Rampa Lobsang Living with the Lama

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

weeks sightseeing crammed into one. All too soon the aero-
plane people had to fly a plane back to Ireland, to Shannon
from whence we had set out.
159
The Guv and Ma drove Mrs. O'Grady and Daughter to
the Airport at Windsor. As we heard Ma tell Buttercup later,
they waited until the plane actually took off The O'Grady's
were starting off on a journey, back to Ireland, which we
wished we could do. The Guv had tried hard to get work in
Windsor, or in Canada. He was willing to go anywhere at all
in the country. All he was ever offered was a job as a manual
laborer, and that was just too silly for words. Canada, we
are agreed, is a most uncultured country, and all of us live for
the day when we can leave it. However, this book is not a
treatise on the faults of Canada that would fill a complete
library, anyway!
Miss Ku and I were often able to go out in the garden now,
never alone of course, because of the many dogs in the
district. Siamese cats are not afraid of dogs, but humans are
afraid of what WE could do to the dogs. We have been known
to jump on the back of an attacking dog, sink in claws, and
ride him like a human rides a horse. Apparently it was per-
missible for humans to strap steel spikes on their heels and
then tear a horse's sides with them, but if we sank our claws
into a dog in self defense WE were termed savage.
This afternoon was a pleasant one; we sat together be-
neath the Guv's chair he is very big, weighing two hundred
and twenty five pounds and needs a big chair when a whole
collection of cars went by with horns shrieking the place
down. I had never bothered about it before, thinking it was
just Canadians, so there did not have to be any sense in
things they did. I happened to say, Miss Ku, I wonder why
they make all this noise? Miss Ku was very erudite, and
being sighted she had a great advantage over me. I'll tell
you, Feef, she replied. Over here when a Tom and a
Queen human gets married, they stick ribbons on the cars
and then drive in procession with horns blaring all the time. I
think it is meant to say, Look out! A gang of crackpots is
coming! She settled herself more comfortably and added,
And when a human dies and is being taken to be shoved
into a hole in the ground all the funeral cars keep their head-
160
lights full on and have blue and white flags marked funeral
flying from the side of the cars. They have right of way
over all traffic and do not have to stop for traffic lights.
That is MOST interesting, Miss Ku, MOST interesting,
I said.
Miss Ku chewed a blade of grass for a few moments, then
said, I could tell you a lot about Canada. Here, for instance,
when a human dies they take the body off to a Funeral
Home, fix him or her up embalming they call it do up the
face with paints, and put `em on show in their coffins, or
caskets as they are called over here. Then a party calls to pay
the last respects ' Sometimes a body will be half sitting up in
the casket. The Guv says these Funeral Homes are the
biggest money making racket ever. Then when people are
going to get married their friends give them a shower. Miss
Ku stopped and chuckled. When I heard that first, Feef,
she smiled, I thought the friends gave them a bath you
know, a shower bath. But no, it means they are showered
with gifts. Mainly things they don't want, or things which
EVERYONE gives them. What would a bride do with half
a dozen coffee percolators? She sighed, It is a crazy
country, anyhow, she said, Same with the children. Don't
do a thing to the dear little children, don't be cross with them,
have special Guards to escort them across the roads. Treat
'em as if they have no brains of their own, which is fair
enough, but the point is the day they leave school for the
last time, they are on their own. No one looks after them then.
Over here, Feef, there is the unhealthy Cult of the Human
Kitten. They can do no wrong. Bad for them, Feef, bad for
the country. They should have discipline, or in later years
they will fall into crime through being treated too softly when
young. Kids here are creeps, punks, BAH! I nodded in
sympathy. Miss Ku was quite right. Indulge a kitten too
much, and you laid the foundation for a dissatisfied
adult.
The Guv stood up, If you cats want to stay here longer,
he said, I will go upstairs and get the camera. I want to
161
photograph these roses. The Guv was a very keen photo-
grapher, and had a wonderful collection of color slides. He
turned and went up the stairs to get his good Japanese Top-
con Camera. Pssst! whispered the cat from Across the
Road, Psst! I got sumting to tell you, Lady Ku'ei, will ya
come to th' fence? Miss Ku rose to her feet and sauntered
across to the wire mesh fence at the side of the garden. She
and the cat from Across the Road whispered for a time, then
Miss Ku returned and sat by me again. He only wanted to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Pokrewne