Green Planet

by Anthony E. Southby

  ‘Who are these fine looking boys Chimzen dear?’ Patroux asked, turning to face them with glee. He fumbled with his fingers like a lady eager to share the latest gossip with friends at a tea party, and beamed at them, creating an atmosphere of awkward discomfort. The wizard introduced Frank and Philip to the blossoming Druid, much to his delight.

  ‘I’m the one that threw you with the grapple,’ Frank boasted, flashing Philip with a wink of deceit, and whispering slyly into his ear, ‘and I’m really not sorry I did it either.’

  Patroux looked suddenly confused and lost in thought.

  ‘Ah yes, now I remember!’ he exclaimed, waving his finger about like an enthusiastic music instructor. ‘Azor turned the pair of you into trees; then Chimzen transformed the fairies into decent beings. Oh yes, now it’s all coming back to me.’

  He turned to face the flower fairies in delight, holding his arms out to embrace them like a father would his long lost children. Patroux was a gentle, kind-hearted, forgiving man and even though he had suffered many years of torment as a result of their greed, he accepted his creations without even a second thought.

  ‘Zwe love zyou, master,’ Gallica spoke sincerely, stroking his bald head with her tiny hand.

  ‘I love you too,’ he said, with tears of joy spilling down his rosy cheeks.

  Frank and Philip looked at each other and were beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable about the comments they had made earlier on. As unusual as this man was, he possessed a heart of solid gold.

  ‘I guess I trusted too much, giving Azor the power I did,’ Patroux said, still feeling heart-sore over her bitter ending nonetheless.

  ‘You gave her everything, yet she was never content,’ Chimzen said. ‘Greed is sadly very destructive my friend; sooner or later the wheel does a full turn and people have to pay for their sins.’

  ‘I just can’t understand how anyone can be like that; it just makes no sense to me, Chimzen.’

  ‘Never mind Patroux; justice is always served sooner or later and it’s never a pleasant affair. You have wandered Floran for twenty painful years, and as a just reward, you and your magnificent creations are given free reign over her. The wheel has turned your way this time; the positive seed you have sown for all these years shall bloom into a harvest of good things for you. I admit, it’s an enormous responsibility for you to take on, my friend, a responsibility which I believe you are well equipped for, with your toils and suffering moulding you into the character you are this day. The flower fairies have all your magic abilities at hand, enabling them to work hand in hand with you to make this a constantly changing flower paradise for you and its inhabitants. They have stood the test and are ready to go out there and make a difference. It’s all in your hands, my old boy, go out there and make a difference; I have no doubt you will.’

  ‘I-It’s a dream come true,’ Patroux stammered, finding it all very hard to swallow. ‘Thank you, Chimzen, thank you.’

  ‘No need to thank me, my friend, you are the one that paid the price; this is your just reward demonstrated by the greatest sacrifice of all, the sacrifice of love.’

  Frank sat staring as if in a trance. He had been touched in a place very few people could reach. He had always been the popular kid on the block, the one that always succeeded in most things. He had always picked on others weaker than himself to cover his own insecurities, and beaten on others who had criticised him in any way.

  Today he had learnt to respect people with weaknesses, realizing that it wasn’t the outward appearance that mattered; instead it was the nature of the person’s heart that showed their worth. This was a real turning point for the boy, a transition of the heart. From that time onwards he would look a bit closer before he passed judgement over anyone. This moment in Frank’s life had nothing to do with magic as such, only a shifting of spirit in the dawning of life’s truth.

  The flower fairies left the little abode shortly afterwards, while the group told Patroux all about their dangerous journey in search of the magic Frego flower. What happened to Chimzen and the boys didn’t come close to what Patroux had had to battle through over the years.

  The fairies returned after a while with three sweetly-scented cakes of soap. They had collected a few natural essentials and placed them together to magically produce the three flowery bars. Rose, violet and lily scented, of course.

  ‘Ag me be tinking dat ya all be smelling kinda disgusten mun, and dat ya’ll be needing a buth. Look, master, Patroux is hurrible sticky mun,’ Paulina chuckled, flying over to him and handing him the violet soap. ‘Just like da Nigeriuns mun, dey all be stinking like dat.’

