Note from the Editor: I’m away on assignment right now, so Benny’s agreed to step in and finish the story.
Excuse us for one minute, please, while we get Raito ready for his trip back home to Pleasant Island. He’s been here so long that it’s going to be very lonely without him. His sister and friends are missing him, though, so it only seems fair that he leave for a bit. (Besides, he has no more room in his bag for souvenirs.) We made him promise to return soon but were sorry to hear that he won’t be back in time for Bunty’s Annual Wool Week celebration. Maybe after the holidays . . . “Nanea, we’re already late! Come on!” Sorry if we seem a bit distracted today. My sister’s gone all weepy on us . . . girls.
We’ve got to hurry to get Raito to the dock, where Nachito’s waiting to take our friend to the mainland to catch his train for Pleasant Island. “Hey, Nachito! Sorry to be late. We had to re-pack his souvenir bag three times before it would stay closed. Before you guys leave, would you mind taking our picture for us? Nanea says we don’t have a good ‘frame photo’ of the three of us together.” Say Cheese! Perfect first time . . .
“Nanea, you’ve already given him seventeen good-by hugs this morning. Okay, one more, but then he has to leave. Let me hand you the bag, Nachito, but be careful. My sister filled it with so many gifts that it doesn’t wanna stay closed.”
“Oh, Raito! It’s going to be ever so lonely around here without you. No, I’m not crying. I just don’t feel like smiling right now. Okay, one smile. Please, oh, please come back soon! Aloha!”
“Hey, man. Have fun, and make sure you hold that suitcase closed. Come back soon, and we’ll take you to another secret fishing spot. What about Nanea? Nanea, if you don’t stop crying, your face is going to freeze like that.”
“Aloha, Nanea! Don’t be sad. You’ve still got Flossie, and I’ll come back again. Oh, I almost forgot. I left a piece of cornbread for Flossie’s dinner in my hammock. Tell her it’s from me, okay? Boy, they aren’t going to believe this back home. I’m going to miss that chicken.”
“Aloha, Benny! You’ve got to let me know if you catch that giant fish in the lagoon. Nah, the suitcase’ll be fine. I just won’t check it this time. Boy, your sister knows how to pack ’em . . . Gotta go, or I’m gonna be late for the train. Does Nachito know the shark story, or can I tell him while we’re heading to the mainland? Oh, well . . . my friends back home haven’t heard it. See ya soon!”
“So, Raito, d’you enjoy your time with Benny and Nanea? Yep. They are great. I bet you can’t wait to get back home and share your own adventure stories. Do you have a sister? Does she have a grand-champion chicken? I agree. Flossie is hard to explain, but you didn’t really believe that bit about the shark attack, did you? Nah, I didn’t think so. But Benny gets a kick outta all the drama. Hey, we’re almost to the dock. You ready?”
“What I wanna know is . . . how is Nanea going to take care of that chicken without me?”