All Over the Place

Jerome Shucktice moved to Ludge, Iowa, expressly to flee the city's jealousies and backstabbing.  Most of his trouble came from mastery of the Galladine, a stringed instrument from the Hittite civilization.

Deceived others attempted to advertise similar knowledge, flaunting, too, pitiful musicianship.  

He refrained from comment, and they, therefore,

savaged him.

He planned--another reason for rusticating in Ludge--a satirical novel in response.  

And, though he wouldn’t pander to let it be known, he smiled inwardly about being the leading intellect there.

A few weeks after settlement on his quaint fisherman's cottage on the river, Galladine on Lower Pea-Bosk he named it, a notice on the library bulletin board stopped his breath.

LUDGE'S OWN AMY DRESH NETTLES WILL

PERFORM ON THE GALLADINE AND DISCUSS

HER NOVEL FEATURING THAT ANCIENT

 INSTRUMENT

He noted the date, and since no one knew him, went.  

To what end?  Laugh inwardly?  Pile scorn when he later developed friends?  Perhaps even to “praise” a local with an A-minus for Effort.

The audience proved to be a collection of retired farmers and their wives, plus two bookish fabric store clerks who shared an apartment, and had requested the day off to attend.

An outsized buzz as the lady enters, for she’s not a person, really. Well, not by most definitions.  

But rather, a life-form.  Sort of a green, Jello-ish amoeba flowing under Jerome’s chair and raised feet, and finally bending onto a platform--looking at that point like something from a Dali painting. One farmer clears his throat.

The librarian rests the stringed instrument on this shapelessness, and some kind of protuberances rise to strum bizarre chords.

Since he faints along in here, Jerome never does find out 

how she reads, but he revives after Amy Dresh Nettles slides her departure.  

The fabric store fellows linger on their way out, playfully introducing themselves as Don, and R Gay Apparel, but then breathlessly imploring him not to reveal outside the town what he had witnessed.

--------------------------

Note from ED

Jerome and Amy married! Daughter followed 6 mos after, 

normal Blobform Confinement Time. You may wonder as to 

sexual, etc, birthing gymnastics(?) attendant: not my field so see drkildadmorrsy@blfmed.org.

Anyway our couple on lotza late night shows, jammin&talkin! Too, Black artists presently employ Galladine for sorta trashy counterpoint!