Bugs Bunny

When I came home from Kunak Last night, Awit my gardener was here. As soon as he saw me, he said something unusual. I never understand what he’s saying because it’s in Bugis, but I didn’t recognize this as the usual chatter. He wanted to show me something in the backyard. “Oh no,” was kind of his reaction when we got there.

“Water,” he said. I had no idea what was going on. Then he went under the tree in the corner and pulled out a little white bunny. It just hung there and I thought it was dead. I thought he’d found it in our yard. Then he put it down in front of me and it started grooming, like a cat. Very cute.

Then I realized this was a gift to me. “Oh no,” was kind of my reaction. He looked a little bit mangy because he’d gotten wet from the sprinkler. I didn’t say anything about this, but Awit guessed and assured me he was not sick (mime coughing + “no”). “Where did he come from?” “Friend, baba, mama.” and thus baby bunnies. I think he told me they used to breed rabbits in Egypt. I tried to say the stray dogs (“wow”) would eat him, but he said bunny would run away and burrow (hand gestures and mime). “No problem,” Awit said. “Problem,” I said. I said he’d have to talk to the other people who live here. Awit left and the bunny is still here.

As I was eating my (very late) dinner (early supper?), Awit brought me a handful of berries. They look like Loganberries, but tighter, firmer. He had picked them from the neighbour’s tree, where he is also gardener. I had seen people picking from this tree – it’s near my bedroom window – and wondered what it was. Berries from a tree. I ate them for dessert.

Here’s the bunny. He has managed to eat my thyme and sage plants and new growth on my geranium. The basil is out of reach, except in the photo. I haven’t given him a name yet, but my visitng South African friend calls him “Haasie Kielbaasie.” I think haas is bunny in Afrikaans. I haven’t come up with anything more creative than Peter. Which seems to be a theme right now - someone suggested Pierre for my car (Peter in French) which I thought suited it quite well. Hmm, don’t they say good things come in threes….