Robert & Mike
Hatched the same morning, beside the same pond
Their nests were next to each other. The eggs opened within minutes. They moved toward one another before either of them could walk properly, and they have been best friends ever since. Neither one is the other’s sidekick.
- Robert
- Yellow duck
- Mike
- White goose
- Met
- The morning they hatched
- Shared habits
- Surfing, kale chips
Curious, spontaneous, funny, and carrying more confidence than any bird his size has earned. A good storyteller with a surfer’s cadence. He is the reason anything starts.
- Species
- Yellow duck. Orange bill and feet, head tuft, built rounder and more compact than Mike.
- Formal wear
- Black suit, white shirt, black tie.
- Role
- Starts the adventure.
- On a plane
- Window seat, every time.
- Collects
- Seashells.
- In the water
- Dawn patrol.
“Let’s go.”
Explorer-scholar, prepared traveler, teacher and equal partner. He has checked the weather, the route, the departure time and whether anybody remembered snacks. Preparation is how he takes care of people.
- Species
- White goose. Orange bill and feet, long neck, tall.
- Usually wearing
- A backward red baseball cap and an organized backpack.
- Role
- Makes sure the adventure happens.
- On a plane
- Aisle seat, boarding passes already printed.
- Collects
- Knowledge, and whatever Robert forgot to pack.
- In the water
- Dawn patrol, and the bigger waves.
“Well… this isn’t exactly how I planned it.”
The two halves
Robert creates the adventure. Mike protects it.
Robert says let’s go . Mike says let’s plan properly — and he wants to go just as badly, he just wants to make certain they arrive.
Robert notices the experience. Mike notices the context. Robert looks at a street market and says look at all that food. Mike explains where the dish came from, why it matters here, and how long people have been making it that way. Both of them are fascinated. Their fascination just takes different shapes.
Robert is frequently late. Mike is almost never late. It is entirely plausible for Robert to miss a flight because something interesting was happening near the gate while Mike stood nearby holding both boarding passes for twenty minutes. Mike finds this frustrating. He also finds it hilarious. He has never once used it to make Robert feel small.