Green With Yellow Underparts

Dinner is over.

Soon, the cabin lights will be dimmed.

Passengers, including Monique's dad, are lining up for the toilets.

Monique runs down the aisle to tell Terence.

Terence is busy.

Hey, says Terence. Look what I'm doing to Cwaca.

Yuck! says Monique. You've covered his belly with sticky grated carrot.

But, says Terence, what else does it look like?

Vomit, says Monique.

Cwaca looks offended.

Waca looks smug. He hasn't been defiled by old grated carrot.

Feathers, says Terence.

Oh! says Monique. Yes, I see. They'll look good when they dry.

Why are you here? asks Terence.

Dad's gone to the toilet, says Monique. There's a long queue, and some people have their toothbrushes, so you can sit next to me.

Toothbrushes? says Terence.

To brush their teeth after dinner, says Monique. I've already done mine. And I've been for a pee.

Yuck, says Terence. 

Just because you don't have to, says Monique.

I do have to, says Terence. But not now. Let's go, and I'll sit in your dad's seat.

Where are you off to? asks Gaius, shuffling his notes on the orange-bellied parrot.

My dad's seat, says Monique. He's gone to the toilet.

Has he? says Gaius. Bad time for it. There'll be a long queue.

Is there a long queue? asks David. I'll need to go soon.

Swap seats with me, says Gaius. Then you can keep your eye on the length of it.

He stands up, and his notes on the orange-bellied parrot drop to the floor.

One page features a coloured illustration.

A bright grass-green parrot with yellow underparts and an orange belly.

You'll look like that soon, says Monique, who has picked up the page, to be helpful.

Pardon? says Gaius. 

I'm talking to Cwaca, says Monique. Terence is giving him an orange belly, made out of carrot.

Is that why he wanted the grated carrot? says Gaius, standing up. 

David edges past Pierre-Louis and sits in the seat Gaius has vacated.

Now I'll have to squeeze past two of you, to get to your seat, says Gaius. I may as well take the opportunity to go to the toilet.

That doesn't seem fair, says David. I'm the one who wanted to go.

You must admit, it's more practical, says Gaius. 

He heads towards the queue for the toilet.

Come on, says Monique. Let's go, Terence.

They head back to her dad's seat, and hers.

Terence carries Cwaca, holding him carefully, because he is sticky.

Monique carries the page with the coloured illustration. 

Not one of the passengers they pass notices that the carrot-covered duck and the orange-bellied parrot are similar.

Because the cabin lights have been dimmed.