The Honeyeater

You read about such plushies and see plenty every day, like the ones attached to the gal’s bag (though here even those were oversized). But a giant brown honey-eater like that on the loose, never in all this time. Not at the library, not on the buses or at the eateries. A child could not manage that bulk; a younger teen would struggle. Might have reached 20 possibly this girl. Chinese, local or Mainland impossible to tell. There was the same trouble over there, but the guess here was local. Were this a paying venue, a question might have arisen. On an aeroplane there would certainly have been. No way was this Teddy going to fit under the seat in front, and in a 7-10kg carry-on bag the question of cruelty arose. 6 - 7mins the girl sat with it in her lap, staring before her with nothing to suggest a troubled visage. iPad mounted on its stand, 1.5 litre ceramic water bottle. When she rose to move off she got herself around the far corner of the shelves. The assumption as a consequence it was the street, the buses & trains where the serious difficulty lay. However, 25-30secs later, here she was returned to fetch him, before retracing her steps. (Guessing gender.) Otherwise, to all intents and purposes, on the surface, seemingly coping perfectly well. Settled normality. Five minutes further, at table the while, continuing again with not the slightest indication otherwise. Tallish, no real weight issue. Good quality cushioned phones, which no doubt aided the cause. A few minutes more Teddy was lifted higher against her chest, his head over her shoulder, where the length of arms became apparent. Surprisingly long, nails retracted; the proportion in fact probably correct. Shuffling the papers before her was easily managed with the furry between. No school-kids across the tables, all were 19 - 20 year olds. In a cold climate the whole thing would have been more fitting, although bearing in mind a certain class here did live a complete A/C bubble. Bending to write with a pen, the chin falls onto Teddy’s neck. Half hour at the task like all the rest of us, seemingly making some headway. Pull the bear from the picture—no indication of any sort amiss. Was survival realistic, progress to full adulthood? Were there forerunners in the childhood history, all the way back, starting at bedtime and become indispensable? Even a glimpse of either parent would have given some kind of hint. Nothing in the expression, perfect, textbook neutrality. Only a couple wandering eyes later; most of the youngsters here had seen the like often enough.

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NB. Zoran’s Honeyeater video from early Spring in the ancestral village.