“Oi, what you up to bro,” shouted Mongko.

“What do you think I’m doing,” Nama replied

“Stop sleeping bro this is the land of opportunity, the land of the rising sun. What you doing sleeping,” Mongko tried to convince Nama.

“If you haven’t noticed, I am a nocturnal animal, I only come out at night,” Nama replied, irritated.

“Don’t get all roughed up brother, I was just checking if you wanted to hang out,” Mongko said.

“OK, just give me five minutes,” Nama replied.

Mongko decided to circle the area while waiting for Nama to lick his face. He was looking around when his eyes caught a small boy by the river bank fetching water. He quickly flew back to Namas tree to share what he had seen.

“Brother, just saw someone near the river bank fetching water, nothing interesting really just some boy fetching water,” Mongko said trying to get Nama into a conversation.

“So, what’s that got to do with me?” Nama snarled.

“Easy there mister grumpy, just trying to start up a conversation,” Mongko defended himself.

“I was just thinking, how humans have become the dominant animals in the forest,” Mongko said, trying to analyse.

“Yep, they’re the ones responsible for almost all the destruction in the forest,” Nama said, getting slowly interested in the conversation.

“I think we are happy because are free from their way of life, which seems so complicated,” Mongko said, still soaring over the valley.

“They build towns and everyone tries to work things out, but they fight and people get hurt,” he continued

“I can’t really understand that,” Nama replied. “It’s called human nature.”

“Which means?” said Mongko. “I just go down there to get a feed, otherwise I keep away from there.”

“I think they live like that because it is much easier to survive in this harsh world with help from others,” Nama tried to clarify. “They need each other and I think that’s the whole point of their existence.”

“Yes, well said,” Mongko agreed. “But they do seem to be struggling to make things work, you know, all the conflict and mourning.”

“They seem to pray each night for peace, I wonder who do they pray to?” Namah said puzzled.

“I heard a mother talking to her son about praying,” Mongko observed. “It’s something they do when they need help. They kneel down and talk to God.

“Peace is what we have,” he added. “We live as friends, we don’t fight, we are happy with each other.”

“I hope they find the peace they’re looking for quickly before they destroy our habitat,” Nama said.

And the two friends spent the whole day talking about the humans in war torn Bougainville. Then Mongko departed for his tree and Nama went in search of food.

The two friends that day had talked about something they never understood. They tried their best to understand but could not grasp the true meaning of human nature.

But we know that humans and animals need each other to survive in the world, and peace is something humans always look for in their lives.