  ‘Like she’s actually ever been there,’ Patroux commented, raising a bushy eyebrow with a grin. The flower fairies had such a warm way about them, completely different to the way they were before; everyone found it pleasantly strange.

  ‘Bathing by ze moonlight, oui?’ Gallica asked. ‘Quite ze perfect thing to do on such ze starry night.’

  ‘You’ve got to be kidding?’ Philip exclaimed. ‘We will all get drowned!’

  ‘Definitely not while we’re around, my dear boy,’ Madonna said firmly. ‘The Goza weed is at our beck and call; sorry you had to go through all that yesterday darling. It won’t happen again, I assure you.’

  ‘I dunno, I’m…’

  ‘Don’t worry Philip, you will be fine,’ Chimzen reassured. ‘The Malcos are here, anyway. You don’t want to go home smelling like old tree, do you?’

  After stuffing their faces with fruit, the party set off down to the river. The place was tranquil and the moonlight reflected off the water like a splendid magical white light, with the water lapping softly against the muddy river bed. The air seemed to carry a sense of peace about it, like the dawning of a whole new era, truly magnificent.

  Everyone splashed about wearing only their underwear, scrubbing all over with the lovely soap. Frank and Philip were still feeling a bit paranoid, constantly checking their feet to see if any strands were trying to attach themselves. The fairies joined in on the splashing fun, and a grand time was had by all. As for the Goza weeds, they disappeared in fear for their lives, petrified by the pure and unfamiliar power contaminating the water. The trio hovered over the splashing party, without bothering to add any extra light. The stars and moon shone so brightly that the river already looked like a well-lit sports stadium.

  ‘Okay boys, I think it’s time we were off,’ Chimzen said, drip-drying at the side of the riverbank. ‘Your parents must be sick with worry.’

  ‘For sure!’ they both exclaimed, feeling strangely disappointed.

  ‘You know, Chimzen, this is quite sad,’ Philip said. ‘This place is all violets and roses for the first time we have been here.’

  ‘And lilies,’ Lily Madonna added.

  ‘Yes, lilies too, but now we have to leave again.’

  ‘Who knows, we might return again some day,’ Chimzen said, almost biting his tongue to gulp the words back.

  ‘Really?’ Frank asked, splashing around in excitement.

  ‘Well, we’ll see,’ Chimzen answered, giving Frank a wink.

  Everyone stood dripping wet on the riverbank, waiting for the warm night air to do its work. Suddenly the flower fairies flew out of the water, flapping their transparent wings at an incredible speed. They sounded like a swarm of angry bees as they flew across to the dripping party. They turned their fairy backs, hovering motionless while flapping their wings at a rapid speed. The fairy wing fans worked like a sophisticated airconditioner, leaving the group standing bone dry in a matter of seconds.

  The party walked over to an open clearing to prepare for the journey home. While he walked Chimzen had his arm around Patroux , who was all beams and smiles, yet felt deeply saddened to see him go.

  The fairies chatted with the boys while they walked, zipping in between them and having a good laugh.

  ‘I’m really sorry we have to go now, Frank,’ Philip said, sounding rather gloomy. ‘How do you feel?’

/>   ‘It’s going to be really strange I must admit; it feels like we have been here for a lifetime.’

  ‘It does, doesn’t it?’

  ‘I also wish we could stay a bit longer.’

  ‘Who knows, Frank, Chimzen did say he might bring us back here some day.’

  ‘Who knows, Birch, maybe we will come back,’ Frank teased, ruffling Philip’s untidy red hair.

  Sadly, the three travellers said their goodbyes and stood back to back in teleport position. It was a nice feeling to be heading home again, and ultimately much to everyone’s relief.

  ‘Okay Malcos, let’s be off!’ Chimzen bellowed, taking one last gaze at the fiery starlit sky. The trio spun around the three, eager to finally launch home. Once they had coordinated their exact positions Chimzen produced the blue earth planet ball from his pocket. Muttering something under his breath he flicked it into the air. The little representation of planet earth hovered slightly above while he waved his staff in the air, and chanted the teleport rhyme out loud:

  ‘Dre jitle sales op kanijal firth!

  Three little balls of magical birth!

  Kestore es trow op slanep aarde!

