Journey to Sonora - Old and New Fables - John Luxton

Journey to Sonora

Journey to Sonora

By John Luxton

Copyright: John Luxton 2012 - All Rights Reserved

This book is a work of fiction and the characters therein are fictional creations and not based in any way upon real people, living or dead, any resemblance is purely coincidental. 

Once, a long time past, in a town between the desert and the mountains, there lived a man called Fazil. He was the servant of a prosperous merchant and he lived and worked in his master’s fine red roofed house, perched high on the hillside overlooking the town.

    Every day Fazil had many tasks to perform, but invariably, after making sure that his underlings had swept the courtyard, watered the bougainvilleas and prepared a breakfast for their master, he would consult with the cook and make a list of provisions that would be required for the coming day. He would then, with the kitchen boy in tow, descend through the narrow shaded streets to the market that was located in the Great Square, right in the town’s centre.

    Fazil disliked this part of his job. As soon as he entered the dusty, noisy bustle of the Great Square, he wished to be back at his master’s villa, in the cool courtyards and amongst the tinkling fountains, smoking his master’s fine tobacco in a fine brass hookah and dallying with the dusky servant girls. Today the brightness of the sun was overpowering and the stink and noise of the commercial area of particular annoyance to him, but he showed his distaste only by drawing his cloak tightly around himself and assuming a haughty air. Only then could he begin the task of making the necessary purchases.

    Today his list was short and soon the kitchen boy was loaded with various sacks and boxes. There was only one item left to buy – his master’s favourite brand of aromatic tobacco – so he sent the boy off home and set off alone to make the final purchase. He passed by stalls piled high with fruit and vegetables brought from far and wide, he saw exquisite hanging silks moving in the gentle morning breeze, he reached out and touched elaborately patterned rugs and carpets strewn across table tops, in order to gauge the quality of the workmanship. And he eventually arrived at the tobacconist, drawn by the melange of aromas emanating from the establishment. Just as he pushed open the heavy wooden door something caused him to pause, and he saw a figure in a black cloak standing in the nearby doorway of a shop selling caged birds. Fazil realized that he had seen the same person at least a couple of times during the morning; there was something a little sinister about him. Fazil turned and entered the tobacconist, the pungent smells from within causing him to quickly forget about his concerns.

    It was only twenty minutes later when leaving, that the worry returned, after all there were thieves and bandits aplenty around the market. He looked around but the dark figure was gone. Instead of going straight home, however, he instead walked over to the caged bird shop. The window was full of cages of every description, and from within the shop itself emerged a cacophony of bird song. Inside there were linnets, finches, pippins and a thousand other types of bird, many of which Fazil had never seen before. His intention was to strike up a conversation with the shopkeeper and see if he had too seen the disquieting stranger who had been standing in his doorway.

    The question was never to be asked - for he saw that the owner was in fact a blind man; but before he could leave, the man somehow detected his presence and spoke.

    “Come in, good sir, we have a thousand creatures of the sky, denizens of the four winds who have deigned to come down, to come among us to bring us their unique voices. They are the greatest of boon companions, sir, especially to one such as myself, I can recommend each and every one.”

    Fazil shuffled a little uncomfortably on the creaky floorboards, not quite knowing what to say.

    “They are beautiful,” he acknowledged. “But they are caged, how can that be natural?”