🐘🏹 Umpa Hunts A Mammoth: Navigating Love and Laughter in the Stone Age and Beyond

Umpa woke up at dawn, feeling the chill cling to his shivering body despite the mammoth fur blanket enveloping both him and Anila. Glancing at the cave's entrance, he noticed the extinguished fire. "Damn, this woman... She should have tended to the fire before dozing off!" Upma was stressed. Yesterday, his hunting group had located a mammoth herd and coordinated a hunt first thing in the morning. Failure to leave early meant the herd would slip away.

He stepped out of the cave, cold and shivering, took a leak on a rock, and looked for fire materials. Back at the cave, he took out the base and rounded stick and began vigorously rubbing them together. His hands were already aching, but his body warmed up. "At least I'm not so cold anymore," he mused. After several long minutes, enough smoke emitted from the wood. Carefully placing the ember in a pile of dry grass, he started to blow gently, tending to the ember as if it were a newborn baby. A few more minutes passed, and the flames flickered to life.

Umpa grabbed his spear, stone dagger and waterskin, glanced at the burning fire, Anila and the still-sleeping children before swiftly heading to the meeting point.

Anila stirred awake at the sound of their young daughter's hoarse cough. She had been awake almost all night due to the persistent coughing. Finally, just two hours before dawn, exhaustion took over, and she drifted off, failing to notice the extinguished fire. She observed the flames as the coughing subsided, allowing her to slip back into a light doze before the children start with their cacophony.

Umpa joined the hunters in a spacious clearing within the forest. This veteran, well-trained and coordinated group moved with precision, each member aware of their designated role. They left silently, stealthily moving towards the pasture area. Their well-practiced feet stepped softly and soundlessly on the ground. As they approached the forest's edge, tension mounted. Not far away was a mammoth herd, grazing at the field's boundary. A huge male paced about, guarding his females and young with dangerous authority. They knew if that male reached them, some might not make it home. Their only chance was separating the herd. They decided to wait until midday when the herd was full and sluggish from the heat. Posting a lookout at the treeline, they retreated into the woods to avoid the mammoths catching their scent.

After tense, silent hours, the hunters readied to attack, each knowing their role. Everyone knew their place. They targeted a young female - not too large. Her flash should be tender and tasty, just as expected. Upma was part of the attack group. Many hunters charged the herd, beating fiercely on wooden drums to create chaos and direct the animals. Umpa's heart raced wildly as an Adrenalin rush flooded his body. He galloped alongside three others towards the chosen female. Positioned directly in her path, Umpa planted his spear in the ground, his body drenched in sweat, his pounding heart ready to burst. The young mammoth fled, unaware of Umpa's presence. At just the right moment, Upma raised his spear diagonally, stepping on its edge. The spear pierced the beast's heart and she crashed down. Umpa shouted in a victorious roar, releasing all the tension from his body. Glancing up, he glimpsed one of the hunters sailing through the air, crashing down - a farewell gift by the furious alpha male, as he rejoined his fleeing herd.

The group rushed to the injured hunter, finding him alive but immobile, likely with broken bones.

Utterly exhausted, the hunters meticulously stripped the valuable skin off the mammoth and divided its flesh into manageable chunks. Wrapping the spoils in wide leaves and securing them on their backs, they began the slow journey back to the tribe, bearing the weight of their injured companion and the substantial load of meat.

Returning to his cave, Umpa was completely spent. He placed a large chunk of meat and the mammoth's heart on the ground, then, nearly collapsing, he sat on the cave floor. The children played joyfully outside. Right now, all Umpa needed was a quiet moment to gather himself after the strenuous hunt.

Anila entered the cave, carrying a bundle of plants and a leather bag filled with seeds and fruits. She welcomed Upma with a smile and loud applause, "Oh, wonderful! So much meat...this should last us for several days. I can sun-dry this meat, and it will stay delicious. Oh, I'm so glad you're back..."

Umpa felt his ears ringing; he was desperate for peace and quiet.

But Anila continued: "You must hear this. The little one coughed all night and I was terribly worried. I took her to our Shaman, and she gave me herbs to toss into the fire. She said those herbs will help her breathe better. You have no idea what it did for her, how it helped. And after the kids went out to play I went searching for plants and fruit. You know how much I love berries. I ran into Shamina. You can't even imagine what she looks like now... blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada, yek, yek, yek.........."

Umpa was reaching his breaking point. He couldn't bear another word. Rising with an aching body, he tossed at Anila, "Yeah, yeah, that's great..." and stormed out of the cave.

Anila called after him, "Wait, where are you going? I haven't finished telling you. You have to hear this."

But Upma kept walking; He desperately needed silence.

"You never listen to me. I can't take this anymore. All day long, I'm here in the cave, busy with the children. You're consumed with your concerns, and you simply never listen to me. It feels like you don't care about me. Maybe you don't love me anymore," she shouted at him.

Umpa felt as if someone had hit his head with a stone hammer. He retreated to sit alone in silence and returned to the cave only after a very long hour. Anila welcomed him with a silent, frowned face. Now he had the silence he so desperately needed. But Umpa didn't really feel well with it.

That night, Umpa and Anila slept under separate mammoth fur blankets, in different parts of the cave.

Does this story ring a bell? Are you also facing communication issues, misunderstandings, or feelings of separateness?

You are welcome to join me in my virtual cave. We'll sit around the fire 🔥 for an introductory session, where I'll explain how you can co-exist in wonderful harmony. Bring some hunt, but it will cost less than a mammoth's heart and breast.

To understand better what I can do for you, explore the couples' wall paintings on my cave wall. Have any burning questions? Beat on your drums and send me a message.

Oh, and do remember - if your Umpa or Anila is hesitant to leave the cave, feel free to join my fire on your own. It's just as beneficial.🔥