Oscar MeyersChapter 30
- 4 years ago
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“My hair is white!” Georgia said glaring at Oscar in response to his comment about how nice she looked that day. They were riding camels side by side about thirty yards behind Jumah.
“I like it,” Oscar said with a smile. Her hair had turned to a white color that was almost shocking in its purity.
“It’s not blond,” she said holding a strand of her hair in front of her eyes. She wished that it had turned blond rather than white. Her original color had been a hue of light brown that bordered on being blond or perhaps blond that bordered on being light brown.
“Well, I like it,” Oscar said for the hundredth time.
“You’re a pervert. You do know that,” she said shaking her head.
“Why?”
“You like granny hair,” Georgia said turning to glare at him. She thought the color was a lot like that of an old woman who colored her hair with bluing. It made her feel old.
“You could put on the burka,” Oscar replied without reacting to the angry expression on her face. He knew that suggestion was going to get a rise out of her. She was still wearing her fatigues and had sworn that she wasn’t going to put on the burka ever again. For some reason she really hated that outfit.
“Let me be more precise. You are a pervert because you like granny hair and for me to wear a sack that covers me from head to toe,” Georgia said looking up at the sky as if seeking protection from Oscar by a higher power.
“Okay,” Oscar said smiling at the back of her head. His camel was dropping back to follow hers.
Jumah was smart enough not to get in the middle of this discussion. The first time he had done that, both of them had told him to mind his own business. The fact was that learning that one of the Powers that Be was responsible for her hair color reminded him of the story of Moses. In his mind that made her a holy figure and favored of Allah. The fact that she was a woman confused him, but he wasn’t an overly religious man and did not know how to interpret it.
“You’re not going to deny it,” Georgia asked looking over her shoulder at Oscar. She was rather surprised by his agreement.
“Nope. If loving you and appreciating your beauty in all of its forms is perversion, then consider me a pervert,” Oscar said. He looked at her and winked.
Georgia tapped her whip on the camel to speed it up in an attempt to catch up with Jumah. She was getting used to swaying motion as the camel moved along the dry creek bed that cut between the two mountains. She sighed and asked, “So why do you have such an interest in seeing me in the burka?”
“I like looking at your eyes,” Oscar answered. He tapped his camel on the side with his whip to get it to move up beside Georgia’s camel. Instead of speeding up, his camel stopped and threatened to drop to its knees. He tapped it again a little harder and it started to move again, but stopped after three steps.
“You can look at my eyes when I’m not wearing the burka,” Georgia said and then realized that Oscar was somewhere behind her. She glanced back and watched him struggling to get his camel moving once again.
Watching the conflict of wills between human and camel, she asked, “Are you ever going to get control over that camel?”
“I don’t think so,” Oscar answered. He and the camel were not getting along too well. The first two times that he had gotten on the camel had ended up with him on the ground. He swore that the camel had snickered at him. The first time the camel had risen on its rear legs, Oscar had not realized how far forward the camel’s body would be positioned and he had flown over the camel’s head. The next time he had mounted the camel, he had been surprised by how quickly the camel had risen on its front legs and had been thrown off the back. That had been the high point of their relationship.
“I don’t think it likes you,” Georgia said watching the camel shake its head.
“Really? I guess that would explain why it spits at me every time I come near it,” Oscar said. He hit the camel harder with the stick and it jumped forward.
The distant conversation let Jumah realize that he had left Georgia and Oscar behind. He stopped his camel to wait for them to catch up for what felt like the hundredth time over the past three days. It amazed him that someone who was favored by Allah would have such a difficult time controlling a camel. When Georgia caught up with him, he said, “You would think Allah would give him a little help with the camel.”
Georgia laughed and said, “There are times when I’m firmly convinced that the Gods and Goddesses have a very unusual sense of humor. I think Oscar is one of their favorite sources of entertainment.”
“Allah is a very serious matter. You don’t joke about Allah,” Jumah said in a tone of voice that was warning her that he wouldn’t tolerate that kind of talk. He might accept them talking about their Gods and Goddesses in a light hearted manner, but not Allah.
“I’m sure he’s a very serious God,” Georgia said.
“I don’t really like the idea of a God that is too serious,” Oscar said as his camel came to a stop behind Georgia’s camel.
“Why?”
“I like to think that someone finds my actions funny when I screw up,” Oscar answered. He grinned and added, “I know that the Two-Sided One has had more than one belly laugh on my account.”
