ABIA BOOK TWO

Water, fire, and of the dead, is what to ferret out

Abetted ally for arrears, a mind to turn about.

The highway is empty as far as I can see, both in front of me, and behind.  There is total darkness, which suits me fine.   I enjoy driving at night without the glare of oncoming headlights.  Traveling through Oklahoma, there are little rest areas every so often.  They consist only of small paved roads running off, and then back onto the main highway.  They are devoid of any buildings, including rest rooms.  I assume that they are used only for sleeping.  Being tired of driving, I take one of these quick easy exits and park. 

The night air has a chill to it.  I can smell a faint odor of piss mixed with the otherwise pure air.  The smell seems to be coming from the grass at the side of the road.  I walk around the car and add to the odor.  The hood is warm, and it feels good to my body.  Lying on the hood, I look up at the bright stars and wonder what mysteries lie ahead of me.  My name is Paul Conjer, and I’m a man with a mission.  When I left home last night, my closest friend and trusted confidant, Tyrone Washington was fighting for his life and sanity.  I don’t know why, but before I left, Tyrone intertwined his fingers with mine and said some strange African words.  He put his head next to mine, first on the left, and then on the right.  I didn’t know what all of that ceremonial stuff was all about, but it seemed important to him so I went along with it.    

Tyrone has given me a mission.  I have to find his mentor; a man called Roadway.  Roadway has a strange profession; he’s a geek.  He works in a carnival, and he will bite the heads off live chickens and snakes for money.  He also has a very strange feature, it’s his stock in trade; he has yellow eyes.  Now, I must find Roadway, even if I have to search every sideshow in the United States.  I must do this because I’m convinced he is the key to solving Tyrone’s problems and saving his life.  Along the way, I plan to mix a little business with pleasure (I always do).  This could also turn into a fun mission. 

Whew!  The smell of piss is getting stronger.  The wind must have changed direction.  I get into my car and drive on down the highway.

Someone said there’s a carnival about sixty miles east of here, so that is my new destination.  I hope to pick up some information to get me started on this mission.  I left home about midnight.  All I was doing was lying there, thinking about the trip, and the anticipation was just too much for me.  I tried to sleep, but found it impossible, so I simply got up and left.

As I drive, I think about the things that Tyrone and I discussed at the hospital.  I asked him why sometimes on TV, while I’m watching the newsreels of Haiti, I see evidence of Catholicism.  He told me that Catholicism was sometimes mixed into the practice of Voodoo.  He also told me that Catholic figurines would also be used in Voodoo because they had special meaning to the practitioners.  These special meanings help to comfort them, especially in times of sorrow.