by Brian ******

Just as the sun was beginning to fade behind the looming palm trees, our neighbor, Madeline approached our house carrying a plate of food. As it is custom to return the plate you sent over the day before with a treat, you must always return it with kakae from your own kitchen.

After a leisurely day blong spel Brian and I were deciding what to make ourselves for dinner, and what to feed the animals. We profusely thanked Madeline for the food, "Sipa ruka, oh sipa, sipa!" As she left I looked down and had to comment, "oh what a shame it's our favorite kind of laplap", laplap manioc with strong cream but it looked as if the cream was pored 8 hours ago when the laplap was pulled out of the pit.

"What do you think Bri? Do you want it?"

"Nah can't do it."

In Unison "the dog?!? Yes!"

Problem solved we would make scrumptious popcorn for ourselves and for Oreo? Oreo would have stale leathery laplap with congealed strong cream antap. So, next small dilemma, where to feed the dog? We have 6 pusscats currently (3 full grown and 3 kittens) so normally we feed Oreo outside of the kitchen near the main house so we can avoid major animal scuffles or battles over the food. But it was broad daylight and we didn't feel like advertising to the neighbors that we occasionally feed laplap to the animals.

Very Taboo! 

So... I closed the door so Oreo would not escape and he could gnaw on his leathery tapioca in the privacy of the dark kitchen. I guess the hovering cats made him nervous and so he picked up his kakae and moved to a different corner of the kitchen. Just as I was realizing that I should have tried to break the laplap into bits, he decided that the cats were much too close and he needed his freedom.

In the blink of an eye, he got up dinner hanging from his jowls, much like a large bone, and in a single bound effortlessly hurdled the four foot side window. Simultaneously, I yelled out a dream-like, slow, baritone "Nooooooooo!!!!"

The window Oreo escaped through faces Madeline's house perfectly located no more than 30 feet away. Brian and I both went quickly out the kitchen door and around the side to investigate the damage. 'Maybe none of the neighbors are out' I thought nervously, 'Maybe Madeline is in the kitchen. But no, no such luck. Madeline and her sister were out and facing our kitchen window, smiling. I thought to myself 'is that a I saw you give your dog our laplap smile, or had they missed it?' Anyway, I wasn't sure whether or not to acknowledge the incident or ignore it and just herd Oreo around the corner out of sight. Brian decided to play it off and said half convincingly "Oreo don't steal." Oreo looked at us slightly bewildered, all the while laplap hanging out of his chompers, and trotted around the corner.  All Brian and I could do was laughingly say "Whoops" to one another, and "Note to self, one of us should guard the window next time!"