Jumah shook his head disturbed by the conversation. Rather than respond to them, he muttered, “Allah forgive them.”
The sudden appearance of the American soldier in front of Jumah startled the man. He stopped his camel and stared at the soldier with a sinking feeling in his stomach. This was not the kind of thing that ended well. Either the soldier would think he was a terrorist or someone would become convinced that he was collaborating with the Americans. Neither possibility was good. Holding his hands in clear sight, he waited for the soldier to make the first move.
Looking past Jumah, the soldier said, “Hello. Where’s Oscar?”
Jumah understood two of the words and guessed the third word correctly. Moving slowly so that his movements wouldn’t be misinterpreted, he turned around and looked behind him. Georgia was leading the third camel and Oscar was nowhere to be seen. Turning back to face the soldier, Jumah held his hands up in the universal gesture that conveyed his total lack of knowledge about the matter.
The soldier caught Jumah’s expression and chuckled. From personal experience, he knew that such a bewildered and confused expression was common when dealing with Oscar. He jumped when Oscar said, “I’m here, Colonel.”
“Jesus, Oscar. You could give a guy a heart attack doing that,” the soldier said spinning around to stare at Oscar. It was hard to believe that Oscar had been able to sneak up on him.
Jumah stared at Oscar unable to believe that he had appeared from nowhere. He had been looking right at the spot. It seemed to him that a rock shimmered and then turned into Oscar. Convinced it was magic, he said, “Allah protect me.”
“You’ve been promoted twice since I’ve seen you,” Oscar commented looking at the man’s uniform.
“Yes, I was promoted after finishing training with you and then again two years ago,” Colonel Wagner said with a negligent shrug of his shoulders. He wasn’t going to mention that the second promotion was earned many times over.
“You’ve been out here all that time?” Oscar asked thinking that six years was a long time to serve in the same area.
Georgia finally reached Jumah and stopped her camel beside his. She was about to greet the Colonel when Oscar’s camel nudged hers from behind. She gave it a dirty look and the camel backed off.
“No. I’ve been back to the states twice,” the Colonel answered. The identity of the woman with them finally dawned on him. He said, “Hello, Georgia. I like the white hair.”
“Men! I swear they’re all perverts,” Georgia said with more than a little irritation in her voice. She couldn’t understand their fascination with her hair.
The Colonel whispered to Oscar, “Is there some story about the white hair that I should know?”
Oscar laughed and shook his head in the negative. He answered, “She’s just a little sensitive about it. What ever you do, don’t ask her to wear a burka.”
Concerned that they were in trouble, Jumah turned to Georgia and asked, “What are they talking about?”
“They are just catching up on old times,” Georgia answered.
The Colonel asked, “When did you learn to speak the local lingo?”
Georgia answered, “At the same time my hair turned white.”
“Oh.”
“How have things been along the border?” Oscar asked.
The Colonel answered, “Things were a little out of control there for a while, but traffic has stopped for the past two weeks. There’s been a bit of fighting amongst the various factions here.”
“Yes, we ran into a bit of that in Pakistan. We came across the bodies of some terrorists who had been killed by locals. We heard rumors of major battles occurring when terrorists tried to force the locals into supporting Jihad. In fact, Georgia had to kill a dozen of them,” Oscar said.
“A dozen?” the Colonel asked. He turned to Georgia and asked, “What happened?”
“There were about to execute a shepherd boy in cold blood. He was only thirteen years old. I couldn’t stand by and watch them do it, so I had to intervene,” Georgia said. The idea that she had killed a dozen men still bothered her. She had to tell herself over and over that there had been no choice.
“Good job,” the Colonel said with a nod of approval. He had come to respect Georgia’s abilities while undergoing training, but he had doubts about her willingness to use them when it came down to the real thing. That she had the skills to be a very deadly fighter had never been in doubt.
Several dozen fire pits were scattered around the wash where they planned to spend the night. This particular spot had served as a stop for caravans traveling from Pakistan into Afghanistan for centuries. Each major storm would wash away the debris left behind, but it had been six weeks since a good rain had fallen. The most recent fire pit had been used two weeks before.
The first year dining room was crowded, but exceptionally quiet for lunchtime. Finals for the second quarter were approaching and everyone was thinking about the upcoming tests. The waitress had just delivered lunch to Oscar and his roommates. Lisa asked, “So where are Debbie and Georgia?” “Not sure,” answered Oscar as he eyed his tuna fish salad sandwich. He lifted a slice of bread and saw the pile of onions laid across the tuna salad. He nodded in pleasure when he saw that they had added...
