9th September 2021 2359
Hello, all you awesome readers. The weekend is coming and let's get ready to rumble....
I hope it is still bitin ;)
This is the next chapter in the book Ben MacDuff - Homecoming
Chapter 8
Archie looked at the clock, which now shone at 4.57am in dim red lights, he had been daydreaming for nearly two hours. Jumping out of bed, he grabbed a blue towel and made his way into the ensuite bathroom. Realizing that he had forgotten his toilet bag, he went back into the bedroom and retrieved it from his suitcase. Grabbing his shampoo and conditioner and putting the large bath towel on the heated towel rail, Archie jumped into the shower.
He always took a cold shower first to wake him, then gradually increased the temperature. He shampooed his hair, then conditioned it with his favourite coconut conditioner, before lathering his body with the Imperial Leather soap that Nanay Ate had stocked up the shower with. He felt his chin and noticed the rough stubble. On his graduation, they had pictures taken with his grandmother, who remarked that Archie should have shaved that morning. To which his mother replied, “Archie is the king of the five o’clock shadow”. The pictures taken in the afternoon had shown his eight hours hair growth. Most days he shaved twice a day to maintain a smoothish face. When it came to beards, he grew a full thick beard in a matter of days. With his dark hair and naturally tannable skin, this had come in very handy over the years to help disguise his Britishness.
Archie dried himself with the towel and wrapped it around his waist, and strolled back into the bedroom. Picking up a navy blue coloured cushion from the bed he placed it on the floor, and then took a three-inch high solid gold laughing buddha statue and placed it two feet from the cushion.
Archie was not a religious man, as he had seen at first hand too many gruesome acts undertaken in the various names of ‘God’. However, he did appreciate the good that religion can bring to people. He had his favourite parts in all major religions but if pushed would most align himself to the principles of Buddhism. Archie decided his meditation this morning would be a mantra meditation.
Sitting down cross-legged on the cushion, Archie spent the next ten minutes chanting in a calm and assured voice the mantra “Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu”.
This is a mantra of cooperation and compassion and seemed rather an appropriate Archie decided. The mantra actually means “May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all”.
Opening his eyes, Archie felt a sense of calm and was ready for whatever challenges the day ahead would bring.
What to wear, what to wear Archie though. He decided on a pair of size 34XLong Jacob Cohen Blue Silk Jeans, a Moschino Ink Blue Polo Shirt, blue socks, and blue briefs.
“Fuck it, my boy, it seems like a blue sort of day today,” Archie said to his naked reflection in the mirror.
He slowly got dressed, putting on his briefs followed by his polo shirt. Adjusting himself to the left, he slid his jeans on, wiggling his bottom, so that everything hung correctly. Nothing worse than having to readjust yourself due to something being uncomfortable he smiled to himself. Sitting on the bed, he put his left sock on followed by his right one. Finally, he selected a dark blue pair of Converse Chuck Taylor Hi Tops. He loved these ever since he had first come across them on an assignment in the United States.
Glancing at his black “TAG Heuer Carrera” watch, Archie saw it was 5.57am, time to go down and have breakfast with Nanay Ate and Uncle Po. Stepping out onto the landing, who should he run into but the American couple he had met last night.
“Well, howdy partner” drawled the man in what Archie thought was definitely a Cajun drawl, probably New Orleans.
“Good morning sir, milady, how are we both this fine morning? Replied Archie.
“Oh, we are just going to get some breakfast, Bob just loves the fried breakfast that the sweet little old lady cooks, and I love her coffee.” Enthused the woman.
“Have you had her breakfast, and where are my manners, must have left them in New Orleans. I am Bobby and this here pretty gal is PeggySue!” Beamed a very happy Bobby.
Archie took PeggySue’s left hand and raised it to his mouth, before gently placing a kiss on the back of her hand. He then shook Bobby firmly by the hand.
“I am so pleased to meet you both, my name is Archie. Out of curiosity, this little old lady you spoke of serving breakfast is she perhaps less than five foot?” enquired Archie.
“Why yes she is,” said PeggySue“and the weirdest thing is that her name is Ate, it made Bobby laugh the first time he heard it in the dining room, I mean she is called Ate and we want to eat, so I said to Bobby, Hunny buns have you ate Ate yet? hahaha I am so funny”. PeggySue squealed with delight at her own joke.
Archie was not a fan of coincidences, and with Maja here and now this couple from New Orleans, he was finding himself on an orange scale of alert. Archie had been sent on a secondment to New Orleans following the devastating Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. In the aftermath of the destruction wreaked by Mother Nature, several criminal gangs from all over the world had taken the opportunity to settle old scores and cause further havoc of a criminal nature. Archie had been on the trail of a UK-based gang and was partially responsible for eliminating their criminal activities and indeed most of the gang members themselves. He had been to New Orleans prior to Katrina, and to be honest he was not a fan of the city at all. In his opinion, it stank of garbage and reminded him of some villages in Africa. Those African villages had no money for food for children and no proper housing let alone any sanitation. His African assignments had been Archie’s first introduction to poverty, something in the West that Joe and Jane Public have no real concept of. New Orleans he thought should have at least sorted their sanitation out. He was so disgusted that he had never even attended the Mardi Gras celebrations.
Thank you for reading you awesome beautiful people.
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Copyright @TengoLoTodo 2021 and yes All Rights Reserved. All images and words are from the author unless the source is mentioned.
Haste ye back.
More more more Uncle Ed!.. hmmm.. Archie been to a lot of places. The imperial leather soap caught my attention ahhaa. I think we have that here.. somewhere in my mom's stash...