Manure City University
“It’s dreadful what little things lead people to misunderstand each other.”
―L. M. Montgomery
Penguins and kangaroos don’t live on the same continent. Yet, Penny and Kango are university students in this tale. Since some human creatures believe space lasers started the California wildfires, I am stating: this story is fiction.
The college name appears distracting. However, even in today’s reality, words have multiple meanings. On the island manure referred to common happenings in real life. Word meanings change over time. For example, internet referred to two nets dropped for the same fish.
Penny and Kango spoke a semi-common language. However, different definitions and idioms often confused them. In Penny’s tribe, the word lounge meant escape. When Kango told Penny he was going to lounge in the common area, Penny assumed his roommate wanted him out of his metaphorical hair.
In Kango’s tribe, Penny’s word for please repeat meant I-am-irritated-big-time. A screaming hyena interrupted Penny when he asked Kango to repeat what he had said about a student who had fleas. A fire bell rang. It stopped Kango from smacking Penny on his left wing.
Fortunately, the words communicate and forgive made a perfect fit in all student dictionaries. Communicate and forgive appeared in an unexpected conversation the roommates had on the grounds between classes. Penny spoke one word and Kango mouthed the other. Exactly how that could happen is another story. It occurred after a lightning strike missed the pair by a miracle and a half. A moment the current world needs. With enough communication and forgiveness.
image made from public domain photo and colored paper
terrypetersen 