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Returning to their dorm room, Debbie noticed that Oscar’s name had been removed from the name plaque beside the door and had been replaced by We Gahe Sukawaka. She thought about mentioning it to Oscar, but unpacking from their trip to the great plain drove the thought form her mind. Of course, Oscar didn’t help by making jokes about how much gear she had taken on the trip. After unpacking, the trio went to find some food. On the way, one of the students nodded at the three of them. It took...
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Across the flat featureless ground, baked hard under the direct glare of the sun, Oscar walked with a strong step as though the heat had no effect upon him. The hot ground produced convection currents that caused the air to shimmer in waves, distorting things in the distance. The effect made him appear as a squiggle suspended slightly above the ground, a comma dancing on the horizon. On the outskirts of a small village in Iraq, a group of children played soccer on a small patch of land by...
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Sunday morning started slowly. Oscar woke pressed against Georgia, enjoying the feel of his love in his arms. His erect cock was nestled between the cheeks of her ass. The silk of her pajamas felt smooth against his bare skin. He ran his right hand up the front of her body, pausing to caress her silk clad breasts. His erection throbbed, rubbing against the silk. He sighed in contentment. Georgia, waking from his touches, pressed back against him and said, “Good morning.” “Good morning, my...
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Kotyit, with a young man standing beside him, watched the young man approach followed by his two girlfriends. Looking at the trio, there was no way to mistake them for anything other than whites. He hoped the other students wouldn’t be too hard on them, but knew that hope was slim. This was the Native American College, not Paleface College, and the students would be reluctant to embrace whites living on their campus. At least he was wearing blue jeans rather than the red robe. That one bright...
“Local law says that no church or synagogue can be taller than the shortest mosque in the area.” “So some joker built a mosque that is five feet tall just to make the Christians and Jews unhappy?” “It looks that way,” Oscar answered with a grin. Georgia looked down at the roof of the decrepit building. The roof was about four feet above the ground. It was hard to believe that Oscar was taller than the building. She said, “I know you are short, but how can you possibly stand up in that...
Oscar noticed a plume of dust on the horizon well outside of the training area. He watched it move and then stop. The medallion flared hot against his skin. His stomach clenched as the hairs on the back of his neck rose. As the dust started settling, he shouted, “Georgia, break radio silence. Get everyone back to camp right now.” Without asking any questions, Georgia got on the radio and started broadcasting the message. Once she had told everyone his orders, she called back asking,...
Oscar woke up in his dorm room and stretched. It was his birthday and he wondered what the women were going to do to celebrate it. He didn’t really enjoy his birthday and just hoped that he’d get through it. He glanced over at Sandy. She was awake and watching him. Holding up an MRE, Sandy asked, “Not going to wait around for breakfast in bed?” Oscar groaned at the sight of the MRE. Nearly every woman in the school had heard about his attempt to serve Debbie breakfast in bed for her...
Carrying a rather large piece of luggage, Oscar strolled down the hallway as if he owned the hotel. The hallway was basically bare; painted in a dull white. Every thirty feet, the walls were broken by pairs of doors that faced an identical pair of doors on the other side of the hallway. The floor was covered with a commercial carpet intended to be unnoticed while hiding stains and dampening noise. After walking more than half the length of the hallway, Oscar arrived at his room. He checked...
Debbie looked at the hole in the ground. This was not just a little hole in the ground. There was a building carved out of rock right in the middle of the hole. The building was two stories tall and carved into the shape of a cross. Awed by the amount of work that it must have taken to carve the building out of the surrounding rock, she said, “This church is carved from the rock.” “That’s right. This is the famous Bet Giorgis church of Lalibela. It was carved about nine hundred years ago...
Standing beside a Russian truck, a very anxious Debbie waited for her husband and wife to arrive. The barren lifeless environment only fed her anxiety. It was hard to believe how desolate the area looked. Draught had cracked the hard ground into little bricks with inch wide cracks. Despite the sun in the sky, the air was chill. She turned to the Major who was seated on the hood of the truck and asked, "Are you sure this is the right place?" "Very sure," the Major answered with a yawn. He...
