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The sun is going down in swathes of orange and purple, as I'm sitting on the brick wall surrounding the cemetary. I used to be afraid of this place, every time I walked past it a feeling of deep forboding would swirl in my heart and my steps would quicken.
Now however, it's become my place of quiet. Of calm assurance. It's strange how these things alter over the course of time, I think to myself as I light another cigarette and continue watching the sun sink slowly.
A movement off to the west catches my eye and I peer in that direction, but can't quite make anything out just yet. It looks like a man, but he's hunched over and walking in a stilted and staggering manner. It's no one that I've ever met before in this place, but after my encounter with the Nameless One I've learned to be a little more friendly to the people I may encounter in my travels.
As he comes closer, I see it is an elderly man with a crutch under one arm. At some length behind him, trots a small grey dog that seems more intent on ignoring the rest of the world then anything else. At least, I think it's a dog. Though in the failing light, it sometimes looks more like a large pewter furred rat.
The man moves abreast of me and I smile down at him from my perch on the wall. He squints up at me, for the setting sun is at my back and must be shining right into his eyes, and says, "You there, girl. You got any more of those cigarettes?"
Hopping down from the wall, so he doesn't have to crane his neck to speak with me, I dig in the pocket of my much loved and very tattered suit jacket for the rest of my cigarettes. Handing one to him, I realise who I'm speaking to and I grin broadly. "Ayibobo, Legba Ati-Bon! Did you like the statue I got for you?" I bow deeply to him, still grinning.
"Don't be a smart ass, girl. I'm here to tell you something. You got to pass it on to who it's for."
I hand one of the cigarettes out of the pack to him and he tucks it behind his ear. "What's the message, Papa?"
"You got a friend, girl? Got long legs and talks funny like that Brigette, him? You tell him, he wants to travel? Don't do it the week before or the week after his birthday." I open my mouth to begin asking him what he's talking about, but he holds up his hand to silence me. "No questions. I tell you. You tell him. We're square. And I'll forget that bit about the statue. I know your friend bought that for you and you gave it to me. You been hanging out with that Ghede too much, he starting to rub off on you. Careful wording in your promises and that. Get yourself into more trouble doing that."
I've got enough thought in my head to look suitably chagrined at my little charade being found out. I begin to apologise for it, but he stops me again. "No sorrys, girl. You just remember this one thing, eh?" A wide grin breaks through his beard. "You can't bullshit a bullshitter." He claps me on the shoulder, heartily amused at his own joke. Stumping away on his crutch, his laughter remains behind for quite some time.
Now however, it's become my place of quiet. Of calm assurance. It's strange how these things alter over the course of time, I think to myself as I light another cigarette and continue watching the sun sink slowly.
A movement off to the west catches my eye and I peer in that direction, but can't quite make anything out just yet. It looks like a man, but he's hunched over and walking in a stilted and staggering manner. It's no one that I've ever met before in this place, but after my encounter with the Nameless One I've learned to be a little more friendly to the people I may encounter in my travels.
As he comes closer, I see it is an elderly man with a crutch under one arm. At some length behind him, trots a small grey dog that seems more intent on ignoring the rest of the world then anything else. At least, I think it's a dog. Though in the failing light, it sometimes looks more like a large pewter furred rat.
The man moves abreast of me and I smile down at him from my perch on the wall. He squints up at me, for the setting sun is at my back and must be shining right into his eyes, and says, "You there, girl. You got any more of those cigarettes?"
Hopping down from the wall, so he doesn't have to crane his neck to speak with me, I dig in the pocket of my much loved and very tattered suit jacket for the rest of my cigarettes. Handing one to him, I realise who I'm speaking to and I grin broadly. "Ayibobo, Legba Ati-Bon! Did you like the statue I got for you?" I bow deeply to him, still grinning.
"Don't be a smart ass, girl. I'm here to tell you something. You got to pass it on to who it's for."
I hand one of the cigarettes out of the pack to him and he tucks it behind his ear. "What's the message, Papa?"
"You got a friend, girl? Got long legs and talks funny like that Brigette, him? You tell him, he wants to travel? Don't do it the week before or the week after his birthday." I open my mouth to begin asking him what he's talking about, but he holds up his hand to silence me. "No questions. I tell you. You tell him. We're square. And I'll forget that bit about the statue. I know your friend bought that for you and you gave it to me. You been hanging out with that Ghede too much, he starting to rub off on you. Careful wording in your promises and that. Get yourself into more trouble doing that."
I've got enough thought in my head to look suitably chagrined at my little charade being found out. I begin to apologise for it, but he stops me again. "No sorrys, girl. You just remember this one thing, eh?" A wide grin breaks through his beard. "You can't bullshit a bullshitter." He claps me on the shoulder, heartily amused at his own joke. Stumping away on his crutch, his laughter remains behind for quite some time.