Notes & partial draft of Scene 12: Chapter 4

         First day of Spring. Mid-morning. Family time already. You are thinking about this next scene but too many distractions at the moment. Relax. Later, dude. – Amorella.

         I just put ‘moonwater’ in the Microsoft Office spelling bank. Cool beans, as this is real news and now a real word as far as I am concerned. I wonder on the setting of this next scene. I keep thinking of the background of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. (I remember first seeing this painting when it was on loan to the Smithsonian back in the seventies I think. I was more taken to the background than the woman’s face, which was a surprise to me.) I enhanced the Wikipedia image in iPhoto for background clarification.

          Wikipedia says: “. . . The ambiguity of the sitter’s expression, the monumentality of the half-figure composition, and the subtle modeling of forms and atmospheric illusionism were novel qualities that have contributed to the painting’s continuing fascination. . . .”

          As I look more closely at the Mona Lisa background I remember being in a similar environment. This is me below, 1972 on the Altiplano, Valley of the Moon, not too far from La Paz, Bolivia in our taxi journey to Puno, Peru near Lake Titicaca.

   

         So, I’ve been there, I’ve been in a similar setting. I can do this with some sense of authenticity. I never thought of using it as a setting for the three Fates though. Amazing what one can come up with.

         The mind is built for such intra-connections, orndorff. I must say, it does make it easier that you have been there. Other such images are online. Check them out. Perhaps you can find another you can also use for description.

         I have an interesting one from Flickr (I don’t know about copyright.) that I can use for the Fates walking along the path.

          And, if I put this with Mona Lisa at the turn in the road just out of sight, down by the plain on the right, I can fit right into the picture. (the area of road is just across from ML’s dress top and hair).I don’t know what Da Vinci would think of this but I like the idea.

         Carol and Kim are readying themselves for errands and then lunch. Post. Later, dude. – Amorella. 

You are sitting in Kim’s CR-V in front of Marx Bagels on Kenwood Road in Blue Ash. Kim is feeding Owen in the backseat. You have already had a toasted cheese wheat bagel with a red soda. Carol is eating tuna on wheat as is Kim, both ordered ice tea. The plan was to eat inside for Owen’s first Jewish deli experience, but alas, not today. Today is his first experience eating in front of the Marx Bagels Jewish Deli instead.

         In University Heights there are plenty of Jewish deli’s so he’ll get the experience soon enough. Right now though, nothing Kosher for him in any case.

         Home, and you found fifty-one pages of notes on the three Fates from three different online sources. Kim and Carol and Owen just came in from their afternoon walk in the park. Later, old man. – Amorella.

         You have narrowed down fifty-one research pages on the Fates to six which is much easier to work with in terms of background. Let’s get started with scene twelve.

Scene 12

Jagged surrealistic forms are glued like stalagmites onto the motionless green-blue ground rising up into narrow stone towers, fingers touching the landscape of hazy blue-green atmosphere. A human being would be breathing irrationality in such a place, but the three Fates, the Moirai, are in their richest element where the potential of consequences is sealed as far as the Greek Pantheon and the humans, the Dead and the Living, are concerned. The smallest as well as the eldest of the three, Atropos, waved her right hand as if she were bearing a large flag for someone in the distance to see.

“We were told so,” said she. “We were told to steal the stretch of golden sky, too put thinly into each human string as immortal armor. In the process we further opened human hearts at either end. No more we bow to the once mighty Zeus. No more we bow to anyone but Necessity. Such is the shaping sword long drawn and curved for such a rise of heart that allows for better judgment to pass in heartsansoulsanminds that roll wind-wise into Elysium.

“We invented the seven letters strangely drawn from this surreal dancing light of dark and medium turquoises. This unlevel and windy Place beyond the skies of Olympus where the winds mimic wildly howling dogs.”

“Aye, we did. The alpha and beta and eta and tau as well as  iota and upsilon.”

“We still have our A and B and H as well as our Roman I and U, but where is our missing Greek letter?”

“It was dissolved again to Light and Impenetrable Thought.”

 “Well rooted it is,” cackled the other one.

To be continued . . .

***

         I am stopping here, but I don’t know if this is your direction or mine, Amorella. This is one of those times where I think I have taken the stream of words off on a small branch.

         You got caught up in the story you were not aware of, that the Fates invented seven of the Greek letters and one of them is missing.

         I got caught up in the mystery and thought it has something to do with the scene, but it may be that the only connection is myself.

         Yourself is the connection to all of this, orndorff. Where else do you think these words are coming from?

         English words from an English speaking mind, not a Greek one, that is for sure.

         Tomorrow, you head for Westerville where you will meet Paul. You four will have lunch at Polaris and they will head north and you and Carol south. It will be a busy day.

         I would like to complete the scene tomorrow if possible, just to be done with it. I don’t know what I thought it was going to be like, but so far I am not having much empathy for the three Fates and their environment.

         It has to do with the howl of wild dogs, orndorff, and the language of the bark.

         The bark. Too much, Amorella.

         Not any worse than your ‘streaming off on a small branch.’ Time for bed, old man. – Amorella.