Curiosity Takes Flight (chapter one) - Book 2, Part 1

06 - Daphnis et Chloë, Suite No. 2

Click on audio title 06 - Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No 2 for music accompaniment for setting the mood to this chapter.

"The journey of a thousand miles

Must begin with a single step."

Chinese Proverb

Foreword

In the process of writing the 1st of several books, A Harem Boy, a veil of curiosity had shadowed me; pondering to Andy’s whereabouts? It had been 39 years since I connected with my ex-lover. I had moved on with life and with it my numerous fashion adventures had taken shape keeping me busy throughout the years. Although our separation was mutual, it had been an extremely difficult decision for us especially when we know we are soul mates in-love in our present and past lives. As much as I welcomed the idea of being Andy’s life partner living in New Zealand, foregoing my fashion ambition at 18 was too heavy a sacrifice to live in the footsteps of a passionate bridge building engineer especially when destiny calls me to be a fashion designer since age 6. In order for our individual ambitions to take flight we had to separate, letting love pass. I am sure fate will unite us if we are to be inseparable.

Sparks within my soul to locate Andy grew with each passing day since writing A Harem Boy’s story; yet within my being I continue to be unsure if the time is ripe for us to reunite? I am in a loving relationship with Walter Bissett, a delightfully understanding and spiritually enlightened gentleman of panache and integrity for the past 16 years and our love continues to grow with every passing day. Is it wise to rekindle a previous love relationship while living in the loving present of another? I don’t know the answer yet I am curious and inquisitive to know what happened to my beloved Andy.

January 2012

Sitting on my computer formulating the outline for Book 2 of A Harem Boy and sorting through a box of old photographs of handsome Andy; thoughts of finding my ex-lover raced through my mind incessantly. Should I take a chance to locate this man on Facebook or should I let the past settle into distant memories? What should I do? I typed my Valet’s name into the social networking site. Curiosity got the better of me. With trembling fingers I scoured the search engine. A few seconds after typing Andy's name, a number of corresponding profiles appeared on the screen next to some portraiture, while others on the list had each individual person's descriptions. I ventured down the list looking at the profiles and photographs which might resemblance the description of my soul mate. Throughout the exercise I felt the urge to withdraw yet my fingers continued scrolling down the page. My search for Andrew Samson Finckenstein had begun.

Das Jagdhaus (The Cabin)

I remember the photograph well, Andy in his red and black wool flannel bathrobe. We had just stepped out of a warmth bath at Ludwig's and Oberon’s rented cabin in the outskirts of Tübingen¹ after the professor collected Andy and me at the train station. We had flown from Heathrow to Stuttgart Echterdingen Airport² before hopping onto a train to Tübingen for the start of our 1966 Christmas vacation in Germany and Switzerland. Ludwig driving a brand new Jaguar Mark X³, a gift from his wealthy Bedouin father for obtaining his professorship position at the prestigious Tübingen University⁴ was waiting for us at the station. It was early evening and Oberon, Ludwig's partner was at Das Jagdhaus (The Cabin) preparing a delicious dinner for Ludwig, Andy and me. Being a superb cook he had painstakingly prepared a scrumptious meal for us before we ventured into the nearby woods behind their cabin for an after dinner stroll. It had been snowing heavily the last few days in Tübingen and the grounds were covered with a thick blanket of glimmering white. It was 3 days before my 14 birthday and I had never seen so much snow in my adolescent life;  mesmerized by the beauty and quietness of this winter landscape we went exploring.

Inside Das Jagdhaus 

Entering Das Jagdhaus, I was greeted by the immense coziness of the lodge. Warmly lite fireplaces invited us into every room. The cabin resembled a fairytale storybook cottage where Goldilocks and the 3 bears⁵ could live happily and comfortably together. I felt like Goldilocks with Ludwig, Oberon and Andy masquerading as the 3 bears. We sat down to a deliciously cooked meal and finishing dinner with Griessbrei⁶ for desert specially crafted by Oberon's expert culinary hands. The wooden floors were strewn with an assortment of fur rugs, welcoming Andy and me with a generous dose of German hospitality. In a corner of the living room sat a freshly cut 6 ft. tall Christmas tree, decorated with an abundance of fairy lights. Beneath the pretty pine was Buff, a large friendly Great Dane lying next to several beautifully wrapped gifts.  As soon as Buff saw us enter, he rushed to welcome us with licks and kisses. Extremely delighted to have visitors fawning over his loving doggy self we became best buddies before long.  

