#frifreebits
She was moth to his flame...
...The
forest was a living cathedral, the great columns bearing a roof of green. All
the time we gradually ascended, following a path. In one place we forded a
lively stream, balancing on mossy rocks that barely kept us above the
chattering water.
Topping a final rise, we came at last upon the Waldhut. It sat in a small clearing,
dwarfed by the biggest pine trees I had ever seen. Smoke trailed from the
chimney and a fire also crackled out front, snapping sparks. From the greasy
cloud rising from a blackened, steaming rock pile, I knew that a pig had
already gone into the pit. There was another smell, too, the welcome fragrance
of coffee.
Among the musicians and dancers were handymen and servants,
all sharing in the cheerful equality of the day. As Barbara and I laid blankets
at the edge of the clearing atop a thick blanket of pine needles, I spied,
further back in the woods, a green tent. Stage shrieks emanated from it.
"Gott! The
usual bawdy house atmosphere." Barbara took me by the arm and pulled me
toward the fire. "You, Blumechen,
are to stay far, far away from that tent."
The clearing had the look of an impromptu marketplace, with
stacks of rugs and laden baskets. Three children suddenly bounded out the door
of the summerhouse, pushing past like unruly dogs. Two boys and a girl, they
wore bright lumpy peasant’s clothing.
Who did they remind me
of, with their broad laughing faces and thick wild hair?
"Schikaneder's." Barbara answered my unspoken
question. "Three different mothers, but look at them, alike as peas in a
pod. He keeps a regular herd at some farm near Josephplatz."
Turks, I
thought, weren't the only men to keep
harems.
Going into the Waldhut
with Barbara, we found a trestle table set with breads, butter, cheese and
those expensive luxuries, coffee and sugar. With cups in hand we stood around
the table with the Schacks, who were already inside eating. At last, in spite
of the strong, sugary coffee and so many gay companions, I was sleepier than
ever. Barbara and I, after looking at each other and yawning, agreed we
couldn't keep our eyes open much longer.
Going into the yard, we collected our things and carried
them to an area screened from the clearing by flowering trees. Here, close to
the prone form of an ancient pine, we spread our blankets. Ferns and clusters
of tiny white and lavender flowers dotted the ground. Barbara fussed at me to
hurry and settle, but I spent time carefully finding a spot where the blanket
wouldn't crush them.
"Shall I sing my little girl a lullaby?" Barbara
leaned back against the fallen tree and kicked off her shoes.
"Yes if you please, Frau Gerl."
Behind us, the clearing grew quiet. There seemed to be a
unanimous decision that it was time for a nap. While Barbara softly serenaded
me with an old nursery song, I bunched up my shawl for a pillow. A root that
felt like a big toe stuck into my side, so I moved my hips. The last conscious
thought I had was that I'd never be able to fall asleep here...
~~~
I stood with a group of women among the
pines. I could hear a bright tune, perfect for a romp, but my companions were
still as statues. In their midst was a man, an angel of a man, a man I almost
recognized.
Golden curls haloed his face and he wore a
crown of laurel leaves, like Apollo. When he beckoned, one of my companions
would rise and walk like a sleepwalker into his arms, where she would be
embraced and kissed. Melting, the woman would crumple to the ground at his feet
and remain there, eyes raised toward his shining face, apparently quite
stricken with love..."
~~Juliet Waldron
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