Official Mascot. Unsolicited.
Bilbo
A São Tomé street dog who arrived seriously ill and has since stolen approximately 300 euros, shredded every note, and made himself entirely at home.
Bilbo is the official mascot of The Chocolate Islands. He did not apply for the role. He arrived seriously ill. We nursed him back to health.
In return, he stole approximately 300 euros and shredded every note. This set the tone for the relationship.
Evidence. He looked very pleased with himself.
He is a São Tomé street dog, the local breed that has been wandering this island longer than most human institutions. Lean, sandy, sharp-eyed and entirely self-directed. He has since stolen sandals, excavated at least one plant pot, and made himself at home on the coffee table. Training has been attempted. It has not taken.
He barks at birds. He barks at insects. He barks at lizards. São Tomé has a lot of all three, which keeps him busy. Whether he has ever actually achieved anything through this is unclear. What is clear is that his position on the local wildlife is firm and non-negotiable.
The street dogs outside survive on whatever they can find, sticks, burger wrappers, sheer determination. Bilbo will not eat dog food under any circumstances and will eat nothing unless it has been properly prepared. If the meal is not to his standard, he simply waits. He has standards that the street dogs outside would find baffling and that we find exhausting.
At least one plant pot. This is the documented case.
The house has a large log table. Visitors are invited to carve their names into it, a small tradition that has accumulated names from people passing through the island over the years. Bilbo has his own approach to the table. He does not carve. He chews the outside of the log at his own pace and in his own time, which amounts to the same level of commitment but with less artistic merit.
The log table. Names carved by visitors. Bilbo's contribution is structural.
Inês, a valued member of The Chocolate Islands team, is the person who brought him here in the first place and saved his life. She is also the person he has decided to make his primary project. Every decision she makes is an opportunity. Every movement is a game. Every attempt at a quiet moment is a challenge to be met with enthusiasm. He is the bane of her life and he is completely devoted to her, which are not contradictory things.
Nobody understands how Bilbo operates. Including Bilbo.
There was, on one occasion, a cat. It came over the wall, was seen by Bilbo, and left the same way it arrived. Bilbo has not forgotten this. He still checks the wall. Every day. With complete conviction that this time will be different.
He is, despite all of this, genuinely very good company. He has survived illness, street life and a British expat, which probably makes him one of the more resilient residents on the island.