The next morning, Talia came to help Daniel carry the box to the post office. She brought a red wagon to put it in and some magazines for Megabat to look at on his trip. When everything was in the box, she held out her hand for Megabat. He flew into it and she let him nuzzle against her cheek.
Meanwhile, Daniel stood by awkwardly. He hated goodbyes. Unfortunately, Megabat didn’t give him much choice. He landed on Daniel’s head, leaned over and licked him right across the face with his super long tongue.
“Ewww!” Daniel laughed and wiped off the bat spit. “Is that how they say goodbye in Papaya Premium?”
Megabat flew to the edge of his box, gave them both a salute with one wingtip and hopped in.
Daniel had a fluttery feeling in his tummy all the way to the post office and while they waited in line. When it was their turn, Talia carefully lifted the box onto the counter.
“All the way to Borneo, eh?” the postal worker said, as she measured the box. “Regular or airmail express?” Daniel chose express.
“And what are the contents?” The woman pulled out a form with tiny lettering on it.
Obviously they couldn’t tell her the box contained a talking fruit bat!
“Just some fruit…” Daniel said, thinking fast. “And a few other things,” he added, for the sake of honesty.
“Sorry.” The postal worker pushed the box back toward them. “You can’t mail fruit internationally. All kinds of pests can travel that way.”
“But—” Daniel started to argue.
The postal worker glanced at the long lineup behind them.
Talia calmly picked up their package. “Come on,” she said.
Back in Daniel’s room, Talia pulled off the packing tape. They could hear the flapping of Megabat’s wings grow louder. The second the box opened, he burst forth, singing out, “Megabat is returned! Bat brothers and sisters! Megabat is back in Papaya—” He stopped and looked around. “Megabat is not returned to Papaya Premium?” he asked. He came to roost on the edge of the box, tucked his wings around himself and peered up, looking very small indeed.
Daniel crouched down. “Sorry, Megabat. We can’t mail you home.” A large tear gathered in one corner of Megabat’s eye, slid down his furry face and hit the floor with a splash. Daniel felt like he might cry too.
“It’s okay, Megabat,” Talia said softly. “We’ll find another way. Actually, it’s a lucky thing, because I just realized: We’ve only had time to watch the first Star Wars movie. Did you know there are more?”
Another tear was just starting to roll out of Megabat’s eye, but at Talia’s words, he blinked hopefully. “Mores Star Wars?”
“Well, yeah.” Daniel followed Talia’s lead. “We watched A New Hope, twice…but you haven’t even met the Ewoks yet.”
So they spent the afternoon watching Hans Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia fight the evil galactic empire—but the whole time, they were wondering—was there really another way to get Megabat home?