The group of adults chat in the shade of a palm tree. The child finds this tree sinister: its endless trunk resembles a succession of large scales that decrease in size as they rise in height. All palm trees have a similar history: the aged palms eventually fall off, leaving traces of their location on the trunk. The result is a kind of vertical crocodile, without a smiling mouth or cleaning oxpeckers. The top retains a tuft of greenery, sometimes located a long way from the ground.
The hedge is much more lively! So many birds! They have invaded the edge of the garden and part of the adjacent savanna. Only a few leaves remain here and there. The bare branches bear several nests and form a strange pattern in the seraphic sky.
Early this morning, their cloud descended on the area. They are weavers. Brilliant acrobats and tireless workers, they built their nests in no time at all! To do so, they did not hesitate to ravage the foliage of the host trees. They also plundered neighboring species with leaves that are easy to manipulate. "When there are many of them, they already cause damage! But today, we can talk about a total disaster! They are worse than locusts! If only the Major could see this!
In the meantime, here is the young explorer, who has once again escaped his mother's supervision! Attracted by this spectacular commotion, he wanders beneath the aerial city. What a racket! Deafening, so loud that it pierces his head! It even drowns out the noise of the big engine generating electricity, sheltered in a small room away from the house.
Watching, head up, the incessant comings and goings of these tireless craftsmen eventually makes him feel dizzy, and the child soon falls on his backside. He remains in this position, which is less risky anyway, and enjoys the racket, laughs at the chases between irascible neighbors, points at the heads of the females peeking out of the openings to examine this small mammal with one inquisitive eye, then the other. The size of a large sparrow, they have thick, black beaks. They splash the vegetation with bright colors. The females are bright yellow and many of them are already leaving their nuptial chamber. Their suitors are dressed like princes! Their shimmering plumage offers a palette of colors ranging from metallic black for the head, nape, and bib to the same yellow as their mate's for the neck and belly. Yellow and black feathers cover their backs and wings, alternating in regular patterns. An impressive detail is their red eyes, which give them a perpetually angry look.
So much movement! It seems as if they cannot stay still for more than a second. Some have not yet finished their work and must fly off to collect leaves located further and further away. Their incessant comings and goings fill the space with rustling and cries. A soft, warm shock tickles the back of his head. He puts his hand there and fiddles with his hair. It's wet and slimy. He brings back the fruit of his collection and finds himself faced with a brownish substance with stringy white traces, almost liquid, giving off a strong, unpleasant odor, but whose appearance is reminiscent of a chocolate dessert with vanilla cream. What could it taste like? Let's try it! Disgusting! Pungent! And astringent!
He gets up, spits out the foul-tasting substance, then rushes to the family home to seek help and assistance. At the last moment, he slows down and turns away from the living room where the adults have taken refuge. He heads for the kitchen in the hope of finding Maama or her husband, vaguely aware that their reaction will be less severe than Grandmother's. He feels it is better to face an African hill than the Antwerp fortress! Alas! No one is in the kitchen! He sneaks into the living room but is immediately spotted! Female screams of horror instantly drown out the chatter of the sparrows.