Before I could even drag my dog from the clutches of Mystic Man, John blurted out, “Mavis came back!”
If I was holding my dog, I would have dropped him and that would not have ended well between us.
(I hope you read last week’s story given that we pick up from there. If not, all 15 or so episodes are on my personal blog or under my upfulness tag.)
“She what? She came back?” Mouth open. “When, how come? Why?”
“Why she come back? Really Ilis, you wonderin’ why? I was always able to make dat woman see a full moon on a dark night! You asking why?”
Mystic Man and I exchanged a glance. There goes our cocky friend, the old bull.
“Well, come in, come in. Tell me what happened.”
The initial thought of relating the story of what occurred between Mystic Man and myself had since dissipated. That was for later — for John and me.
I glanced at Judah to see if he would come inside as well. The look on his face said he was delightfully anticipating it.
After performing the gymnastics of trying to get them inside without any of the dogs escaping and running into the alley, we were soon seated on my wooden porch. The dogs joined us, as if they too could not wait to hear the story.
“Anyone want anything to drink? I have water and coffee and….”
“You have any hammon?”
“Hammon? I do not have any hammon!”
Hammon was a local rum made from molasses. As far as I knew, the production, sale, and drinking of this homemade brew was still illegal.
I recall many stories of the authorities destroying stills and arresting persons. That had not stopped the drink from being readily available to those desiring it though. Maybe the war on drugs, and the war of whatever else, had made the war on the production of local rum less lucrative.
I knew John was teasing me. He was not a drinker.
My friend settled into the seat and with legs outstretched in front of him, forearms behind his head, and cradling the base where head met neck, John was in his story telling position.
“She called me, askin’ if we can get back together for the children’s sake? Children? Is only one son we got and he married and living with his wife! What was dis woman talkin’ bout?”
“Chirrun? Woman we have one big son.”
“No, I do not mean Winston. I mean all the children of the world. We have to save all the children of the world.”
“But, b-utt….de man name Jesus ain’t do dat alreddy?”
John was playing the role of Mavis and himself while we followed in rapt attention.
Well, Mystic Man appeared to be wrapped up in the story, though I am sure he heard it already. He was here to be John’s supporting cast, blending in so well. But I knew the truth, having met the Mystic Man that John most probably was not familiar with.
“Climate change, John. The climate is changing. Mother Earth is dying and being an earth man yourself, I’m sure you will want different.”
John paused and turned toward his audience.
“Well you all kno’ my views on this climate change ting. Ev’ryting changin’. You changing, me changing, so why not the earth? It all about evolution and creation.”
“Yes John, we know you are a climate change denier.”
“Nope, I am an understander.”
“Yeah, yeah. So what you tell your wife?”
“I told her come by de farm. I have a nice bed of grass we could sit an’ chat on.”
John and Judah burst out laughing — so hard that it excited my dogs.
So with humans laughing uproariously, and dogs yipping in delight, I rolled my eyes and went to get a drink of water, wishing I had some hammon to pour in it.
© I. Trudie Palmer
One Love
I did not leave you hanging, the back story is here; the forward story is next week.