Professor Spolan's

First Day - The Key

  
  {2nd Canto}


Finally he arrived at a closed door upon the second landing.
Although no one had officially told him exactly within which room
he would be conducting his business
and without a thought in his head
he reached for THE MASTER KEY.

With a certain pride he carefully slipped his index finger and thumb
together
and slid them into the small change pocket of his
faded Lee jeans.

Like a holy relic
for almost a week now
THE MASTER KEY had been carefully displayed
above the Chinese television cabinet in his living room.

A CHAIN
formerly attached to a Zuni silver amulet
depicting:
a bear claw
a feather
and something else [which he couldn't remember]

had been carefully slid through the eye hole on the key...

and for seven days
the whole shebang
was carefully draped
over the spout of his favorite copper water pitcher
{one of three he possessed}
which ITSELF had been acquired just outside
The Grand Bizarre in Istanbul, Turkey...

In the quiet of the afternoon
or when he was searching for an ashtray
his gaze would fall upon this display above his Chinese television cabinet
and he would contemplate
the awesome POTENTIAL POWER
possessed by THE MASTER KEY THAT OPENS ALL DOORS.

With trust and in good faith
THIS object had been given to him
by
none other than
the almost-all-powerful secretary to THE BIG KAHUNA.

(THE BIG KAHUNA
himself had been busy at that moment
a week ago
conferring with other Kahuna's and making arrangements for
an important Luau to be given in SOHO
so the ceremonial passing of THE MASTER KEY
had been conducted by his secretary.)

As his fingers touched THE CHAIN
and then clasped THE MASTER KEY
in his small change pocket
a thought flashed into his mind:

"
Turquoise!!!"

Like many insights, this thought took a moment to unfold itself.

And as he stood there
fingers in his small change pocket
saddle bag draped over his shoulder
staring blankly now
at the locked door before him

THE CHAIN which held
THE MASTER KEY
and formerly was attached to his silver Zuni amulet
WAS TELLING HIM SOMETHING!

It was this:

The third object depicted
upon his Zuni "Big Medicine" amulet
was:
A piece of
Turquoise.

The Professor wept.
*
 

The Onion Theory of Life

E-Mail:(jspolan@worldnet.att.net) Service: (212) 874-5300
Next Canto