Bromford Below - Part 04

»You came from the mysterious last and now lost waggon of this train, didn't you?«

Oh, no, it happened again. Waggon 22 written above the windows to moving emptiness.

»It never happened before. I was all alone in this waggon for a long time now. I wonder what it means that you are here right now.«

Is this bald-headed guy with the scar across the right side of his face in Waggon - What is it? - 21 talking to us or to himself?

»Pardon, Sir« Professor Sideburns is addressing the weird man who is dressed in something that looks like an outdoor survival suit with way to many pockets, »I am Professor Sideburns. And you are?«

»I am John Locke, a philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the 'father of liberalism'«, the man points out.

»No, you are not«, the llama says. »You are that weirdo from Apartment 4 who was on that walkabout in Australia's nature. And did you find yourself while eating all those kangaroos' testicals?«

»How rude of you«, Johnathan Locke complains. »Ordinary camelids like you will never understand the spiritual extensions given to you by…«

»… eating a lot of gruesome stuff«, the llama finishes his sentence.

Did I miss something here? Something like a lifelong enmity between these two, maybe?

»Life is like a train«, John Locke says. »And this train is getting shorter and there is nothing you can do to prevent it.«

»Are those arrows on the treasure map still pointing to the front of the train?« I ask Professor Sideburns.

The professor is nodding.

»Then there we should go«, I decide. »Maybe the train-driver can tell us what this is all about.«

Turned to Mr Locke I say, »You might want to join us. Our short experience on this underground train tells us that this waggon including you will disappear as soon as we set foot into the next waggon.«

»All saints and me know that«, John Locke says, »but I have got a purpose on this train and in this life and all the next ones. I will stay. But say Helen I love her if you meet her before me.«

Then he sits down in a lotus position starting to peel and eat an orange in a most peculiar way.

🎄🎄🎄🕯

"Bromford Infirmary Blues"

Oh, Koko

Well, folks, I'm goin' down to Bromford Infirmary

See my little baby there

She's stretched out on a long, white table

Well, she looks so good, so cold, so fair

Let her go, let her go, God bless her

Wherever she may be

You may search this whole wide world over

But you'll never find another sweetheart like me, yeah

Take apart your bones and put 'em back together

Tell your mama that you're somebody new

Feel the breeze blowin', tell 'em all "Look out, here it comes"

Now I can say whatever I feel like to you

Then get me six craps-shootin' pallbearers

Let a chorus girl sing me a song

Put a red-hot jazz band at the top so that we can raise

Hallelujah as we go along, well

Well, folks, now that you have heard my story

Say, boy, hand me another shot of that rye

And if anyone else should ask you

Just tell 'em I've got some of those Bromford Infirmary blues