Pygmy Read online

  Required this agent remain at exterior door, for survey area any possible approaching individual.

  Making lunge, host sister impress painted lips against surface lips of operative me. Adhesive black paint bonded for instant. Soft pressured and warm glued together. Next now peeling away until tactile memory. Flavor cat sister. Honeyed smell saliva. Acrid odor solder smoke, melted lead.

  Quote, “My biggest fear in life is to be forgotten.”

  Shake fabric sack, host sister say, “I just have to grab some junk for my science fair project.” Fashion face of half smile, say, “How come you always smell like Listerine?”

  Same now, host sister slide beyond doorway, door returned so healed in wall. Sister ventured to trespass interior, taking laminate card, artificial eye, going delved to harvest unknown mystery. Forsake this agent alone at dark entrance, surrounded by invisible river of chilled wind, mating cry cricket. Night of today. Tongue of operative me licking own lips so able revisit lingering taste of vanished affection.

  Dispatch

  Seventeenth

  Begins here seventeenth account of operative me, agent number 67, on arrival religion propaganda distribution outlet city . Sabbath . Denomination . For official record, initial public appearance this agent since Model United Nation debacle.

  Additional to normal array: Fake statue dead male, fake torture plaster on two crossed stick, fake blood painted red hand and foot…scented genitals plant life…cylinder white paraffin encase burning string, many tiny single fire. This today added pack jackals mass media, baying hounds, circling buzzard, sniffing hyena aim loaded camera, brandishing microphone so gouge eyeball of operative me. Media predator parasites shout demands of smile, look, look second direction, no smile, strobes searing retinas this agent.

  Corrupt degenerate American media process image operative me, voice word of this agent preserve as product able reproduce indefinite, utilize to pace insidious marketing memes compelling persons purchase automobile and consume soda. Always purchase and consume.

  Starting amidst macadam field where host family surrender protection of automobile, media jackals pursue cow father, chicken mother, pursue pig dog brother, cat sister, and this agent. Hound after until arrive entrance to worship shrine.

  Within shrine doorway stance leather mummy of Wal-Mart, Doris Lilly.

  Vast breathing cow father, blouse saturated perspiration, mouth devour and vomit great mass oxygen. Arrival interior worship shrine, cow face flushed dark blood glow, during one hand clutch sagging pectoral location of heart muscle. Chicken mother fluttering own bony claws so breeze own face with chilled wind.

  Arrayed along forward edge stage of shrine showcased caskets various United Nation delegate cadaver, prior discarded to nourish worms and bacteria of soil. No longer sway-swing sensuous butter bags. No consume hashish. Lady delegate Zaire current now, adored gown sewed silk, white silk stitched infinite tiny pearls, delegate pallid hands accommodate bundle delicate genitals of tulip plant, fragrant, vivid red, spectral white. Delegate corpse nested deep interior of casket, buoyed aloft padded lining color pink.

  Gentleman delegate East Timor grasp football in death, face cheek painted pink paint. Gentleman delegate Egypt eternal posed both hands gripping volume Christian Bible, neck bound eternal knotted silk banner. Lady delegate Brazil deceased hands bondage tied together utilizing necklace beaded, trailing pendant of dead man mounted on crossed stick.

  Continued interior of shrine, media hyenas circling. Menacing forest multiple camera, blinding strobe continual sunburst, steady glare provided video recording. Thrust microphones.

  Stationed throughout shrine: operative Tanek, operative Ling, operative Vaky

  Present also delegate Uruguay, delegate India, esteemed Madam Fun Bags.

  For official record, devil Tony remain no in attendant.

  Basted glared heat so multiple camera, listened by so numerous microphone, vast host father vacate seat among family, make small parade so mount worship stage amidst dead casket. Below plaster man bleeding paint. Host father initiate somber voice, say, “As a community we have much to mourn today…”

  No present cadaver Trevor Stonefield. No in attendant family clan surviving Stonefield.

  Mounted worship altar, host cow father say, “Not long ago, a young man came to us, dirty, ragged, smelling like the dung cooking fires of his primitive homeland.” Say, “This boy came to us as an orphan, a product of a dismal, backward culture mired in the failed social experiments and misguided politics of long-ago history.” Say, “This stunted child, crusted with scabs and stooped with rickets, with a stomach bloated from malnutrition and sparse, thin hair, he arrived illiterate and confused…And no, don’t get ahead of me here; this child was not our savior, Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth…”

  Direction all camera swing so focused upon face of operative me.

  “This wretched human trash,” host father say, “discarded by an uncaring socialist bureaucracy…”

  This agent, watched under numerous camera, feel heat sensation rising blood glow within own cheek skin.

  Continue host father, voice rising, say, “The nation that discarded this timid child, our weak, baffled guest, is a cruel country which persecutes free thinking and punishes ambition. A nation of crushing ideology.” Say, “A dull, savage dictatorship reluctant to admit the faintest light of free speech or Christian charity…”

  Among community member, citizen seated too dense, pressing shoulder, frequent face begin tilt forward, tilt back, repeat tilt to make head meaning agreement.

