53
I arranged for another meeting just between Daji and myself. I wanted to get to the bottom of his cryptic remark once and for all. He lives in The Outer City, where the people who lived there wanted only to be around people who looked like them, ate what they ate and prayed to the same God as they.
For many of these residents their stay in the New World was perhaps as similar as mine. Like them, I had no long standing connections to this place I called home.
For God’s sakes, I didn’t even know what a Flamingo was!
Yet, by my choice of schools and line of study, I knew I was pushing myself out into this new world. Most of these folks, I surmised the few times I ventured into their areas of The City, had not yet encountered the New World as I had forced myself to do.
There, it was home away from home.
They even have a large section in The Outer City called Little Africa. An amusing thought once cross my mind when I was thinking about where they could send me if they ever wanted to do to me what they did to Assai.
They could always confine me to Little Africa.
At any rate, I made up a partially true story about how I rarely leave The Village, except to go to work, or to visit Gladys. ”I have lived in The City all of my life, and I know nothing about it,” I explained.
He took the bait.
“Why don’t you come visit me. I’ll show you around, and we can share some tea and lunch. We have some great restaurants in my neighborhood.”
“If they don’t serve Burgers and wine, I ain’t going!”
Daji laughed at my silliness.
“Please, sir, don’t be such a barbarian. You will live longer.”
“But more happier?”
You are hopeless, sir.”
***
So here we are, sitting in a little neighborhood vegetarian restaurant, sipping, I must say, a highly favorable sweet tea. There were only a few people in the room with us. The perfect place to hatch a plot.
“Hey Dash, this is some great stuff.”
He looked pleased. “Just wait until the food comes. You will be off burgers for good.”
“Never!”
I decided to get right to the hidden agenda, but in an around about way; but before I had the chance, he opened the door.
“Have you heard from Dr, Assai,” he asked
“No, I don’t even know what city he lives in. I tell you, Dash, I’m still pissed off at what they did to him. Even if he was guilty of what they said he did, knowing what a great man he is, he had good reason for it.”
“Absolutely. Absolutely. The reason for all the turmoil is clear to anyone with open eyes.” Daji paused, as if he was evaluating whether he should confide something important to me. He rolled the dice.
“In fact, he was sitting right where you are sitting, when he and I had our very first talk about what had been wrong with The New World Order, and why it should never be allowed to reestablish itself.”
I nodded knowingly.
As I nodded my head up and down, with my phony actor’s face being put to full use, I could see that Daji knew he had stuck gold.
“I guess right about you. I see that you fully understand, and are one with us. Do you think that you are up for a little action? “
I flashed an image of Agnes Moorhead in my mind. If that couldn’t get me worked up, nothing could.
”I damn sure am,” I answered with great conviction.
“Good, I have some friends you might like to meet. Would you be up for that?”
“Absolutely,”
“Just remember, much is at stake, maybe the future of the world. Mums the word.
***
I finally convinced Gladys to cross the river and hang out with me in the bar in The Village, and spend the night at my place, for a change. She walked in, a half-an-hour late. I gave her a big smile. “Hey good looking, I have been sitting here, all thumbs, just waiting to see your lovely face.”
“My goodness, you sound mighty upbeat, Jamison. What happened, did you win the lottery?”