This sketch was chosen and I selected one component of the drawing to build my story around.
Interconnected COMPONENTS
Artemesia had been weeping on and off ever since she discovered Paquita laying cold and still when she had gone to milk her. It was hard to accept the absence, she would miss Paquita’s warmth in the mornings, her calm in the evenings. Her goaty friend would no longer stand and listen patiently to her troubles and wonderings as she was milked. It was even tougher to watch on now as dad showed her how Paquita’s passing was to be honoured. She had observed the harvesting of meat they could eat, she had gathered up the hair for yarn that would be made from her last shearing, and as usual, but especially this time Artemesia was a key part of the hide tanning and softening. So many uses can be had from this fine skin. Yet despite the honour, more tears came.
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Stood on the hillside, Montez watched exhausted as his dad grasped the smooth hardwood handle and took grip of the axe, wielding it cleanly into the cleft Montez had chopped behind the face cut. With just four final and mighty strikes his dad felled the massive tree safely away from them and onto level ground. Montez knew how much work was required from this day forward but he was enjoying the work now, knowing he had selected a fine solid tree. This trunk would provide him and his dad much tightly grained timber with which they would make many beautiful things.
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Enrique trudged painfully along the village street towards his shop regretting a night spent on the blanco tequila in Garibaldi plaza. Working in his little abattoir may earn him a living but it wasn’t a good one. Today at least he would be doing light work, although to be honest, separating offal for its different uses was not the most pleasant of jobs. As if any job in his line of work were pleasant. Enrique’s morning-after stomach crawled at the thought of stripping and cleaning the stench from bowel sections but he did have customers for the gut and his brother always wanted some of the best lengths..
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Akiro became more and more pleased as he thumbed through the text on his blackberry. This Keith fellow sounded like he had played a bit and from what he was saying, it looked like he knew his stuff. Last weekend at Whitelocks, Peggy and Andrew had agreed to invite him in and hopefully the new guy would fit to their style. Akiro was determined to prove his parents wrong about his life choice, as strange as they thought it was.
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It had been almost eight weeks now but Artemesia had kept track of which hide was Paquita’s and today she made sure she was the one who removed it from it’s tanning frame. It may not really have been the case but she was sure Paquita’s calm beauty still shone from this skin that she now rinsed and caressed. The hide certainly had benefited from the care Artemesia had lavished on it. Smooth, even and flexible it was almost transparent and would be a high priced sample for the buyers at the village market. Artemasia intended to hold out for as many pesos as she could to honour her goat friend’s spirit.
Montez was shaping some chair legs in the sunshine as she walked past his shop and she smiled at him when he caught her eye. ‘Beautiful day for a beautiful senorita” he grinned.
Artemesia blushed slightly but stopped to look at his work. “you make lovely things”
“I thank you pretty lady, but this beauty is already in the wood, I just let it come out”.
She looked up from the items he had crafted and Montez was staring at her.
She felt the heat rise in her face again.
“What is that you have there?” he asked.
“It is Paquita’s hide, I am wanting to sell it today” she said as she held it closer to her chest.
“May I see it? If it is better than your best I may be able to save you the walk to market!”. Reluctantly Artemasia released her hold and allowed Montez to assess her handiwork.
“Oh, senorita,” smiled Montez, “This is a very fine hide. May I buy it from you?”
“Make sure he gives you a good price!” Called out Enrique from inside the doorway “he tries to pay cheap for my stuff so you make sure you drive a hard bargain senorita”.
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Akiro and Peggy were the first to arrive at the lock-up and having rolled the door up started sweeping out the usual grot and rodent droppings before opening the boxes and setting up the amp and mics. Andrew strolled in about ten minutes later and immediately plugged in his base to run off the new riff he’d been working up. They discussed some chords and Peggy layered some viola plucks and notes over it. Akiro tried a melody and the riff slowly gained shape. Keith stood watching unobserved for a moment from the door. He had not considered that a Japanese guy would be a rasta-man, that had made him pause rather than walk straight in as he normally would have. Anyway it gave him the chance to see how tight they sounded and he was pleased the bass player was delivering a crisp edge that the music needed.
“Hi” called the viola player once she'd spotted him standing there.
“You must be Keith” Akiro said, “Come in, glad you could make it”. Introductions were exchanged and as Andrew shook his hand he eyed the conga drum.
“Can I have a look at your quinto” he asked. “Where did you get it?” and they fell to discussing makers and skins until Akiro and Peggy chipped in and the afternoon rolled away into a bit of jamming and a few beers.
At around nine that night the three original members were laying around in Peg’s flat. Andrew, getting up for another can said “Well, I reckon the bloke’s going to fit in okay”.
“I loved the drum, Andy.” said Peggy, ‘it sounds so beautiful.”
“Yeah, it’s some shit Mexican make, never heard of it, but that skin was magic wasn’t it? And a good gut binding, body hand carved. Buggered how they do it for the price.”
“Yeah, all good." Interrupted akiro, "But if he does come and join us on Saturday we’re going to have to set up a stand for him, he doesn’t know our stuff”.
“That’ll be okay Akiro-san, Andy can lead him along for a while.”
“Yeah, I’ll stand behind him, we’ll work it out, no probs.” ......
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