Notes and Sentiments/Audio.Rev. Sc.1-2.Ch.4

         Carol is readying herself to go refrigerator shopping, and you will too after a quick bath. You have your Ohio Rebate reservation number which went much quicker than you thought it would. Still late morning, plenty of time. You also have the set up to record which should go fairly fast. Bob P. had the last of his chemo on Tuesday so next Tuesday Carol is going up to see Mary Lou and you will see Bob for lunch and perhaps a movie. You also received a note from an old Otterbein friend, a fellow English major and member of the Otterbein English Honorary, Quiz and Quill, Shawnee G. This is after you saw her name in Linked In, a service you are now a part of. You attempted to contact her first, to see if she was the Shawnee you knew. Bob is also a member of the Quiz and Quill, a wonderful old friend with whom you share like minds, twin minds, as you both like to say. Bob, of course, is the model for Robert in “The Brothers” segments of the Merlyn’s Mind series. So, you feel doubly blessed to still be able to know and communicate with both. Lots of shared college memories.

         Somehow it seems culturally embarrassing to be sentimental but I don’t care. I am sentimental. Well, I better look that up first.

Main Entry:
Function: adjective:
Date: 1749

1 a : marked or governed by feeling, sensibility, or emotional idealism  b : resulting from feeling rather than reason or thought  *a sentimental attachment*  *a sentimental favorite*
2 : having an excess of sentiment or sensibility; adverb 
From: Merriam-Webster’s

In reading the above definition I see that it has to do, in my case, feeling for old friends and comrades. More specifically, in this case, with friends with whom I have shared writings, particularly the Merlyn’s Mind series or with Quiz and Quill, the shear joy of creative writing. Why should this seem embarrassing, because of feelings for friends? How is this deemed a weakness? It’s silly to think it is, and untrue if anyone falls for it, if one has true friends. To say one is weak in character because sheorhe is sentimental, is to say sheorhe is weak in herorhis humanity. That’s how I see it anyhow.

         And those who supported your efforts in the first three books count here also as well as John Douglas Goss who is a reader for this book. List the others here as a reminder to yourself as to what you owe your not so old and old friends. Here is your dedication in book three of the series.

Dedication

            To my dear, kind and patient first readers and their spouses: Alta and Craig Brelsford, Angie and Tim Edmonds, Patricia and Warren Ernsberger, Carol and Fritz Milligan, Kim Orndorff Paik and Paul Paik, Teresa and Gary Popplewell, Patricia and Robert Pringle, Jeanne and Jim Shumaker, Laney Bender-Slack and Jay Slack, and Cathy and Tod Stoessner. I humbly thank each for your trusted friendship.

            Conversations with Laney Bender-Slack lead you to leave the closet as far as being a romantic are concerned, at least in relationship to writing. At the time you were leaning neo-classic in your thinking. Soon you will be off shopping and for lunch. Post this for now. – Amorella. 

           Time for bed. It has been a busy day. You finished only the first two scenes and it is too late for the longer scene three. Tomorrow then. Post what you have, and good night. – Amorella. 

Chapter Four.Aud.Rev.

© 2009. The Rebellion

by Richard H. Orndorff

Scene 1

You are about to witness the death of Merlyn the Scottish bard in AD 610. How this is relevant to the birth of the first rebellion is beyond belief but not beyond reason.

Old Merlyn is sitting on the earth under a favorite tree in the woods, and he is leaning back against a favorite piece of stone for support.

He mutters, “I will leave this world sitting up.” A few more breaths and it will be done. Shortly thereafter, his last words are spoken, “The pawn is taken.”

The only one listening is Mother Earth. She feelsanthinks, old Merlyn coils like one cooling cat. A final unconscious bodily curl to keep the belly warm. Unneeded. Unnecessary.

Scene 2

Floating in a banana peel. A nutty aroma. Away, away rolls the clay. Out of one corner and into another, and another. A ceiling. A floor. An old wooden door. Consciousness dancing fully long legged in twilight. Unconsciousness un-trapped. Heart in an upside-down bowl rolled out flat with a hole along the right edge. Unknotted mind.

Here I am. Intact. Inside out. Thrice thrashed and open for business. Hello. This is Merlyn untagged with quotation marks.

Merlyn?

Who is this?

A friend.

Thales? Thales of Miletus?

The same.

I studied you and your students, Anaximander and Anaximenes.

While we were studying you, Merlyn.

What did you learn?

You are not a pawn taken. You have reached the eighth rank. Chess pawn promotion. A rule unbroken.

What chess piece will have me?

Your queen.

What is the game?

Life and Life-in-Death. Observe. The Game has already begun.

What is my chess piece color?

No one knows, Merlyn.

And, so it is that Merlyn has arrived. He assumes the Place of the Dead is the Fortunate Isle, Avalon, but here in this Place, Celt and Greek become one, a transformation of a boarded promotion unknown, even to Merlyn, and time has come and gone and come back again.

***