  Restore us now to planet earth!’

  The trio lined themselves up next to the small blue planet and shortly disappeared.

  The flower fairies and Patroux waved goodbye, looking a bit tearful. The boys were feeling excited and sad all at the same time, which made the whole goodbye experience rather confusing. The little group slowly disintegrated until all three finally vanished into thin air. Patroux and the flower fairies waved one last goodbye, left behind with the responsibility of an entire planet to rule.

  * * * * * * * *

  Beady eyes peered out from behind a nearby rock. The Indian plant chief’s thick stem quivered and his multicoloured headdress rustled like a rooster awaiting the slaughter. For the first time ever, the plant chief looked genuinely petrified. Even the loss of his entire tribe had not upset him as much as this. The sudden realization that he would be all on his own from then on cast a dark shadow over his position of dominant authority.

  Now that their friends were gone, Patroux and his transformed fairy friends walked back towards the forest with saddened hearts. They hoped to see them again soon; they would certainly be missed.

  The creepy Jasmine vine slithered over the Indian Chief’s shoulder and around his stem like a bullet belt designed for a toy gun. She slid to the ground, hissing and spitting like a scalded cat, and disappeared between the rocks blooming with jealousy and hate.

  As for the plant chief, he took off across the opening with his stem between his legs like a convict trying to escape a pack of sniffing bloodhounds. Being the coward he was, he needed to avoid any unnecessary confrontation just in case it may have affected his good health in any way. Being all by himself, without a single tribe member remaining, he must make his escape.

  Not a single “Whih” command trumpeted from his orifice mouth. In fact, the only “whih” sound coming from him was the trickling “whih” running down his green legs.

  Chapter 24

  The oversized blue denims flapped about in the breeze, brushing the barren soil up in small clouds of dust. The wicked wizard stood his ground like a sheriff from an old time western movie coordinating his men in battle up against a group of trigger happy cowboys. He gazed up at Chimzen’s shielded tree house, on guard, ready to eliminate the grand master in a confrontation duel of magic always to be remembered. The late afternoon sun glistened off Mathias’s mucky yellow teeth and his blue streaked hair slapped softly against his grubby “M” tattooed cheek.

  * * * * * * * *

  ‘We’re home! We’re home!’ the boys cried in delight, slapping each other a high five. At last, they were finally home. At last!

  Chimzen watched them jump up and down in excitement, and felt pleased that their mission had been a success.

  ‘No more monkey business from now on boys,’ he joked, giving them each a firm pat on the back.

  After a few minutes of excited chatter, he glanced forward and noticed Elvis standing on his little corner platform. The little fish made deep foghorn sounding throat clearing noises and bounced up and down on his fin like a ballerina. All the attention going around with him not having any part of it was totally unacceptable.

  ‘Elvis!’ Chimzen exclaimed, his face lighting up with a big smile.

  ‘I thought you had forgotten about me master,’ he said, looking very solemn even for a goldfish. ‘Now that you have these boys to keep you company, you don’t need me anymore. Is that how it is?’

  ‘Don’t be silly Elvis!’ Chimzen answered, without paying too much attention. ‘You are beginning to sound like a grumpy old lady.’

  The truth of the matter was, Elvis had a very short term memory, and had completely forgotten that the entire rescue mission had ever taken place. His little mind was very much like a sieve, and after two hours or so, all recent events had gone straight out the fish tank, completely forgotten. After much explaining and a palm full of crumbles later, he was as content as any fish in water could be. He even had the privilege of singing a song to the boys, which he insisted was the first.

  The little fish cleared his throat again with glass shattering vigour.

  ‘I’m not your stage supervisor Elvis,’ Chimzen rapped sternly. ‘All you have to do is ask.’

  ‘S-sorry master,’ he quavered. ‘Please can I have my outfit, master?’

  ‘That’s better. No use damaging that precious magical voice of yours with that unnecessary throat clearing noise you are making.’ Chimzen produced his little guitar as well as a tiny outfit from his desk drawer. It was a tiny beige cape with a long thick collar, set with an array of tiny stars and moon sequins.

  ‘Here we go, an outfit custom made for “The King”.’

