Takeo the Panda Bear

Description

Character Dimensions: 3" x 3" x 4"
Check out Takeo's Panda friend Cilly at
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20259445

I'm pretty good about remembering to water the plants on the patio. If I was to give myself a score I'd say it was at least 60%. Which is more than 50% which is why my plants are not dead but merely quite grateful for their bi-weekly waterings. Often times I will pop out in the middle of the day, when the sun is shining hotly, to sit on the patio chairs and take a moment or two to "play lizard" as my husband calls it. To sit and soak up the sun, let it warm my bones and burn red behind my eyelids and send me into that lovely trance that only the sun can bring about. And if it results in snoring, so be it, and if I remember to water the plants while I'm out there...even better..
The idea is too tempting, so much so that I sneak away from my self appointed chores, blow a kiss to my husband and head out the patio doors. Mentally I am already basking in the sun but all thoughts of sun soaking skitter away as I round the corner of the patio and come to an abrupt halt. The sight before me is one unlike anything else I have ever seen before. I am shocked, tongue tied, feet frozen to the warm wood of the deck and......there appears to be a Panda Bear rifling through my patio plants. I am not sure which is more perturbing, the appearance of a wild Panda Bear on my California patio or the fact that he is fondling all of my plants.
For a moment words escape me, they rattle off beyond the reach of my tongue and all I can do is mumble incoherently as the Panda rubs a mighty black paw over my fern. Despite little ears he must have good hearing, for his head swivels sharply and our eyes meet.
"I beg your pardon." I say, and instinctively step backward. It's when an apology that has leapt, uninvited to the tip of my tongue and almost spills out that I halt my retreat and call out "Heeeeeeey!" For a moment I had felt like the intruder, busting in on the Panda's private moment in the garden, until it all comes raining down on me in a storm of realization that it's MY patio, MY garden and MY right to be out there.
"Heeeeeeeeeeeey!" I say again, advancing on the startled Panda, who isn't blushing but this fellow was as close to blushing as a Panda bear could get. He winced, ducking his great head and to my further amazement shuffled his feet in an impressive display of embarrassment.
"Ummmm, hello. I do apologize. Really this must look very bad, very bad indeed....but...well...I apologize. I'll leave right away!" He turned to go.
"WAIT!" After all I am no dummy, if I find a Panda bear rifling through my patio plants on a lovely hot sunny day I'm not going to chase him off. Sure I may demand an explanation and possibly an apology but the bottom line was, visit from a Panda? Swwweeeeeeeeeeet! Even if it is a criminal Panda?
"Are you a criminal?" I demand. It's best to get these sorts of things out of the way before offering afternoon tea.
"Er...well....not yet." The Panda peered at me from the corners of his eyes, head still ducked in embarrassment.
"Oh? OH! Well, really, what do you mean NOT yet? Are you going on a Panda crime spree? Did I interrupt? You'll find no alibis here, no siree. Just what were you up to anyways?"
"Well, you see....I may have been about to commit a criminal act. I was going to eat that bamboo over there." He pointed, with a great black paw that was impressively wide towards the general direction of the plants I'd seen him rifling through.
"OHhhhhhh, well. I don't think you ought to just go about snacking on people's gardens you know. It's frowned upon in these parts. No matter how delicious, how tempting, how ripe the persimmons are in your neighbor's...er.....where was I? Umm, well, it's better all around if you just ask."
"Oh yes, yes! I quite agree. I would have asked, maybe, I should have asked but I was sooooo hungry. I haven't had any bamboo since this morning and I think I burned more calories today because of the heat and my fur and of course your stairs leading up here are quite steep....er...and I saw that little bamboo...so delicate...so green...soooo mmmmmmmmmmmm." He trailed off, eyes glittering with bamboo snack desire.
"Look, what's your name big fellow, I can't just call you Panda."
"My name is Takeo. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, even under these most embarrassing of situations. OH! Oh wouldn't you know it."
"Know what?" I was puzzled.
"Em-BEARassed, how ironic hmmmm?" He chuckled, and his funny Panda laugh was too much to resist. What a character this fellow was.
"Ok, Takeo, would you care to join me for a sun soak and a snack? I can offer you tea and bamboo." I grinned at him, seeing his face alight with hunger and happiness.
"Well I really shouldn't....." He stared past me to the bit of bamboo in the pot amongst my ferns. "But...if you insist."
It was one of the best sun soak afternoons I have ever had. Takeo lounged on the sun warmed boards of the patio floor, and I sat tipped back in my chair. We lifted our faces so the sun beat directly on us and with eyes closed chatted. And munched, Takeo on my bamboo plant and I on some cookies.

Character Dimensions: 3" x 3" x 4"
Check out Takeo's Panda friend Cilly at
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20259445

Added on Jan 02, 2010