Do You Eat It?

Arthur returns to the shore, with the seaweed.

That it? says Sweezus. 

Yes, says Arthur. 

Would you eat it? asks Sweezus.

IF it was wrapped around chocolate, says Arthur.

Come on, says Louisa. It won't be that simple. For a start there's the rice.

Yeah, the rice, says Sweezus. 

Let me check out some recipes, says Louisa.

She takes out her phone. Presses some buttons.

Here's one. says Louisa. Chocolate sushi. Spread out the nori seaweed, shiny side down.

We're stuffed already, says Sweezus. Ours is red and hairy.

I guess we cook it, says Louisa. Roll it out, let it dry. 

No worries, says Sweezus. 

Spread with rice, chocolate tapenade, anchovies, strips of cucumber, and umeboshi plums. Roll it up and cut into three.

Easy, says Sweezus.

What's in the chocolate tapenade? asks Arthur.

Black olives, garlic, capers and melted dark chocolate, says Louisa. That's SO not yummy! And wait. You serve it with salt and pepper chocolate, wasabi and dipping sauce.

Ditch that, says Sweezus. I reckon ditch everything but the chocolate.

And the plums, says Arthur.

But we've still got the hairy seaweed problem, says Louisa. Tell you what, why don't we go back to my place and boil it up. See how it comes out.

Okay, says Sweezus. We'll catch a couple more waves, then we'll head back there.

I think you've forgotten you're using my board, says Louisa. And it's my turn.

Sorry. My bad, says Sweezus. You and Arthur go in and I'll talk to those guys.

Those guys are a couple of surfers, coming in for the day.

Reedy and Spogg.

G'day, says Reedy. Surf's turned rubbish this arvo.

Yeah, says Sweezus. Okay till the wind changed.

Yup, says Spogg. What's that you got there?

Seaweed, says Sweezus. Part of a new project to save the planet.

No way! says Reedy. Whatya do, eat it?

Ha ha! laughs Spogg. No one'd eat that stuff.

What if it was flat and shiny and filled with chocolate? asks Sweezus.

Now you're talking, says Reedy.

This is good. At least he would try it.

Sweezus goes further. Chocolate and plum?

Plum jam? asks Spogg.

Umeboshi, says Sweezus. 

Cool, says Reedy. Is it kind of like sushi?

It is sushi, says Sweezus. If you wanna be adventurous you can have chocolate mixed with olives, and cucumber. And sprinkle the whole thing with flaky sea salt.

Dipping sauce? asks Reedy.

Yeah, says Sweezus. And wasabi.

I don't like cucumber, says Spogg.

It's like, optional, says Sweezus. You back here tomorrow?

They say that they are.

And that they are willing to taste test the sushi.

Sweezus is stoked.

Two customers! And he hadn't even got round to mentioning the planet-saving properties of the seaweed.