Bromford Below - Part 13

Fallen, fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

And they said to one another, »Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly.« And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar.

Then they said, »Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.«

The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the LORD said, »Look, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.«

So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth, and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Maybe Babel and Babylon aren't the same thing at all. They reached to high and wanted to touch the sky. And the LORD punished them for their pride.

»Bromford Bibble is a bad writer. Bromford Bibble is a bad writer. Bromford Bibble is a bad writer.«

Who is saying that? You cannot see your hand in front of your face. Waggon 12 lies in complete darkness. Only a faint light shines through the sliding doors to Waggon 11.

»Bromford Bibble is a bad writer. Bromford Bibble is a bad writer. Bromford Bibble is a bad writer.«

»Llama, is that you?« I ask.

»Who else, dude?« replies the animal.

»Why do you keep saying that?« I ask.

»Because it's the truth«, the animal says. »And to break the curse.«

»Repeating sentences three times does not break any curses. You are jinxing things with three repetitions. Whatever you are trying to do, you are making it worse.«

»But you are a bad writer, Bromford Bibble. This whole underground train story is taking us nowhere. Last time you promised a big adventure for llama and Bromford it was a big disappointment. And now there are even more persons on this journey here. And you give them nothing to do. Your story doesn't have a point. People appear and disappear at the same time. And now we are stuck in a dark waggon and you are blabbering about Babylon and its' falling towers.«

»Come on, Bromford, let's move on!«

Nigel and the other two have reached the doors to the next waggon and are about to open them.

So? I am a bad writer and nothing happens in my stories? I will show the llama. I know exactly where it is and I am going to pull the emergency brake, right now.

»And there isn't even a passenger in this waggon. It is the same thing like you shied away from inventing an inhabitant and owner for Apartment 13 twelve years ago. And only because of your triskaidekaphobia, the fear or avoidance of the number 13.«

In this moment several things happen at the same time. Nigel opens the first double sliding door to waggon 11. The llama jumps forward to the rest of my travelling companions. And I am pulling the emergency break as hard as I can.

There is no squealing of brakes, no sparks of metal rubbing on metal between the wheels and the tracks. The train is not slowing down but I can feel the waggon disappear around me. And I am still inside.

»Bromford?« I hear a faint scream.

Is that Kylie's voice?

It keeps getting quieter as much as the light from the other waggon is getting weaker and weaker. This is how drowning must feel like when you are sinking deeper and deeper away from the water's surface.

And then I hear another voice surrounding me, a deep, bass-like voice filling and deafening my ears.

»Welcome to my world of darkness, Bromford Bibble«, the voice growls. »Welcome to Bromford below.«

'Who are you?' I want to ask but thick air is filling my mouth and lungs silencing and muting me.

»Bromford!«

It's Kylie again from a far away distance.

»This is my realm, Bromford Bibble. Don't you dare changing the rules.«

Swimming, just keep swimming, I am telling myself. The best way of saving oneself from drowning must be swimming against all kind of suction, against all kind of pull, against the flow. The aim must be to reach the surface again.

»Stay!« the growling voice says. »Stay, or you will never get to learn my secrets.«

I am coming, I think. I am coming, Llama, Kylie, Nigel and Professor Sideburns.

And I wish to feel or I really feel my mind and my whole body swimming and moving towards the still remaining subway train.

🎄🎄🎄🕯🎄🎅
🎄🎄🎄🎄🕯🎄

🎄

"Chant Down Bromford"

Come we go burn down Bromford one more time
(Come we go burn down Bromford one more time)
Come we go chant down Bromford one more time
(Come we go chant down Bromford)

For them soft, yes them soft (ah, yoy)
Them soft, yes them soft (ah, yoy)
So come we go chant down Bromford one more time
(Come we go chant down Bromford)

Men see their dreams and aspiration
Crumble in front of their face
And all of their wicked intention
To destroy the human race

How don't you know and how I know and that's how I know
A Reggae Music, come we chant down Bromford
With music, come we chant down Bromford
This music, come we chant down Bromford
This music, come we chant down Bromford


Come we go chant down Bromford one more time
(Come we go chant down Bromford one more time)
Come we go chant down Bromford one more time
(Come we go chant down Bromford)

For them soft, yes them soft (ah, yoy)
Them soft, they say them soft (ah, yoy)
Then come we go chant down Bromford one more time
(Come we go chant down Bromford)

Me say, music you're music you're the key
Talk to who, please talk to me
Bring the voice of, of the Rastaman
Communicating to 'cating to everyone

How I (know) how I know, how I (know) how I know
And that's how I know
A Reggae Music, chant down, chant down, chant down Bromford
Chant down Bromford, chant down Bromford
Chant down Bromford

Reggae Music, chant down Bromford
Reggae Music, chant down Bromford
Reggae Music, chant down Bromford
Reggae Music (chant down Bromford).