A pair of hands had wrapped themselves around the monk's head and were covering his eyes. We all stood up and backed away from the table.
"Guess who?" asked a little voice, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Hmm. Is it Rumplestitskin?" said the monk calmly.
"No, daddy, it's me, Juanita!" The hands uncovered his eyes. The monk turned around and wrapped a young Asian girl up in a huge bear hug.
"What is this, 101 Damn Asians?!" I shouted.
"I'm white," offered Desmond, still cowering behind Mbu.
Nobody knew what to say for several seconds after that. The momentary pause served to calm everyone down enough that we were able to sit at the table again.
"Daddy, who are these men and why do they stink?"
I was about to open my mouth, but the monk spoke first. "These are our new friends. You know, I don't even know their names." He turned to me.
I looked at him and after a moment of silence, I looked at the girl. "Hello, Juanita. My name is Hewlett."
"Desmond."
"Mbu."
"Boo? You're named after a ghost?"
"What? No. M-B-U. Mbu. And no, you can't buy a vowel."
"Mbu. I like you. You're funny! And you smell funny too."
Again, I was about to open my mouth, but the monk spoke first saying, "These young men got sprayed by a skunk. You know, I've got several economy sized cans of tomato soup in the cupboard. That should help with the smell."
Desmond responded by getting up and going to the cupboard himself to grab the cans. "Hey, man. This says there's 33% less sodium. Is it still gonna work?"
I grabbed the can from Desmonds hand and looked at it. "Dude, whatever. Less salt, less fat. All the movies and stuff say tomato juice helps get rid of skunk."
"There is a bath tub in the bathroom down the hall to your left. You may clean yourselves. There are towels on a shelf in there too."
I reached out to shake the monks hand. "Hey man, I know we haven't exactly been gracious since you've met us. I really do appreciate you saving our lives. Thanks also for the tomato soup. Hey, you know. I don't even know your name. I just keep calling you the monk."
The monk had a solid grip. He bowed and said, "My name is Hadji."
Juanita stepped forward and said, "No it's not. His name is..."
"My dear, let them go clean themselves up," the monk interrupted. The three of us went to the bathroom with the cans of tomato soup.
"Guess who?" asked a little voice, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Hmm. Is it Rumplestitskin?" said the monk calmly.
"No, daddy, it's me, Juanita!" The hands uncovered his eyes. The monk turned around and wrapped a young Asian girl up in a huge bear hug.
"What is this, 101 Damn Asians?!" I shouted.
"I'm white," offered Desmond, still cowering behind Mbu.
Nobody knew what to say for several seconds after that. The momentary pause served to calm everyone down enough that we were able to sit at the table again.
"Daddy, who are these men and why do they stink?"
I was about to open my mouth, but the monk spoke first. "These are our new friends. You know, I don't even know their names." He turned to me.
I looked at him and after a moment of silence, I looked at the girl. "Hello, Juanita. My name is Hewlett."
"Desmond."
"Mbu."
"Boo? You're named after a ghost?"
"What? No. M-B-U. Mbu. And no, you can't buy a vowel."
"Mbu. I like you. You're funny! And you smell funny too."
Again, I was about to open my mouth, but the monk spoke first saying, "These young men got sprayed by a skunk. You know, I've got several economy sized cans of tomato soup in the cupboard. That should help with the smell."
Desmond responded by getting up and going to the cupboard himself to grab the cans. "Hey, man. This says there's 33% less sodium. Is it still gonna work?"
I grabbed the can from Desmonds hand and looked at it. "Dude, whatever. Less salt, less fat. All the movies and stuff say tomato juice helps get rid of skunk."
"There is a bath tub in the bathroom down the hall to your left. You may clean yourselves. There are towels on a shelf in there too."
I reached out to shake the monks hand. "Hey man, I know we haven't exactly been gracious since you've met us. I really do appreciate you saving our lives. Thanks also for the tomato soup. Hey, you know. I don't even know your name. I just keep calling you the monk."
The monk had a solid grip. He bowed and said, "My name is Hadji."
Juanita stepped forward and said, "No it's not. His name is..."
"My dear, let them go clean themselves up," the monk interrupted. The three of us went to the bathroom with the cans of tomato soup.
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