Bye Bye Hansel

Eva: I miss Hansel….I said, I miss him…do you hear me?

Darkness: Yes, I hear you Eva.

The Suriman Tales – The Brotherhood Press 2011

Too many snakes on the plane

Eva: Is the boy alright?

Darkness: Hard to tell with snakes, it takes a while for the poison to work it’s way through the organs. But Orpuk knows a good shaman around here so he called him out of his cave and he grounded up a pinch of lizard bones mumbled something like yabadabadoo and the boy drank it all – he’s sound asleep now – good to go for tomorrow.

Eva: Do you believe in all that mumbo jumbo?

Darkness: Sure I do Eva – somethings are taboo here – you can’t for example crap anywhere you want or for that matter cross a river without at least throwing in a peeble before you decide to swim across it; look here Eva, don’t complicate your already complicated life – it’s not so different from the whole idea of the Christian God you worship – my point is, if enough people believe in the idea of angels; then it makes perfect sense to ask how many angels can you fit into a telephone booth.

Eva: You didn’t answer my question Darkness – do you believe?

Darkness: Eva, I wanted to believe. Believe me, I really did. But that was another life and I really can’t remember much now.

The Suriman Tales – the telescript has been disrupted – this excerpt has been intercepted by the space station KDD Opportunity.

target practice

Eva: What is it?

Darkness: It’s an offering to the spirits Eva. A ritual that goes back thousands of years when men looked up at the heavens and pleaded for protection against the vagaries of malevolent forces.

Eva: But why here in your land of all places?

Darkness: They believe the devil has come to these parts Eva. They believe he lives in this hill.

Eva: The devil! So they slay a goat and fashion strange signs with rice on the ground to placate him! What’s the bloody story?

Darkness: Don’t look at me Eva. All I know is when I first came here; strangers would often come into my estate in the night bearing parangs (machetes) and hatchets – they told me I was not welcomed here and I had to sell my land to a local gangster for loose change; if I wanted to live a long life.

Eva: So what did you do?

Darkness: I did the things I have always done since I came here – when I wake up – I spend at least an hour reading – then I brush my teeth, light a cigarette and proceed to loose a few arrows to keep me sharp – when the sunrises, I work my land like any farmer – when the sun goes down – I retire back to camp – cook, read, drink, smoke and play my violin. Then I sleep.

Eva: So they concluded that it must be the devil?

Darkness: Perhaps I need a new set of strings for my violin Eva.