Chapter 4 – The long and winding road.
Henry is in his first semester of puppeteering school, the faculty is an impressive structure erected in the early 1900s to which the designer used elements from European influences. The school spans across an area once enriched marshland and it is said the developers brought in millions of tons of dirt to fill the lands of the excess water. Quite a note able construct, a high tower just offset to the right sits over-watching the grounds. This is a college for many things not just the art of puppeteering, much needed nurses are trained here, and of course plenty of sports pros come from it’s ranks.
Henry takes in the morning sun sitting on a bench in the courtyard, he has a puppet he is working with. Another student, a blonde woman with blue eyes slim, wearing jeans feathered at the bottom and a body suit top, dressed in various designs and Color’s, intrudes on him, “Well, now that looks like fun, do you do this out side all the time?”
Henry adjusting some of the strings replies, “It it is yes,” he looks to her, he is immediately stricken by her beauty, he really looks and immediately is nervous as she continues,”He is a cool looking design,” Did you make this?”
Henry looks at his creation. It is a young boy wooden puppet with a long nose and slim extremities, then replies,”Yes, I did, I am in the puppeteering and theatre studies here.”
She responds,”Do you have a name?“
“It’s Henry…oh and this this is Sam. How about you?”
“Olivia, pleasure to meet you Henry, and Sam.” They exchange a look like they are the only ones in the busy yard, “Well, Henry…and Sam I have to get to class, will see you around?”
“Excellent,” Henry stands up, watches her leave and with excitement speaks to Sam.
“Well, Sam that was, unexpected.” He leaves to class. As he does Sam turns his head and begins to speak, “I am just a puppet, Henry.” He begins to laugh…
Henry wakes during the night, it is the night before the second show, he was dreaming, but this was a dream of a memory, the first time he met the love of his life, Olivia. The rain ponies the window where evening trees sway violently can be seen as a ghost behind a water shell. like a stained glass church where
artisans mixed potash and sand to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit and added various metallic oxide powders to create different colors. A work of art in the Christian world.
He falls back asleep.
The classroom is a full theatre setting with an area in the back for workbenches and machines to cut and round all shapes and sizes of wooden materials, a full area for costume design and tapestry also aligns within the area. The teacher is showing how to attach the strings on this occasion as Henry has had some issues with the attachments staying together.
“No, Henry, that’s not good. Here you have to screw the anchors in all the way. Use a screwdriver to get them to go “
“Ah, I got it now, thanks!” Henry continues to screw the anchor into the puppet. The lights hanging above start to flicker, Henry looks around, puppets all around the room are raising into the air, a laugh is heard in the distance followed by a clash of loud thunder.
Henry is awoken by the thunder from the rain outside, it is late in the night. He looks to the window as the rain crashes down against the glass in a quick rhythm.
To be continued…
Written by Colin R. Mah
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