The Last Applause for the Dragon

By Anita J. King

ANITA J. KING was born in the Cardiff s Royal Infirmary. She has family still there, she has had a very interesting life,
but let me point out that all of these characters in my story are fiction they are all made up, Ella will be off again this time traveling and searching to find out about her ancestors
from the coldest part of the glaciers and to find some of the members that are still in the House of Solomon in Africa.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479790579

Anita J. King

Anita J King was born in the Cardiffs Royal Infirmary. She has family still there, she has had a very interesting life, but let me point out that all of these characters in my story are fiction they are all made up, Ella will be off again this time traveling and searching to find out about her ancestors from the coldest part of the Glaziers and to find some of the members that are still in the House of Solomon in Africa.

Book preview

Chapter One

Mauvella, is still with the New York to New Orleans musical production. It was a huge success at the London’s Piccadilly theatre with rave reviews constantly. And with all that had happened in those two first years, and the publicity, about the murdered dancer, and then of course the sudden death of financier Harry Cohen. The show was shut down for a month. Lenny Lowe was one of Harry’s good and best friend, as was Ronald Goldbaum the millionaire film producer that lives in America. They both collaborated, and made the decision to continue to keep the colourful rowdy and sensational show. It was even better than when it had first opened. And Mauvella suddenly became a woman after the assault of her innocence, that was stolen, but she has the protection of the dragon, he will always be there to guard over forever.

Mauvella had made sure that her mother was taken good care of, she was alright, but she had noticed, that she had become very quiet since her Abe, her beloved husband the father of her only daughter was gone, and when he died it was a very sad affair. Isobele was very thankful and grateful for her daughter, her friends and neighbours, they were all there for her. And she gave her husband a grand departure, there was some excitement when Mauvella first met some of her fathers family that had travelled from Africa to pay homage and last respect. It was Mauvella’s fathers only brother, her uncle Adam, he was six years younger, and he had the same winning quiet manner and the resemblance was there. Isobel told her daughter, how she had made some inquires from the summerset house, she had acquired some information about Abe. She loved him so very much, and Isobel, wanted to know everything about him, it was after when her daughter had left home, and was living and working in London, the documents where sent to her from Khartoum the capital of Sudan, where he was born.

Abe had told Isobel about the fascinating things in that very far off place, a different way of life and its customs, and where the sun shines almost every heavy hot and humid days, and to a very young boy, he could feel and hear all of the sounds and the smells of the stifling nights, Abe’s heart was heavy, and when Adam was two years old, his mother, she went into a deep funk, and she became transparent to her husband, but not to her two boys she would tell her eldest son, some of the wonderful happy times she had before she married, and how she was carefree, and how suitors travelled asking for her hand, and when they looked into her eyes that were like mysterious dark and limpid shimmering pools of promise.

She would wear a veil that covered the rest of her beauty, she was of a royal birth, her great great great great grandmother, she was the queen in Ethiopia, and was married to an Egyptian some where down the royal line, and of the house of Solomon as it still stays the same today. And as Adam and Abe’s mother lay dying their father took another wife. Abe could not forgive him, and he made up his mind that that whenever a time came, he would leave, but for now he waited, he was young, and he became his brothers protector, it was his promise to his mother. She was wise, as she was beautiful, and she was clever, she gave Abe a scarabaeus ring that she had inherited it was from ancient Egypt, she told him that he must treasure it, and to keep in the family. She closed her eyes, and she remained that way forever, Abe watch his mother soul float away in a misty trail, as she gave a deep gasping sigh. Abe accepted his father wives, as he now had three and had seven children, Abe and his brother had a very close bond, they no longer lived in Khartoum, their father had moved them to a small village, they no longer lived in the big house that they both were born. They now lived in huts, that the boys had on their own, and there was another three huts for their fathers growing family.

The two boys were now shepherds, tending the cattle of cows and farming the land, Adam did very well he had a flair for it, but Abe was waiting patiently, and then the time came he was twenty years old, and it was time for him to marry and to take a wife.

One wet and stormy night both the brothers were tending the herd, Abe told his brother that he was leaving for Khartoum that very night. He gave Adam the ring that was given to him from his mother, he told him that it must always remain in the family, and he was to keep it in a safe place. The gusty winds and the rain had stopped and the night was now quiet and still except the occasional rustle from the herd.

Abe hugged his brother and held him close for a brief moment, he released him, and looked into his young brothers eyes, he could see the tears welled up, and they glistened upon his sad face. He told him he would write to him, and he turned around and moved away, Abe slowly trotted off, and he did not turn his head nor did he wave a finale good bye. Adam stood firm as he watched his brother fade into the dark night, as he listened to the echoing of Abe’s feet, as he went running slowly and disappearing out of sight.