  Vast cow father say, “It’s from that tortured land of horror that this frightened child escaped—but for just six short months.” Say, “This shivering, puny waif, this frail, vulnerable boy escaped the crushing misery of his government orphanage simply because a Christian missionary worked tirelessly to arrange six months of freedom and abundance for him and a ragtag assortment of his fellow orphans…”

  Could be legs of operative me, muscle flex, spring above seated mob, repeat Lunging Lynx from Model United Nation, swish-zonk, decapitate population entire worship community. Lashing Lion, rip-roar, teeth of this agent eviscerate pack media scavengers.

  Continued, endless host father say, “After months of negotiation, this emissary of Christian love shepherded her charges to the glorious shores of our blessed United States…” Say, “But for only a brief window of joy in a lifetime of bleakness and pain…”

  Seated to one side, pig dog brother bend elbow so craft into sharp point, inject bony point to impact ribs of operative me, whisper say, “Check out Mom…”

  Chicken host mother, head settle until sideways against own shoulder, eye iris contracted tiny dark pupil. Eye cover skins flutter, close, flash open. Drift close. Chicken mouth issue guttural snore.

  Making huge inhales, host father say, “That suffering child came to live among us, to sing our songs and share the fellowship of our homes and church. He studied among our children, and they embraced and befriended him.” Say, “This coarse, uneducated, illiterate boy came to excel at a recent spelling bee. He came to enjoy dancing American dances, and so popular did he become that he was chosen to represent our own United States of America at the Model United Nations …”

  Seated opposite side this agent, cat sister keyboarding buttons atop surface personal telephone.

  Remaining stance on altar, host father say, “Now, you might think an ignorant, backward child could never repay the generous gifts our community has granted him—the gifts of medical care, nutritious food, safe and secure shelter, free education, religious guidance and love—above all our love—but this child has repaid that debt.”

  Cow father cast eye so rest upon this agent. All entire eyeball of community rest on this agent.

  Could be fists of operative me execute Punching Panda, bam-blam, so render entire crowd no conscious. Subsequent then execute Pumping Rabbit Maneuver distribute own seed among various appropriate vessel. Exit shrine. Seek midday nourishment. Vis
it memorial acclaimed war hero Colonel Sanders.

  Host father say, “For it was this stooped, dirty waif who became the tool of sweet Jesus.” Say, “It was through the wasted frame of this crippled, filthy orphan that Jesus Christ acted to stop an insane killer.” Raising voice more loud, say, “Only by our Lord, controlling the puppet of this spindly, stunted wretch did justice advance on the demon which had taken possession of Trevor Stonefield.” Shouting say, “It was that demon who cut short the lives of our children, but it was Christ who vanquished the demon before more damage could be inflicted.”

  Next now, voice stopped. Worship shrine silent. Awaiting.

  Baking heat too many camera. Hearing expectation audio equipments.

  Breaking silent, host father say, quiet to almost whisper say, “As the glorious agent of our savior, this beggar child has earned a permanent place in our community. A permanent place in our hearts.” Voice rising, say, “And with that in mind, I propose that this boy remain among us, as a full and beloved member of the Cedar family.”

  Under eyes of camera, betrayed by satellite to global audience, eyes all world nation, cow father say, “I do hereby announce that it is my intention to fully and legally adopt the foreign exchange student our family calls Pygmy.”

  Faces total community, each fashioned as smile revealing all teeth. Wide smile compress cheek, obstruct eyes.

  Hand raised open for testify, pledge, cow father say, “My wife and I do fully intend to become his guardians.” Say, “Our son and daughter will become his siblings.” Say, “And nothing—not international politics, nor diplomatic charges of kidnapping, nor bureaucratic red tape—will stand in our way. This dirty, sickly orphan, let us welcome him into the bosom of our fold. From this day forward, this puny, ignorant child will belong to us…”

  For official record, witness here ever escalating semantics of ownership—operative me commenced in role exchange student sponsored of local religion. Charity program as organized by alive human cadaver Doris Lilly. Next becoming foster offspring. Next, acquired as adoption child. Ever increasing language American capitalism for ownership.

  Esteemed Madam Fun Bags direct plump smile direction this agent, suggesting willing pubis. Suggest moist glisten excreted vaginal mucus. Welcoming engorged labium.

  Only citizen no smile operative Tibor, operative Sheena, operative Magda.

  No smile cadaver Zaire, East Timor, Egypt, or Brazil. Diet for arthropods.

