Green Kauri Comics · Story 005

Twenty Minutes

A story about pride, admitting you don’t know and letting someone help.

Story 005

The hardest part of the fix is three words.

When the café card machine drops out at rush hour, Dave promises a twenty-minute fix. Kauri can see the real problem from the start.

Featuring Dave, Ted, Robyn, Kauri and Kiwi.

Four-panel comic titled Twenty Minutes. At rush hour, the cafe card machine shows No connection and Dave promises to fix it in twenty minutes. An hour later he is pulling apart the cable trunking with a plumbing camera while Kauri offers to help. When Ted asks if he is nearly done, Dave admits, I don’t know. Kiwi has been asleep on the router all along. The card machine shows Approved, Kiwi sleeps in Dave’s toolbox, and Dave hands Kauri a screwdriver, saying, Good job, Kauri!
A Green Kauri Story

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It is the morning rush at Ted and Robyn’s café in New Brighton, Christchurch. Customers are queuing, the card machine has stopped working, and Dave the plumber has just walked in for his coffee. Kiwi is asleep on top of the warm router behind the counter.

  1. Panel 1 — No connection

    The card machine on the counter shows “No connection”. Robyn frowns at it while Ted announces, “Card machine’s dead, mate!” Dave grips his toolbox and grins. “Give me twenty minutes.” Kauri, sitting on a stool, is looking at the router, where Kiwi is asleep with a plug squashed half out beneath him.

  2. Panel 2 — A blockage

    Much later, the queue reaches the door and a sign on the counter reads “Cash only today — sorry”. Dave kneels on the floor with the cable trunking pulled apart and network cables spread around him, peering into his plumbing inspection camera. Kauri tugs his arm. “I can help.” Dave holds him back. “Stand back, mate. It’s a blockage.” Kiwi is still asleep on the router.

  3. Panel 3 — Three hard words

    Ted leans in holding two coffees. “Nearly done, mate?” Dave, sweating and surrounded by cables, lowers the blank camera screen. “…I don’t know.” Behind him, Robyn stops mid-pour, surprised. Kauri brightens beside Dave. “I can help.”

  4. Panel 4 — Good job

    The card machine shows “Approved” and the first customer finally pays. Kiwi is now asleep in Dave’s open toolbox. Robyn folds her arms over the pieces of trunking still covering the floor. “And all this?” Dave sits on the floor and hands Kauri a screwdriver so they can put it back together. “Good job, Kauri!”

Sometimes the quickest fix starts with “I don’t know.”
Characters
Dave, Ted, Robyn, Kauri and Kiwi
Setting
New Brighton, Christchurch, New Zealand
Themes
Pride, admitting you don’t know, accepting help and humility
Published

Green Kauri Comics

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