, that caught her attention, randomly scattered about. Then she noticed another crash into the platform, which caused her to look up. Above her, straddling a thicker branch with his legs, was young Gonyaul folding a leaf and launching it out into the air. The leaf glided a good fifteen feet, almost like it was flying, before it lost altitude and plummeted down below; eventually crashing into a tree trunk before falling on the top of a structure's roof.

Alwesit was bewildered by what she saw, thinking ~This young Vaux is beyond belief sometimes.~ She snapped her fingers, loudly and with a particular rhythm, to capture his attention.

Gonyaul heard the snaps and froze. He realized he was busted and remained still. If he were lucky, perhaps the disciplinary snaps were not meant for him. When he slowly looked down below to see Orohc Alwetis looking up at him. He smiled, hoping that would disarm the stern look.

He received instead a gesture of her lifted snapping hand moving downward to point at the platform beneath her feet. Gonyaul obeyed without hesitation and nimbly climbed down to stand before her. He signed the respectful greeting for an Orohc and bowed.

Alwetis inspected his appearance. The braids in his hair were a little loose and his simple arisha ikeburer was likewise slightly disheveled; no doubt from all the climbing. In his hands was one of those peculiarly folded leaves. She signed, <Gonyaul, what are you up to?> trying to gather more information for understanding. She then extended her hand to retrieve the large leaf he was holding.

Gonyaul handed her the folded leaf and signed back, <I was pretending to be a yowler monkey that lost it's tail. And because I could no longer climb as well as the other monkeys, I was trying to find a way to fly like the birds.>

Alwetis arched an intrigued brow, <You were folding this leaf to make it fly?>

Gonyaul nodded and then looked around. Apparently he had made several renditions, some less successful than others, to get to the design he was currently working on.

Alwetis smirked, <How did you learn to do this?>

Gonyaul replied, <I observed the birds.>

Using nature to inspire innovation was nothing knew to Alwetis. The Vaux have and continue to use the designs of the flora and fauna of the jungle in order to create many things utilized in their infrastructure, architecture, engineering and innovation. What was interesting, Alwetis thought, was this was the first time she had ever seen anyone attempting the concept of flight. It added to her admiration of the young Vaux for thinking outside the box.

Alwetis could not resist her own curiosity as she admired the way he had folded the leaf to give it more of an avian form. <May I?> she asked and then gestured to throw it. With Gonyaul's smiling approval, she let it fly. It glided sixteen feet with a little bit of a curving arc to the left before gravity pulled it down and out of sight. She bowed to Gonyaul, which cut his victory dance short and transformed it into a quickly reciprocated bow, <Thank you for sharing your creativity with me.>