  Elvis thanked him shyly, then proceeded to clear his throat once again, quickly reducing the sound to a soft croak. The group watched while he shuffled his little cape with his fins, taking his sweet time to arrange the sparkling outfit to perfection.

  ‘Come on Elvis, we don’t have all day,’ Frank said, sounding a little impatient. With that comment, the little goldfish grabbed his guitar and adjusted his fins to get a good feel for the strings, and promptly burst into song:

  ‘Goldfish say, only sharks rush in,

  But I can’t help falling in love with the great big blue,

  As the river runs, surely to the sea,

  For some fish, that was never meant to be,

  Take my fins, take my gills, and my fat fish lips too,

  But I can’t help falling in love with fish food, er- sorry, I mean with the big blue.’

  ‘It’s “Fools rush in”, you fool, not sharks,’ Philip joked, tapping him softly on the gills.

  Philip’s father had the classic song as part of his LP collection, and the boy had heard the original version on more than one occasion.

  ‘Well,’ Elvis began, tugging his collar for a lengthy moment. ‘Sharks are fools.’

  ‘No, not really, you know, they are actually pretty smart.’

  The goldfish racked his tiny brain for several moments then replied smartly, ‘A shark would eat me, wouldn’t it?’

  ‘Definitely!’

  ‘Now that’s not so smart, don’t you think?’

  ‘Okay then, I had best get going,’ Chimzen interrupted, looking strangely solemn. ‘I have something to deal with before dark, and you boys need to get back home; your parents must be sick with worry.’

  ‘What is it that you need to deal with, Chimzen?’ Frank asked.

  ‘My cousin,’ he answered abruptly, breathing a sigh of despair.

  ‘Please can we come with you?’ Philip begged.

  ‘It’s far too dangerous, lad, and I can’t afford to have any of you get hurt so late in the game. We have come a long way and I am in no position to tempt fate.’

  ‘But he is the very reason that we are here in the first place, Chimzen,
’ Frank stated.

  ‘And what exactly is that supposed to mean, boy?’

  ‘Well sir, how can you take the pleasure of being part of the final confrontation away from us after all that we have managed to overcome?’

  ‘Have you gone completely insane?’ Chimzen stepped forward locking his fiery blue eyes with Frank’s and frowned at him as if he were a guilty suspect. Frank backed off, a bit fearful of the wizard’s bold presence. ‘There is no pleasure in war; how can you say such a thing?’

  The room was filled with an awkward silence. He sat at his desk rapping his fingers, and stared at the floor in silence. The trio were in their usual place, hovering peacefully above the big round table, coasting in between the planets as if they were a part thereof.

  ‘Have some lemonade,’ he offered, gesturing towards the round table. The boys were feeling quite parched, and completely exhausted. They edged towards the table and slowly pulled out a chair, half expecting the wizard to leap up from his desk and bite them. The lemonade was ice cold and fizzy and the boys drank it up like sweet honey from heaven. They were becoming quite accustomed to this magical world, and didn’t even think to question how the lemonade had arrived there in the first place.

  As for Elvis, he had sensed the cold vibrations of the room and was resting safely in the comfort of his little fish home. Chimzen continued tapping his fingers on the desk, lost in thought.

  ‘W-Would you like some lemonade?’ Frank offered him shyly.

  ‘You boys can come with if you like,’ he muttered, still hovering in two minds.

  ‘Excuse-me?’ Frank strained his head over the table with his hand cupped around his ear like an old man with a hearing aid.

  ‘I said – You boys can come with me!’

  ‘Really!’ they both cried, looking at him in surprise.

  ‘Yes,’ he muttered again. ‘And hand me some lemonade before you both polish it all off.’

  Mathias was his cousin after all, and even though he was a treacherous man Chimzen loved him all the same. The idea of administering punishment in any way caused his heart pain. ‘I must be getting soft in my old age,’ he thought. He also began to realize that the boys deserved to be a part of the final confrontation thing. Almost like witnesses at a court hearing, there to see that justice was served. Being the victims, they most definitely deserved to see Mathias suffer the consequences of his actions. Chimzen didn’t personally agree with the idea though; he was more of a turn the other cheek kind of wizard. And that is exactly what he intended doing: look away and allow Mathias to dig his own grave.