Abe knew that he would be in the city at dawn, it was good that the rain had stopped, and as he moved farther away from where he had lived all those years, and when he had decided that it was the time for him to leave his very unhappy life behind him. And he would have left and gone away a long time ago, but it was his brother Adam that kept him from leaving sooner, he tried desperately to convince him to stay although the woman that Adam was to marry, was in love with Abe, he never knew it, and when his father told him that he must a decision. Abe knew there was none, he was determined and the time was urgent.

He could feel the energy flowing and stimulating all through his body, that was wet, from his sweat, and the occasional nip of the insects at him from time to time. But then with the rhythm of his running at a steady pace, with his head held high, and the night air, it swirled all about him. He finally saw the twinkling light beaconing to him, from out side of the city, Abe’s heart leapt with excitement, as he ran even faster, as the lights from and occasional car drove by, and he then came to a park that he knew, and was familiar with. He went over and sat down on an empty park bench to catch his breath. He was fatigue, he was exhausted, he removed his knap sack and placed it on the ground in front of him, he opened it and he reached into the bag, and he brought out a small cloth, he wiped himself from all of the sweat, and he picked up his sack, and he placed it on the seat beside him, and laid his head down upon it, and he fell fast asleep.

The birds singing and the brilliant sun shinning from the beautiful clear blue skies, that woke him up with a start. He looked about him, he was please with himself, and the out come that was going to be this day. He picked up his knap sack, and he stood, and then started walking towards the city Khartoum the capital of Sudan. He was almost there now, he walked into the colourful market place, people were shouting and singing happily selling their wares, he stopped at a café to have some breakfast, he had coconut water and the fruits from the seasons, and when he had finished he gathered his belongings and he went out into the streets that were crowded by now. He gave his greetings to the people that he was familiar with. As he walked carrying his pack on his back. Abe went and he purchased a ticket to travel on the ferry that would take him on the River Nile. And closer to his destination, and it would be the first stop, and would be to Meroe. He stood watching waiting wondering how much longer it would take, and there coming was the ferry. Putt putt putting, slowly its tall thin funnel belching nosily with its black smoke coming from out of it, and travelling closer to the shore and it came to a halt.

The operator, of the ferry stepped off it first, and he walked very slowly, taking of his cap, and looking all around him, as he was wiping the inside of his cap with his grubby rag that he used as a hankie, he pulled his cap back on to his bushy hair, he fumbled deep into his trouser pocket. And he brought out a crumpled packet of cigarette, and he stuck one between his dry cracked lips, and at the same time he was smiling, as he was looking at the woman that was walking towards him.

She was a young woman, she was attractive, and she knew it, he reached out his hand and he caught hold of her out stretched arm, and he pulled her to him, as he greeted her laughing loudly, she responded, and excepted his hugging her, he moved his hand quickly away from her as he threw the cigarette it landed still burning onto the ground in front of Abe, missing his foot, he looked at it, and he moved quickly from the still burning cigarette. As he watched the pair of them intensely occupied with each other.

Abe walked towards the ferry that would be soon leaving from Khartoum, Abe turned around to see that the skipper of the ferry was still standing with both his arms about the young woman, and her eyes happened to connect with Abe, it was like an electric shock, Abe could not fathom what was happening he stood rooted, as if he was struck by a bolt of lighting, and Abe could not account for what had happened. He was alright now, and he could now hear the skipper of the ferry speaking in a loud voice that anyone that would be travelling to Meroe should have their tickets ready. He was walking fast now towards the ferry and stepped onto it, and the passengers started to follow after him and onto the deck.

He stopped and he turned around to face his passengers, and the people that would be travelling with him. Abe couldn’t believe his eyes, to see all of the people that were to travel, he saw many of them that were all going to the very same destination as himself, where did they all come from? All these people, it seemed to Abe that they came out from everywhere. They were all different types. Old men in their ankle length cotton robes and white crochet fitted caps, some of the children holding and clutching at their mothers skirts, as some of the women balancing their belongings on their head, and some of them pushing and trying to get in the front of one and another. Abe held his ticket tight, he knew that there were tricksters thieves and pickpockets all waiting for a chance or an opportunity for a trusting person that let their selves open, as it was an everyday occurrence. When Abe finally reached to the skipper and he handed his ticket to him, he tore it in half, and he returned the other portion of it to him. Abe thanked him he held onto his ticket, and the skipper he looked at him with eyes that were red and tired, but also alert, his glance lingered on young Abe, and he could feel his eyes upon him as he watched him walk away. Abe could sense the staring of the skipper all through him. He walked off, and onto the main deck of the ferry and to look for a vacant seat.

He found one, it was a nice quiet place, sitting near a window, and as he looked out through it. The engine of the ferry spluttered as it started to shake and the water splashing hard against the side, the whistle was loud,