  

A Walk On The Wild Side

After dinner we strolled into the woods since I wanted to experience the winter scenery. With the glow of the evening sun casting an enchanting spell within the thick forest Andy and the boys chatted. I decided to trail a short distance behind exploring the beauty of the serene landscape. I had never been inside a German forest and was curious to experience everything within this white winter wonderland. Observing a nibbling and scratching squirrel a few yards away, I was curious to see what this furry animal was doing so I stooped observing its actions. Burying its tiny head in the snow, the squirrel emerged with a pine nut on both paws. Knowing it was been watched the animal scrambled towards the direction of a tall tree, turning to see if I would follow. Curious to see where the squirrel was heading I followed quietly. This little fellow was as inquisitive as I, stopping every few seconds to stare at its stalker, challenging me to continue. Before long, I had lost my friends but I was determined to follow the animal wondering where it would lead me? Before the squirrel disappeared up a tree, I noticed a fire burning in a clearing but did not see anyone present at the camp site. Just as I was close to the fire for warmth, 4 rugged looking men in ragged clothes suddenly jumped out of the shadows towards my direction; looking horrifyingly menacing and dangerous. I got on my feet and began running when one of the heavy set men cornered me. Speaking in German he commanded, "Wer sind Sie? Was tun Sie hier (Who are you? What are you doing here)?” 

Since I did not spoke or understood German, I did not answer. I ran. One of his mates shouted to me, "Halten Sie an (Stop)!” I continued running and before he finished shouting, one of his mates had pounced; pinning me onto the snow and calling to his mates, “Er sieht reich aus, wollen wir nehmen, dass er hat (He looks rich, let's take what he has)!"

Scared To Death

I was really scared as I sensed eminent danger from these thugs. I knew I had to escape. Struggling to get free, the man who threw me to the ground forced my hands behind my back; while one of the ruffians threw his friend a leather belt binding my wrists. Fearful images of the bullying gang of 4 from my primary school rushed to the forefront of my mind, frightened I would be molested and possibly raped by these villains. Desperately struggling to loosen the man’s grip, his friends pinned me down with brutality, forcing me into submission. Covered with snow I wriggled crazily to escape. 

Screaming, "Help! Somebody help me!" One of thugs had cupped his filthy hands over my mouth; muffling my cries. Pointing a knife at me, the bully threatened to mutilate my face if I continued to scream. I was a frightened rabbit with thoughts of death looming large on my mind. Wiggling and kicking with all my strength to get free; memories of the school bullies fleshed across my eyes reminding that these men would kill me if I didn't do as they commanded. There was no way I could escape their hurtful grip. My captors had already tied my wrists, gagged a piece of cloth across my mouth and bounded my ankles securely so I could not scream, run or escape. I was in a state of terror by the time these men turned me around pushing me roughly against a tree. I didn't care if they robbed me, they can take whatever I had! My greatest fear was raped and murdered under their brutal hands. Searching my pockets they found nothing since I carried no money or valuables. They decided to strip my clothing and boots, leaving me to freeze. I was in complete agony and totally petrified! Oh no! I am going to be raped by these 4 villians! My heart was thumping hard and fast; desperately trying my best to struggle away from their rough prying hands. 

Petrified

Terrified I began sobbing when the leader of the pack, pulled on my hair and spoke in a rough voice, "Was tun Sie im Wald allein nachts (What are you doing in the woods alone at night)?" 

I had no idea what he was saying so I kept quiet while my heart thumped with absolute fear; desperately trying to figure a way out of this nightmare; to escape the clutches of these bullying gypsy vagabonds.

Just then a gunshot was heard. The robbers starred at each other in amazement wondering if they should remain or scramble. Another shot was fired, this time the sound was closer in distance. From the corner of my eyes I saw a Great Dane rushing out of the woods into the clearing, launching at one of the thugs, while several figures came running towards the campfire.

