I walked into the room which served as Library in this large house of the family since the Norman conquest. As I entered the room, I can smell the pungent smoke from my dear father's pipe as this is the only room he is allowed to indulged himself with it. I can see my Aunt Gertrude sitting by the patio door which is also partially opened on this cold winter morning. My aunt is wearing her fleece jacket and afghan shawl over it as she endure the cold draught coming in. Its an alternative blessing compared to the pungent smoke of my father's pipe. They are having tea here this morning and probably this is a private place to have the family inquisition on my stay at the dark continent where I gone missing for five months.
"Ah! Good morning to you, Jane. I trust you had a good sleep in your own bed after being away for so long." My father, the infamous Gorilla expert in the civilized world; Professor Archimedes Q. Porter. He was in the dark continent with me and we found the real creatures he has been studying from fossils to stands of hair but never did meet one until he was there. But he left the place early for his presentation at the Adventure Club back here in London while I stayed for four more adventurous months. I walked over to my father and gave him his morning peck on the left cheek; I was trying to avoid the pipe on his right side of his face. I then gave my spinster aunt her usual morning peck too so that she would not feel left out in the family.
"I say, Jane. Would not you consider your dressing a bit too casual for this weather? James told me that there will be a strong draught coming from Dover side this afternoon and you are dressed still in those safari attires. Don't you have any more dresses in your closet or are they too loose for your body. Poor girl must had lost weight in the dark jungles there." I can see my father is giving me the one over look on my choice of clothes. Well, I am comfortable in these and the other dresses with the hoops and loops are just too tight. I can see my Aunt all sewn up in her bodice and multi layered skirts beneath jacket. I wondered if she has any flesh at all. In the dark continent, clothing is not a necessity but we prevail for modesty reasons.
"Jane, its very unladylike in London to be clad in those clothes. I am sure even the barmaid wenches has more coverings on them than yours. I am more referring to your man's pants." I was looking at where my Aunt was referring to and she meant the pair of pants of mine which is just below the knee. "You may borrow shawl to cover your knees when you sit there."
I took her offer of the shawl and laid it on my lap as not to be seen as too obvious by them.
"Tell me, Jane. I heard that during your stay there without me, you were in the company of a man. I hear he is named Tarzan. Bear with me, my dear. More was said of him as a savage and he swings on the tree like an ape. I pray that you would tell otherwise." My father has a lot of good friends in the dark continent to keep an eye for me during his absence, but I did go "AWOL" for three months. So he is trying to fit in the puzzle on my "AWOL".
"Oh yes, father. I was with Tarzan....." That drew the low clearing of my aunt as its her sign of 'no..no' to any wrong use of words in a conversation. "As I was saying, I did meet up with Tarzan. He is what you would describe as a noble savage in the dark continent........"
"Pardon me." That was Aunt Gertrude almost spilling her tea on my use of the word 'noble savage'.
"Noble savage? I say, my dear. There are no such terms to my knowledge. Noble is one I know as I am one, but savage is what I saw in the dark continent but to string the two together is an understatement of the period. Perhaps you meant to say he was a safari hunter." I know my father thinks that all his peer in the dark continent are either armed with a butterfly net or a large elephant gun.
"No, father. He is a noble savage and he is no hunter like those you saw. He abhors the use of guns and preferred the blade he holds in his waist belt. He fights with the crocodiles and lions with it or bare hands...."
Its Aunt Gertrude. She apologies again and cordially refuse to take any more sips of tea for this morning. She motioned for me to continue my conversation.
"As I was saying, Tarzan kills with his bare hands..." Aunt Gertrude has dropped her knitting needle onto the floor. She apologies and said she will continue later with her knitting.
"Once I saw him battle a large snake with it, and he won against it. But I actually did had a hand in it. I handed him a large stone to clobber the snake with it." I can see Aunt Gertrude has forgotten her manners to close her mouth. But I will remind her later.
"Preposterous indeed! I heard enough. Young lady you have an over active imagination. I find all these stories too astounding to be true." My father is a uptight snob when he wants to be.
"But father, its true. I stayed with the man for three months. We swung on the tree and even slept on it. Its safer than on the ground. There the Lions may come at night when you are asleep." I am sure Aunt Gertrude has slumped back on her arm chair. My goodness, she could had fainted. I tried to get up to get the smelling salt but my father interrupted my thoughts.
"Jane, this is unbecoming of you. I shall not tolerate your behaviour any more longer. I would suggest you have your meals in your room today." I know when my father is upset as he would be puffing with his pipe causing the whole place to be filled with the pungent smell. Well, it woke up aunt Gertrude.
"Oh, did I missed anything?" She had to asked.
"Dad, I had something to tell you. And its urgent." I used my low tone of the voice so that he would consider my request. Well, it worked on most times when I needed a favor from him. It did as he nodded his head.
"Father, Tarzan whom I referred as the noble savage would like to see you this afternoon. He is in London this morning. " I paused to let the older man heard my first request first.
"Meet me? Why should I do that? He is as you said a 'Noble Savage' and myself am a 'Savage Noble' now." My father is fuming with rage and its best I tell him instead of Tarzan or it will be the elephant gun he will use this afternoon.
"Tarzan is here to asked for my hand in marriage with your permission of course." I was getting ready to raise the napkin as a sign of truce if he were to blow up. Well, he did.
"MARRIAGE? A savage to marry my noble daughter; probably that's how he intend to instill the name 'noble savage' to his reputation. My answer is no to the marriage and no to the meeting this afternoon."
If there is one thing that both of us in the family shared in common is the temperance of the fury in the emotion. I stood up and said to my father; " I HAVE TO AS HIS CHILD IS IN ME!'
The old man slumped back onto this armchair and his pipe fell off his fingers. So did Aunt Gertrude but she actually slide off her chair.
"How.....can this be? I left you there for three months and you had three years of suitors come calling and none you accept." My father is looking rather glum now but he expects an answer to his query.
"Well...... Its to do with the swings and the trees, and also its a jungle out there, and there are more to the birds and the bees. And I had to admit......the loin cloth he wore was rather ......revealing." The man I called as my father finally nodded his head. But he had to asked.
"How would you live? I mean after your marriage."
"Well, Tarzan is actually the long lost heir of the Greystoke's and he is coming back to claim his inheritance. I guess he is worth a couple million pounds.... And owns a couple of castle....."
"By George, that is my son in law. He is truly a NOBLE SAVAGE" I am glad my father has decided to see things my way. But he had to asked that question which I dread.
"Would my grandchild be swinging on trees too? It would be good to get a first hand 'spoken' experience on it. Those apes did not make any sense when they told me."
I did not hear him as I am out of the Library to select my bridal gown. I must get something that will show my savage love for the noble savage.
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