Times
of Uncle Ernest -
Chesapeake City and Beyond – Patti, Chapter 1
When Uncle
Ernest pulled open our old screen door once again, I saw a nice, yellow
butterfly perched on the lilac bush. So, Nina, I ran over to catch it, but I
ended up chasing it down the hill, across the lane, and into the field next to
the chicken house. I yelled in frustration and walked slowly back, where Uncle
Ernest was already sprawled out on the chair, enjoying his freshened drink.
When I sat down he reached over, attempted to tickle me, and then leaned back
and continued his story.
"Moose, I
had never been on a river like that before. I steered up close to one bank, and
noticed that a great variety of vegetation. Every now and then I saw a
crocodile slide into the water, which made me glad I was in a safe vessel. Soon
I came upon a large community, with all kinds of activity going on. I anchored
the sub and went in to see what all the fuss was about. In an extensive area
not far from the river, they were preparing to build massive structures out of
rocks. Thousands of men were working their butts off, hauling and placing
enormous rocks, which they had mined from a distant quarry, miles away.
"Right
away I could tell that 99% of the workers were slaves who were being forced to
work by screaming bosses with whips. The bosses were fully clothed and wore
leather helmets and work boots. But the slaves were naked except for dirty
loincloths. Moose, it was an awful sight—those blackened bodies, gleaming with
sweat in the blazing sun. Along with the human beasts of burden, there were
hundreds of animals transporting those building blocks. I saw elephants,
camels, and donkeys, some of which were harnessed to sleds loaded with the
blocks.
"Well, I
felt sorry for that inept gang—involved in such an inefficient operation, so I
asked one of the slave-drivers who the big boss was. He pointed to a vast tent
under a grove of palm trees. So I walked over and was relieved to find an area
that was nice and cool.
“Just as I
arrived I saw a cloud of dust coming my way, and when it got closer I saw that
it was a high, elaborately-decorated sled, drawn by two jet-black horses. When
they snorted to a stop right beside me—and when the dust cleared—I looked up at
the man holding the reins. He was regal-looking for sure, Moose, attired in
golden robes and a comical hat with earflaps. He had a black beard and dark
eyes that darted in all directions, as if he expected trouble at any minute.
" 'Are you
the boss?' I asked."
" 'Boss?' he shouted. 'My name is
Tootanhannas, king of kings. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair … And
this is my royal daughter, Princess Klayopatti.' At this point, Moose, I saw a
young woman unwrap herself from a blanket that had shielded her from the heat
and dust. When I saw her face and figure as she stood smiling down at me, I
almost collapsed from the thunder in my chest."
"Oh, no!
Not another dumb woman; forget it, Unk."
"But,
instead, I stood erect and addressed her in a clear, serious voice:
Be still my heart; survive this sense of
awe,
To
see a face that makes the sun look dull.
"Will you
cut it out! Don't you ever come across any ugly women?"
"None that
I remember, Moose. But this one—this Patti—was an outstanding beauty, blessed
with pure, milk chocolate skin. She had luxuriant black hair and dark, alluring
eyes, and her curvaceous form, standing above me, was accentuated by a
skin-tight dress woven of pure, golden fabric. Her fully-formed, chocolate legs
emerged from the gold and terminated in a pair of black, velvet slippers,
matching perfectly her glossy, ebony hair.
“She reacted to
my compliment with a frowning glance, so I didn't know if she liked me or not.
But just before she entered the tent, she turned and produced a sort of crooked
smile that told me that I hadn't screwed up completely.” [To be
continued Friday, 6/29/2012]
No comments:
Post a Comment