BB at School
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Fri 24 Jul 2015 22:57
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Big Bear Goes to School – I
Have a Sick Note
 Bear thought he was doing me a favour
first thing this morning by filleting his own paw paw........... The peeling,
scraping, cutting and potting went well, then came the picking up of the
flexi-board to deliver the pips and skin to the rubbish bag just outside. He hit
the top step and there was an explosion – note lumps settled on the top bar and
the decorative pips..........lots of scooping
accompanied by certain words and lots of muttering. What. Nothing dear.
 My day
began with two paracetamol, a Sudafed, an anti-histamine and rounded off
with an old Tune to suck. Yesterday one of the ladies who visited us while we
were learning to weave with grandma had settled close to me, sneezed and as I
turned to say bless you, I felt that ever so fine mist landing on me. All was
well until I tried to open my eyes and lift my head off the pillow. Totally
blocked up, sore throat and thumping head. Great, just what I needed. How a nose
can be cemented shut and still drip amazes me. I snorkelled my way through
breakfast and sat quietly as Bear took himself to school.
Just as well I didn’t go ashore as
the wheezing began in earnest, every cold I get these days quickly goes to
bronchitis. My new moniker is Park Bench Pepe or PBP for short, all I need is
the dodgy old coat and the bench and I fit the part perfectly.
 Junior and
pre-school, Fulanga.
 When Bear, Maj and Steve arrived at
school, the little ones were painting.
 Some of the older
children were taking a test.
  Bear doing the
actions to a song - much to the amazement of the children.
 The first years posed
for a picture.
 On leaving school Bear liked this door, don’t ask I didn’t.
 The woodcarver who lives at the edge
of the village displayed his fine wares.
 Today the pandanus
grass grows, next month it may be a mat.
  Bear came home with a gift from
grandma to me. What a stunning handbag. Each of the
main pieces of pandanus grass had been split into six after
the base had been formed. A true work of art from the tiny fingers of
such an elderly lady. I was truly touched.
   The intricate
weave of the decorative black strands. The inside is lined and the handles are
neatly finished. I shall carry it with pride.
   Bear’s gift from the family was this
rather handsome dolphin, I do like the way the
carvers look at a piece of wood and determine what they will make according to
the grain, colour and swirls within the piece.
   When Bear first got home he had found
me busily creating a folder of information about the Yasawa Group of islands.
Laying in bed is no use as I drown and wheeze too much. No good sitting doing
nothing, so out came the coloured pencils and soon reefs became orange and dry
land became green. The attractive part was a tissue shoved up each beak hole,
very fetching I have to admit, but not to become a fashion statement methinks. I
had just about finished all the little chartlets,
added them to our folder from south to north, added anchorages in yellow,
written side notes and was about to begin the bigger ones. Rather chuffed
considering how rough I felt, time passed quickly though.
  After Bear had eaten his packed lunch
roti personally attended to by grandma, he assisted me by riding the green
pencil and I trotted on the orange. Soon all seven big maps
were done. Over the next few days the wind howled and
it was really cold. I struggled on as PBP - nose now in hot competition with
Rudolf.
  One morning I
even got my very own modest egg event. Only ‘cos you’re poorly. On the
other side of the table, one of Bear’s eggs was indeed a masterpiece. He did a few chores each day and then wiled
away the afternoons with the sick one playing backgammon and Mexican train
dominoes. One very amusing game went like this. Bear had nineteen tiles at the
end of the twelves' and had an immediate deficit of 233. The very first game. On the tens’ he was left with
eighteen tiles and was hit for 187 and we both lost after his dodgily placed
double two couldn’t be answered, I got whacked for 101 but Bear felt the need to
gracefully admit to 136. Ending the round of four with 556, not bad considering
he won the elevens’.............. Shocking, truly
shocking and no surprises that I lost, badly. Huh and then again Huh. Why not say it thrice and get over it. Huh.
Another game Bear was
going for a personal best, the whole game had been a smooth canter through to
the ones’ arriving with 62. Then disaster struck and he got left with nineteen
tiles amassing 212 to lose the game with a modest noughts’ deficit. Growling, gnashing and a few bad words to growl again. Don’t get me
started on Upword, I know we haven’t played much but I’ve lost all six
games. But you can’t spell, beside the
point. Huh and thrice Huh.
Ooops.
ALL IN ALL I HOPE PBP STOPS
SOON
SCHOOL WAS WELCOMING BUT I NOW LIVE IN A
SANATORIUM.......
STEADY |