Draft of a short story

The Work of Wasps It's hard to remember now whether the nest belonged to hornets or to paper wasps, but she's inclined to believe the latter, but she seemed to recall there were 2 sets of papery wings, which would indicate hornets. But, she's not certain. So, Minda shall assume paper wasps, aka subfamily Polistinae, and akin to Vespidae, of the order of Hymenoptera. The window has now been closed in her current house, as not to invite the wasps who have for the past 2 years frequented this house to return. She does this, not for any love for the new human who will indwell the house at 3020 N.W. 71 Street in Oklahoma City, but to spare the wasps certain annihilation at Homo Sapien's hands. She in her new home will again welcome any wasps who choose her abode for nest building. She assumes they will chew a lot of plant stems and keep houseflies at bay. She pronounces the wasp social gathering and colony good. The queen, the drones, and the workers are not her enemies. Their venom is the only fluid she need fear, and she has no intention of getting stung. She respects them and believes that they will not bother her unless she disturbs them. The possible destruction of parts of the house are minimal, and the wasps are certainly welcome to partake. It's not that important. The wasp nest building began in earnest in the Spring of 2009, and they manifested faithfully after that; the insects for the 2nd time chose the bedroom window that faced the south. She supposed it was because of easy access, the outer window being opened and all, but the location of the sun could have played a part as well. She knew that they gravitated and rested on the window when the sun hit it, for warmth, and perhaps that was why they chose that specific location. She was convinced it was not randomly chosen. Fascinated, she stood at the window watching the wasps work in the nest, their chewing and affixing the paper to the expanding nest steady and determined. Little relaxation was to be had. They wanted survival. As with this careful observation, she regarded all types of creatures with reverence and respect, seeking to learn factual information about them by watching them and conducting basic research online, research that corroborated her idea that no living entity in and of itself was “evil,” it was the humans who chose to apply the term “evil” to the creatures that were around them, when in fact, co-existence was a necessary fact of life. This is how silly wars started, and God had nothing to do with human contrariness, from the beginning. If indeed, as some argue, “God created all,” then how is this basic concept so forgotten in the day to day of life. Why is not more acceptance the norm? Lack of war and pacifism is not weakness. Her allergies to wasps was not relevant. They deserved a fair shake. Wasps, like humans, are social creatures, and in groups they help the others “build,” not “tear down.” Certainly, if humans try to intercede and bother the wasps, they will sting, but not because they're evil. They, like us, want to protect and hold onto what belongs to them. We protect our “space” too; the higher the mammal, the more elaborate the weapons we use in order to protect what is ours. If “evil” is the foundation, then humans who strive to protect their homes from outsiders are “evil” as well, and no creature is “more demonic” than any other. She, like them, was misunderstood. She'd sting, and look ominous, but would die when “stepped upon.” It withered her, just like they would die when simply crushed by some larger human. Unneccessary. Some friends were convinced that certain creatures were evil, based upon how they looked, being homely, or whether they were poisonous. Snakes and spiders, in particular, received unwarranted slander based upon a human interpretation and perception about useless cobwebs or some other silly trivial matters. She was advised repeatedly, in reference to the wasp nest, “you need to tear that down,” or “Spray it with Raid, kill them, and then avoid having that happen again.” The latter she certainly could agree with, but she refused to kill the wasps. There was no logic to simply slaughtering them, she did not mind their presence, and would stand for hours, marveling at how they moved as one social unit. She was, mindful of them, however, being that she was highly allergic. She did not want to be stung, but saw no reason to hurt them for simply choosing her bedroom window as the place to plant themselves and care for the Queen. They worked hard to establish this nest, and it grew and grew. “Fascinating” she would say excitedly to her mother. “They work and work.” Prejudice is the real sin. She was convinced, and stated this frequently. “Prejudice and anger destroy,” and even the tiniest of life, even venomous wasps, had a role to play upon the Earth. Who decided that they were of no use? Or, was the girl who watched them naïve and too innocent in her mind? She preferred trust, because she was cynical and jaded enough, and loving innocent creatures helped keep her faith somewhat strong, in the goodness of all life that existed upon the Earth. Nothing was not important, she was convinced. They all played a part in a “Master Plan,” for lack of better terminology. God does not make “junk.” The nest is empty now, and she watched the wasps fly away to newer horizons, and those who stayed as the fall beckoned clustered, and the 4 or 5 who huddled in the window warmed one another, she thought. It seemed to be the norm for them to huddle, like football players, for they needed the others. She peered out the window daily as the cold set in, and one day they were all gone. She gazed at the bottom of the window, and did not see any wasp carcasses, so she assumed that they had managed to get out, for by now she had decided that the window should be closed against further intrustion by the wasps. She knew a new homeowner would, in all liklihood, not be as nice to them as she had been in her 10 years in this house. She left the outer window open an inch, and somehow they were smart enough to figure it out and all had eventually flown. That was the hope that sustained her heart. Smart, smart of them. Since winter arrived she could now fully close the window in order to prevent new wasps from flying into this window again and building a new nest. The nest was now beginning to dry and crumble. As of now, however, the window is still open about an inch, but she frets. She does not want any wasp to die because of lack of understanding on the new homeowner. She prefers now to doing her part to keep the wasps completely out, so she plans to close the window fully before spring. It will save wasp lives. She doesn't expect people to understand this level of commitment to other creatures. She even hates to kill flies and tries to shoo them from the house as much as possible. She has swatted flies, and is nearly beside herself that she as a human has the capacity to kill even a small insect. It is not in her character to destroy. “The notion that human life is sacred just because it is human life is medieval.” ― Peter Singer All the arguments to prove man's superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering the animals are our equals.” Peter Singer quote

Too long

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