It is International Women’s Day, so we must surely find those grannies before day is out.
We went to the Berbers’ village to investigate and to search for any traces of grandmothers, or any spectacles or wallets in the fridge etc.
We looked into a tent marked “Elderly”, and the nasty little trolls of bad breath & hearing loss, deafness, myopia and cataract stood guard inside. There were some ugly demons sitting on a low bench who cackled and beckoned us in. Arthritis sat next to bronchitis and phlebitis, gout poked at heart & lung failure, neuropathy loitered mournfully around.. In the background we saw other foul ghouls – forgetfulness, memory loss, dementia & Alzheimer’s; running around the bare earth floor were the evil little mood-swing fairies and baby tantrums, resentments, reproaches, guilt trips, angers and tempers. Loathing and exasperation and neurosis lurked around the low table. Diverticulitis and backpain gossiped in whispers in a corner. Exema and allergies and hay fever and neuralgia bubbled in a cauldron. In the smokey fog over the fire, we saw the spirits of fear and bitterness & desperation mixing with blame and loneliness and depression. There signs of fights and recriminations, breakages and regrets. Over the mantel shelf hung a yellowing notice with an arrow – “THE END IS NIGH”. Shivering In one dark corner we could just make out the ghosts of obsession-compulsion and paranoia. psychosis and delirium. From an old Dansette record player by the sofa, we heard the scratchy sound of the Beatles singing “When I’m 64” from a vinyl disk. The smell was really wretching and vile. And our grannies were somehow locked in here, as in a prison cell or a cupboard!!!
We spied the grannies, thrown out of the tent, due to sleep rough because they had no booking for a room. “HELP” they cried, “we don’t want to do Jeeha, we want to go home to our childfen andnour children’s children and – “That’s enough” I said in a commanding voice. Pack your bags and let’s go “yalla yalla”.
A window suddenly blew open with a strong gust of wind that flew in with bright rays of morning sun and warmth. Birdsongs tweeted deliriously happy. The scents of the orange blossom and lavender and mimosa and rosemary and roses filled the space. Angels hovered and smiles abounded. A baby Berber unicorn and a gazelle trotted past the doorway. Light erupted inside the tent and laughter and joy and memories and companionship. Babies & toddlers and grandchildren giggled, injuries healed. Echoing from the Germans’ tent door we heard bellowing forth ”Freude Freude, Tochter aus Elysium” . The whole mood changed and … Can you imagine my surprise when … shshhhhh .
Mark Neuman.net 