My captors scattered and disappeared as fast as they could with my clothes and shoes into the darkness, with Buff chasing and gnarling at their heels. I sat stunned watching the scenario unfold in slow motion. By the time my rescuers came into view, Ludwig, Oberon and Andy were rushing towards me untying my hurting bondages. Seeing me naked, my Valet immediately took off his fur lined jacket covering my nakedness; shielding me from the freezing temperature. Like a scared and startled faun, my lover picked me up, holding me tightly against his chest while fearful tears streamed down my face. My protectors carried me back to Das Jagdhaus.

Thanks to Ludwig and Oberon they had brought a hand gun into the woods, knowing the place would be dangerous at night with salacious gypsy vagabonds lurking around to rob naïve and innocent preys like me. I owned my 2 saviors 2 huge favors which I repaid handsomely during the course of my stay in Germany and Switzerland.

Footnotes:

¹  Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 30 km (19 mi) south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.

2 Stuttgart Echterdingen airport - is an international airport located approximately 13 km (8.1 mi) (10 km (6.2 mi) in a straight line) south of Stuttgart, Germany.

³ The Jaguar Mark X (pronounced mark ten) was the top-of-the-range saloon car built by the British manufacturer Jaguar, originally aimed at the United States and European markets. The Mark X succeeded the Mark IX as the company's large saloon model.

⁴ Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen (German: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, sometimes called the "Eberhardina Carolina") is a public university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of Germany's oldest universities, internationally noted in medicine, natural sciences and the humanities. In the area of German Studies (German: Germanistik) it has been ranked first among all German universities for many years. Tübingen is one of five classical "university towns" in Germany; the other four being Marburg, Göttingen, Freiburg and Heidelberg. The university is associated with some Nobel laureates, especially in the fields of medicine and chemistry.

Currently, around 22,000 students are enrolled. The 17 hospitals in Tübingen affiliated with the university's faculty of medicine have 1,500 patient beds, and cater to 66,000 in-patients and 200,000 out-patients on an annual basis.

In the 2011 QS World University Rankings the University of Tübingen was ranked 152nd in the world, making it the seventh highest ranked university in Germany. Its subject rankings were: 86th in Arts & Humanities, 129th in Life Sciences & Biomedicine, 201st in Natural Sciences, and 331st in Social Sciences.

⁵ "The Story of the Three Bears" (sometimes known as "The Three Bears", "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" or, simply, "Goldilocks") is a fairy tale first recorded in narrative form by British author and poet Robert Southey, and first published anonymously in a volume of his writings in 1837. The same year, British writer George Nicol published a version in rhyme based upon Southey's prose tale, with Southey approving the attempt to bring the story more exposure. Both versions tell of three bears and an old woman who trespasses upon their property.

"The Story of the Three Bears" was in circulation before the publication of Southey's 1837 version. In 1831, for example, Eleanor Mure fashioned a handmade booklet about the three bears for her nephew's birthday, and, in 1813, Southey was telling the story to friends. In 1894, "Scrapefoot", a tale with a fox as antagonist which bears striking similarities to Southey's story, was uncovered by the folklorist Joseph Jacobs and may predate Southey's version in the oral tradition. Southey possibly heard "Scrapefoot", and confused its "vixen" with a synonym for a crafty old woman. Some maintain however that the old woman was Southey's invention.

"The Story of the Three Bears" experienced two significant changes during its early publication history. Southey's intrusive old woman became an intrusive little girl in 1849, who was given various names referring to her hair until Goldilocks was settled upon in the early 20th century. Southey's three bachelor bears evolved into Father, Mother, and Baby Bear over the course of several years. What was originally a fearsome oral tale became a cozy family story with only a hint of menace. The story has elicited various interpretations and has been adapted to film, opera, and other media. "The Story of the Three Bears" is one of the most popular fairy tales in the English language.

⁶ Semolina Pudding (or Cream of Wheat) - in German “Griessbrei” - is a typical German delicious dessert or even a main dish with apple sauce or other fruit, or just with sugar and cinnamon.

Note:

Book 2 of A Harem Boy documents this 14 year old adolescent's life during his service in his 2nd Arab Harem Household in the United Arab Emirate. Follow his adventures with new chapters posted twice weekly.