The Colonel, the Major, and two of the Captains stood in a relaxed manner in the command center looking at Oscar. Georgia wasn’t present for a change and they actually missed her. Oscar smiled at the four and said, “Congratulations, you’ve passed.” The Colonel laughed and said, “Best training program I’ve ever experienced. You drove me fucking crazy.” Oscar nodded and asked, “Well, do you guys want to discuss what you learned here?” The Major answered, “They don’t fight by the rules.” One...
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An old man picking up trash and putting it into a bag noticed Oscar standing in front of the Golden Gate. Wearing the cloak and robe while carrying a staff, Oscar looked like a character straight out of the Torah. He stared at Oscar wondering what he was doing at the Golden Gate. Considering the current religious climate, the old man was halfway convinced that Oscar was going to march into Jerusalem after breaking down the wall that had been built to render the gate useless. He held his...
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Turning at the end of the private road leading from the Druid College, Oscar jogged down the county road trying to burn off some excess energy. While robes were a unique fashion statement that set the Druids apart from everyone else, they were not designed to facilitate jogging while wearing them. He had his robes held up by a belt so that the hem was only to his knees. It looked ridiculous and he knew it, but he didn’t really care. A car pulled up beside him honking the horn. He looked over...
Feeling like the whole world was his oyster, Oscar walked across the road towards the school. He felt great. After spending a nice quiet night with Georgia, he had a very pleasurable morning romp with her. It was a rare occasion when he had a chance to spend the night with Georgia alone. He spent many more nights alone with Debbie than with Georgia. He didn’t begrudge a single night alone with Debbie, but it was great to spend the night with Georgia. It was a glorious day and that just added...
The image that we have of a hero is of a muscle-bound man who can carry three victims in one arm while firing a machine gun with the other. The word hero makes us think of a man with a strong chin, chiseled features, and steely eyes. Sure, some heroes are the big strong manly types such as described in stories and portrayed in movies. Of course, we also think that heroines are attractive hard-body types who have studied martial arts their whole lives. From the media presentation of heroic...
Oscar sat on the top of the truck drinking a hot cup of cocoa and looking around at his surroundings. He was in an isolated area surrounded by blinding white snow that hurt his eyes. The snow softened the landscape; turning hard edges into flowing curves. Behind the truck, tracks led back to the small village Oscar had left a half an hour earlier. He thought back to his visit there earlier. The village had less then three hundred people living in it. Most were old; the majority of the young...
Riding in the limousine from the airport was a first for David Bear Claw. He couldn’t believe the luxury afforded students of the Druid College. Even Ohola U Tiwahe was quiet during the drive. Oscar, Georgia, and Debbie were watching the reactions of the guests. Oscar and Debbie found their reactions understandable while Georgia was amused. Finally, Oscar said, “They sent the limousine because Ohola U Tiwahe is an honored guest.” David asked, “Do you mean that they don’t normally have a...
Saudi Arabia is officially listed as the fourteenth largest country geographically. It controls an incredible amount of oil, but after the invention of the Fusion Cell by John Carter that meant little in terms of the international market. Prior to the invention of the Fusion Cell, oil accounted for nearly sixty percent of its gross national product. Afterwards, oil accounted for only ten percent of the gross national product. It was not that other sectors stepped up to the economic plate, but...
Mohammed directed Oscar through the small town, pointing to the coffee house as the most likely place to find someone who would be interested in purchasing the Mercedes. It wasn’t as though there was a car dealership in the area. Oscar stopped the car in front of the small building and looked around the area. The place was clearly not a chain coffee house based in Seattle. The front of the building was open to the street. Chairs lined one wall with small tables set in front of them. The...
The Reverend Leroy Jones sat on a heavy duty camp chair drinking a cup of Arabian coffee. The thick sweet liquid was strong, but the cup was tiny. The bottom of the cup was filled with finely ground particles of coffee bean. In all, there were about four sips of coffee in the cup. Shaking his head, he wished that he had a cup of American coffee. Sighing, he said, “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this coffee.” “I have never gotten used to the weak swill that you Americans call coffee,”...
My plane left Paris an hour late. It was a nonstop, night flight to New York. We were on hold, apparently, for some late VIP's important enough to hold up an entire flight and screw up schedules. However, I wasn't particularly disturbed as I was in no real hurry. I also had plenty to do on my laptop, so the time passed fairly quickly for me. My seat was next to the window just two rows back from the front entrance. A bustle of activity heralded the presence of our late arrivals. One...