97.
We entered a room with an arched ceiling. A husky, soothing voice called out to us from behind a small bar framed by a couple of silent drunks. “Well, well. What have we
here? Three ragamuffins dirty and thirsty and down on their luck. Well never you mind. I’ll
take care of you. First things first, a couple of stiff ones. Yes?”
A big woman with eyes that could melt your soul and arms that could throw you through a wall motioned us in. I stepped up to the bar and looked into her broad, face framed by a cloud of white hair. A tiny dog perched on her head looked down at me. I sat at the bar. The dogs took a stool next to me. The bartender poured me a strong drink. I was tied in a hundred knots but the drink began to loosen them.
“My name is Oliver and these are my friends Pat and Nanette.”, I offered. “We’ve come a long way.” I looked around and spotted a large crucifix with a black hood over the head of Christ. “What’s with the hood?”
“Oh, we’re just keeping up with the times.”, laughed the bartender. “A crown of thorns is so yesterday as you North Americans say. You are North American, aren’t you? But with a hood, a gag and earplugs - you can’t see, you can’t speak, you can’t hear. A crown of thorns just scratches your head. This new couture blots out the world altogether so you can imagine your impending crucifixion in the most exquisite detail.”
“Do you know where the matchmaker of Valparaiso is?”, I asked.
“I am the matchmaker.”, said the woman looking around nervously. “Come with me.” She stepped from behind the bar and up a stairway. “Well, come on. Don’t just sit there.”
We followed her.
A big woman with eyes that could melt your soul and arms that could throw you through a wall motioned us in. I stepped up to the bar and looked into her broad, face framed by a cloud of white hair. A tiny dog perched on her head looked down at me. I sat at the bar. The dogs took a stool next to me. The bartender poured me a strong drink. I was tied in a hundred knots but the drink began to loosen them.
“My name is Oliver and these are my friends Pat and Nanette.”, I offered. “We’ve come a long way.” I looked around and spotted a large crucifix with a black hood over the head of Christ. “What’s with the hood?”
“Oh, we’re just keeping up with the times.”, laughed the bartender. “A crown of thorns is so yesterday as you North Americans say. You are North American, aren’t you? But with a hood, a gag and earplugs - you can’t see, you can’t speak, you can’t hear. A crown of thorns just scratches your head. This new couture blots out the world altogether so you can imagine your impending crucifixion in the most exquisite detail.”
“Do you know where the matchmaker of Valparaiso is?”, I asked.
“I am the matchmaker.”, said the woman looking around nervously. “Come with me.” She stepped from behind the bar and up a stairway. “Well, come on. Don’t just sit there.”
We followed her.
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