Two bishops in a kayak…cont'd
"It took a moment, though, for me to realize that all those stuffed toys pinned to the walls and ceiling and posed on chairs and tables were all monkeys."
It had been such a enchanting encounter when I had expected an experience like Andy’s Dummies. When I had first arrived Désiré said to me, after I had taken his picture stemming yellow beans on the porch, “Look around and when you’re done I have something in the house to show you. You will like it.”
I dread encounters with people who impose their assumptions on strangers so when I was done photographing the art outside I planned to slip back to the car unnoticed but he caught me and insisted I go inside to see his collection. Once in, it took me a moment to realize that all those stuffed toys pinned to the walls and ceiling and posed on chairs and tables were all monkeys.
That was best part of the surprise for me, that they were monkeys. A massive salt and pepper shaker collection would have been impressive as would a house full of beer steins. But they were monkeys.
Years ago when I was in the army I had made an over-hasty decision to embark on a motorcycle trip to Montreal on my first day of leave. It was a Monday and I had just completed my punishment of being confined to barracks for a week for falling asleep on duty. It had been a long, long week of marching on the parade square in the full heat of summer with 60 pounds of kit on my back. On top of the that there was the tedious reporting to the duty sergeant every hour on the hour in a different uniform. Man, it had been a long week and just when I thought I had made it through my five day punishment, I got nailed for a speck of rust on my rifle’s magazine and got the weekend tacked on, as well as a $50 fine.
When I was finally free to go I impatiently packed my pack and headed out. My plan, such as it was, was to ride until I got half way, find a place off the road to sleep for a few hours and be in Montreal by mid-morning. However, by the middle of the night I was exhausted and depressed and could find no suitable place to hide and sleep.
With my enthusiasm for the trip evaporated, I decided to rely on a young soldier's stamina and just keep going, but the chill of the night made me lonely. I wished I had some company so at a truck stop I bought a stuffed monkey and fastened it to my bedroll behind me so I could see him in my rear view mirrors, sitting like a passenger, smiling incessantly.
When dawn broke and people I passed on the highway could see my companion, they were delighted, especially the children. I never took a motorcycle trip without him after that. When I discovered that all Désiré’s toys were monkeys, that same delight returned after all those years.
Bas Cap-Pelé play
The litle gas station was yellow and white. The diner was red and long and had rounded corners and a cute little awning on the front. I almost felt like I was back in the 50's when buildings like these were shiny and new. If I was a kid, I would have loved to play there. They put me in a good mood. Read more about Bas-Cap-Pelé...