Weekend Special Short Tales California 2.2 Chapter 7

 

7.

On a dark desert highway
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night

(Jimmy Loong November 2020)

That was the kickoff for the festival, as the revelers marched in with their masks and costumes and the musicians accompanied them with the assorted instrument that ranged from the cans that served as drums to the huge cymbal. It was a riot of the festivities and then came the food stalls to line up at the designated areas in the yard. It was followed on by the acrobats and then the main focus of the festival, the raised platform measuring twenty five by twenty five feet hand carried in parts to be assembled with quick catches and held taut by the ropes.

“The stage is set!” The call by the assemblers roared out and the gathered there roared back in return.

“Bring in the clowns!” It was the opening act of many more performances during the festival from the break of dawn to the late dusk.

I was at the balcony looking down at the gathered there. I envied them which were an infringement to my programming but it just triggered then. I was wiping the balcony of the morning dews from the night but my attention was on the merriment below.

Every calendar year, I had that jolt in my programming on that particular moment.

I will be direct in my reply; it made me feel alive.

Then I saw her.

The female gypsy.

Esmeralda heard her cue and ran on stage. Her act was the dance which was the inheritance of her Community. She swirl and leaped to the music played, and then she broke into her new playwright piece.

The Dome is the doom

It housed the dead and the un-living

It held the souls of theirs there

Restrained by the walls and dungeons

They gargle for freedom yet stifled by the Dome

Do we doom or raise the Dome?

(Jimmy Loong November 2020)

The gathered raised their laughter at her words, and then the replies came.

“Raise the Dome or be doomed!”

It was a sarcastic gesture but the offence was taken by the Captain. He was with the Archdeacon at the main entrance of the Dome, then heavily guarded for the gathered was not allowed in unless they hold the needed permits.

“Seize that gypsy! She mocked the sanctum of the Dome.” Captain Phoebus called out.

“Hold on that. She is being… part of the festival. She meant no harm.” The Archdeacon spoke behind his mask. “We cannot be stifling their fun.”

“Fun, My Reverend Sir? It’s blasphemy there. It’s an offence.” Captain Phoebus burst back in anger. “She …”

“I am aware that she did it the year before and the year before that. She is … young and …gaily. Let her be. No harm had come to the Dome.” The Archdeacon then turned to return to inside the Dome. Captain Phoebus turned to glare at the person he had supported to be the Archdeacon.

“Captain, we cannot let her be. She will stir the others to revolt. The previous year, they decorate the yard with their paints and whatever they have.” The aide reminded the Captain. The latter remained silent. He had his view on the girl. In his view, she was a tramp.

“Take her into custody. She will be detained until dawn tomorrow.” The Captain then turned his back on the festival. The aide of the Captain called on the enforcers near him.

“Bring her in. She will be restrained at the basement.” The five enforcers holding the batons were keen to do the task. It was their once opportunity to release their frustration on the gathered. They marched forward and used their batons to clear the way.

“The pigs are out early!” The warning went out. The gathered dispersed but there were the few brave ones that clashed with the enforcers. The clash was joined by more of the gathered and the enforcers called in for reinforcements.

“Send in the others, but keep some here to guard the doorway.” The Captain roared the order. It was then, the noise of breaking glass could be heard when the gathered threw hard objects at the Dome wall.

I was prompted by the act to move into position to clear the debris. I hovered on the anti grav disc and flew down the stairs towards the source of the noise. My sonar sensors had pinpointed the area and I was there to sight the shards of glass. I grabbed the nearby vacuum in the closet and used that to clean the shards. I was hit twice by hard objects but it just glance off my metal frame. It was then I heard the same screams that was familiar to me.

It was the female gypsy. She was apprehended and brought into the Dome.

The female gypsy was taken to the basement.