Worker Bee

From the moment I started on the job I was a dedicated worker, I thought of myself as a prized member of the team. It gave me such satisfaction and pride that I truly didn’t think I needed anything more from life.

After all, it was my destiny. I was born into the role as a female honey bee, I was tasked as a worker bee, spending my days out of the hive foraging, working on the infrastructure of the hive whilst ensuring it was kept clean and I was also responsible for circulating the air around the hive by flapping my wings.

Meanwhile when out of the hive ensuring I was agile to make sure I wouldn’t be caught by the many predators that I would often see on my travels.

Today’s shift started off as a typical day, I was intending to go my usual route but saw a magpie hovering by the flowers I had wanted to go to. Any other bee might decide to take the risk, but I knew better. So I veered of course, closer to a human’s home then I’d ever gone. I avoid doing my rounds near their homes as the gardens usually had a peculiar smell that instinctively made me uneasy.

As I buzzed by a window a voice caught my attention so I slowed down and hovered to listen.

“Did you know a honey worker bee has a life span of 15-38 days in the summer and 150-200 days in the winter?”

I froze, I had never stopped to think about my death day. I thought of my co-workers, my companions of the hive.

"What ever did happen to Mrytle," I thought;

We used to buzz off together for the first couple of days of summer until one morning she just wasn’t there. But I had become accustomed to the loss of those around me and so caught up in my work that I was never really concerned about it.

Would I be the next Mrytle? An after thought of another worker bee? Is this all my life would consist of working hard for the hive and constantly on the look out for danger?

So consumed by thoughts that day I didn’t forage much at all, I didn’t work as hard as I typically would and I half assed the air filtering slowly flapping my wings instead of the usual full blown gusto I’d give it.

I noticed not one other bee said anything about the poor effort of put in and I realised they’re were all just to consumed in their own work to notice what I had been doing.

A thought came to my mind and I was so exhilarated by the idea I could hardly sleep.

The next morning I buzzed out of the hive as I usually would. Nerves had the better of me so I was making unnecessary efforts of small talk as a bunch off us took off;

“Have a good day!” I offered to the first bee I saw.

“Working hard or hardly working!” I joked to a bee who flickered a look in my direction.

Not one response. I wondered if I was that deaf to the world around me before me before I got hit with my bee life crisis. Well, considering I never made small talk probably meant I was. I was very into my job after all.

Today I was not going to be in to my job. Today I had decided would be my day off.

If my life was going to be short I had come to the conclusion that I would allow myself the odd day off here and there. Every single bee in the hive was so self absorbed in their work I was certain I’d get away with it.

When I was finally alone I excitedly buzzed around in a joyous circle.

I scanned the vast surroundings and was suddenly flooded with anxiety.

“What does a bee do on a day off?” I fretted.

I’d never had free time before, I didn’t know what a bee of leisure was expected to do.

Another dilemma I was faced with, I thought about the voice through the window yesterday and decided to head back there.

Perhaps there would be something said that would give me some inspiration on what to do.

“Hun, I was thinking we should do a picnic this weekend by the lake?”

The voice had given me exactly what I needed an idea.

I could forage something today but save a bit for myself and enjoy it in front of a scenic view.

I was so proud of today’s adventure that evening as I was amongst the other bee’s during air filtering I couldn’t help but strike up a conversation to a bee whose placement was beside me.

“I took a day off today,” I gave a side ways glance as I hissed out my mischief.

“Hey, your the bee that made that dreadful joke to me this morning,” she shot me a look, suddenly curious by my presence.

“Well yeah, but did you hear what I said?” I didn’t want to talk about my rambling small talk from this morning.

“What do you mean a day off? I saw you drop off some forage and what do you think your doing now? By the looks of that filtering I wouldn’t exactly say that’s a day off,” she was curious now and gave me a look that made me believe she thought I had lost my mind.

“Well, yeah. I did do some foraging I was collecting stuff for my picnic anyway so there was no point being greedy. As for now, well it was more of a choice. I really wanted to come by so I could speak to someone about my day,” she was annoying me, taking the buzz of excitement from the day I had.

“A picnic?” she laughed “I don't mean to bee little you, but don't you mean, our designated lunch break?”

I was at loss for words. It might have turned out I wasn’t as good as taking a day off as I was at doing my job.

“You know bee’s don’t have a very long life span,” I despondently ended our conversation.

The next morning as I buzzed out of the hive I heard a voice beside me.

“Working hard, or hardly working,” the bee from last evening.

“Hey, come on. Would you give it a rest?” I whined.

She laughed.

“I mean well! I mean well! I’m Rosie by the way,” she was jovial and friendly. Much more warmth to her in comparison to the grunts I used to get from Mrytle.

“Dee,” I respond.

“Really? Dee the bee?” she quizzed.

I shot her a look and she laughed again.

“Ok, ok no more jokes,” Rosie giggled.

“What are we doing for our day off today? I was thinking about what you said about our short life span last night and you know what? I get what you’re feeling. I want to make the most of my life,” Rosie and I were side by side now. Just the two of us aimlessly flying and talking.

“Come with me to the window,” I say.

Rosie looked at me with confusion but for once she didn’t say anything.

Today by the window we got exactly what we needed to hear;

“Oh Bec, I don’t know what I’d do without a friend like you. You’re an absolute life saver,”

Rosie and I made eye contact and excitedly mouthed the words “life saver” together.

Maybe we didn’t need to take a day off after all maybe we just needed each other.

From that day on we were inseparable and would go about our work together. Sharing deep and meaningful conversations as we flew out from the hive and back, making games and fun out of foraging and we even made filtering fun.

One night Rosie decided she would start singing and matching her movements with the rhythm of the song I soon joined her. At first the other bee’s looked on not willing to break out of their seriousness and join in. But eventually one or two joined in and now the majority of the hive would partake in dancing and singing during filtering.

I truly felt like I was living. I never wanted to go back to how I lived before, I truly felt I was living true happiness. Plus, Rosie and I didn’t fear our death day now that we knew that if we had our friendship that would be our life saver.

One day we hadn’t flown very far from the hive when I noticed Rosie had stopped mid flight seemingly frozen mid air between two trees. Fear flooded through my body as the realisation dawned on me. She had flown into a spider web.

We locked eyes and I could see on her face she knew what I was thinking.

“Don’t do it Dee, fly on. You need to fly on,” her voice caught and tears streamed down her face.

I broke her gaze and turned my focus to the spider lazily swaying on the web beside my best friend.

Adrenaline shoot through my body it took a moment for me to realise I was in a swarm with a handful of the worker bees from the hive. In a black cloud we descended down onto the spider.

A lightning bolt of pain shot through my body as I speared the spider with my stinger.

The weight of the swarm broke apart the web and as I was falling to the ground Rosie flew down beside me.

As I lay on ground dying Rosie was by my side.

Her face nuzzled close to mine.

“You’re a hero, Dee. You’ll never be forgotten,” her voice was soothing and kind.

“Thank you for being my life saver.” Rosie sobbed and tears streamed down her fluffy cheeks.

I looked into her eyes and smiled. Peace washed over me as I took my final breath.