The Justice of a Body Snatcher
– a love story by renan goksin –
Episode Nine: “I guess I am a Storyteller”
“Did you say you went to Vanhausen’s Vineyard recently?”
“I told you that’s where I met the fisherman from Lake Valda who was asking for work. And would you believe it, another miracle; Vanhausen’s riesling, the best wine in the district, is gone. All the vines have been ravaged by a crazed flock of ravens. Have you ever seen a flock of ravens? And someone said there was even a white one amongst them. Just incredible, the bushes had been pruned only recently. They would have had no fruit in the month of April, yet the birds have destroyed everything. I saw it with my own eyes Herman, they have even attacked the chicken coup to get to the eggs. I am telling you, Herman, mysterious happenings are everywhere. Sometimes I am scared that there is something awfully wrong with me, like a sickness, because I seem to be the only one who notices what is going on in the world.”
No sooner had Herman heard the word ‘raven’, he felt the touch of the Angel of Death. A warm tingle crawled up his spine, and his face flushed with ecstasy. That was it: Alphonsina was buried at her father’s vineyard! He knew that Gabriel, sooner or later, would have given him the clue he needed. Gabriel never failed, he always appeared when most needed and in his endless waffle, interrupted only by his requests for drinks; there would invariably be one hidden meaning reserved just for Herman.
“You are not sick,” said Herman. “You have a special gift. We all encounter a strange event once in a while, but you seem to witness every single one of them. You hear everyone else’s stories, all of them and all at once.”
“I guess I am a storyteller,” reflected Gabriel sadly. All of a sudden, drunken self-pity overcame him, his eyes filled with tears. “None of it ever happens to me. I only hear about them, and I am tired of people disbelieving what I say, because I only repeat what I’ve believed when others told me.”
Herman could not linger for much longer. “What is the name of the fighting-cock?” he asked, feigning some interest before leaving. Gabriel paused, his flabby cheeks bloomed with embarrassment as he struggled to remember.
“It’s owned by a Spaniard. It had a simple name,” he muttered, and his eyes filled with tears again. “Stay a little longer. I’ll tell you the story of the rose.”
“What rose?”
“A red rose. It is a miracle; we’ll get a few more drinks and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Tell me about it tomorrow, I’ll be back here tomorrow night. Remember, you still owe me.”
“No, no, please stay Herman. I must tell you the Story of the Rose before you leave. It concerns you!”
Herman would not listen. Just as he was out the door, Gabriel remembered the name of the fighter cock, but mindful of anyone else hearing it, he refrained from shouting and ran after Herman. He caught up with him outside. “Dragon,” he whispered into Herman’s ear, and added, “Be very careful of love!” Then, satisfied with his achievement, he happily returned to the tavern.
to be continued…
next episode: 10- “What on earth are you doing?”