  From stance atop altar, surrounded multiple dead sacrifice to violent United States culture of aggression, host father announce, say, “Yes, God has taken many of our brightest, strongest, most beloved children, but God has given us a doomed, discarded urchin that we, ourselves, can rescue…”

  Same now, worship community explode with noise, every citizens striking palms together making wild racket. All citizen wipe eyes of bleeding water, mopping waterlogged scraps tissue. Hard exhaling so clear mucus out nostrils. Batter open hands together. Next now advancing attack with open arms, for ensnare with jagged finger, the flood citizen this community seeking trap this agent imprisoned under layers such suffocating embrace, offer deadly passionate ardor.

  Dispatch

  Eighteenth

  Begins here eighteenth account of operative me, agent number 67, recall most bad event occurring formative year Familial tragedy much documented history bureau Communicated to this agent via gentle wisdom top nurturing warden of district . Occurrence tragedy dated back many year since infanthood this agent.

  For official record, repeat recounting here early childhood history of operative me. For reinforce early important training of this agent.

  Depicted here calendar date first-round academic testing to determine profession track each citizen four years beyond birth. Beginning of past today, this agent arise in residence shared among male and female parentage, two sibling sister, positioned concrete tower block multiple apartment among countless similar family unit. Out window of apartment able supervise gridlock vehicle traffic, supervise vista multitude concrete building roof, moistened apparel suspended for evaporate after laundry. Plentitude blouse, trouser, tunic fastened taut cordage, perform dance upon invisible wind music. Strut numerous pigeon.

  Recall typical wait within hall passage, anxious stance among neighbor resident await to utilize shared toilet. So able forget bladder, male parentage prompting this agent: Multiply 12 to 3. List alphabet of licorice. Recite elements periodic table, so able hold water until toilet available.

  During consume early meal, masticating stewed cereal grains, voice of operative me muffled of crushed food, say, “… niobium, nitrogen, nobelium, osmium…”

  Upon departure family apartment, en route small parade so arrive testing location, male parentage during command: Recite now man-made elements. Female parentage smoothing hair of operative me. Younger female siblings following behind. Voice of this agent say, “… rutherfordium, dubnium, seaborgium…” Male parentage demand: Recite now isotopes. Female parentage expectorate saliva so wet tissue to scrub at face of this agent. Along thoroughfare many such family, parentage accompany offspring bound today testing so determine future profession. To become architect or plumber or resource planner. All arriving institute of testing, stern facade no window, only guarded sentry flanking portal of towering doorway atop flight long slope many steep step.

  Female parentage stoop until face level with face of operative me.

  Male parentage offer hand for shake. Well wishes. Best luck.

  Recall female parentage purse lips of face, offer gesture to contacts lips against face skin of this agent in expression so demonstrate affection.

  However this agent decline. Too many peers present, too many possible witness such weak sentiment. Instead, offer hand for shake hand of female parentage.

  Female fashion face of half smile. Accept hand.

  Feet of operative me mount steps, climb slope amidst herd similar children compelled tested this day, dense flood such children, each alive since four years of birth. Child of future become physician. Become mechanical engineer. If poor tested, relegated refuse laborer. Compelled for mining salt. Mounting steps, trudge more high, children breathing whisper, “Igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary…” Weeping children pushed along with crowd. Other children whisper say, “Cumulus, stratus, cirrus…”

  Adjacent child quotes relentless avatar, demented prophet Adolf Hitler, whisper say, “‘He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.’”

  Arriving portal of building, stance high atop slope so many steps, eyes of operative me revolve head so look back, attempt regain vision parentage. No such fortunate. No able. From such far distant, all parentage massed together. No parentage distinct. At foot of slope steps, visible merely packed gray crowd. Motley ragged mob.

  From below, must this agent also be lost amid similar crowd children.

  Quote, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.”

  Next now, this agent entering portal swept forward, buoyed by tide of shared generation. Washed through doorway routed with peers toward direction inevitable future, lips of operative me making quiet prayer of, “… radium, radon, rhenium, rhodium …” All swept down throat of hallway until portal heals behind, locked shut from past.

  Dispatch

  Nineteenth

  Begins here nineteenth account of operative me, agent number 67, on arrival retail product distribution facility of city . Outlet number . Date . For official record, no yet legal adopted so become full member host family Cedar. Making all effort resist absorption into American cult of the individual, traditional method entrenched oligarchy so maintain own power: Fracture citizen isolated into different religion, different race, different family. Label as rich culture diversity. Cleave as unique until each citizen stand alone. Until each vote invested no value. Single citizen celebrated as special—in actual, remaining no power.

  Only when wedded to state purpose grants the citizen actual power. State mission and plan creates helpless indiv
idual as noble identity with grand reason for exist.

  Arriving shopping mall, magic quiet door go sideways, disappear inside wall to open path from outside. Reveal inside stand old woman, Doris Lilly, slave woman appareled with red tunic, say, “Welcome to Wal-Mart.” Say, “May I help you find something?”

  Mouths of this agent make smile, face design into pleasing eye contact. This agent say, “Much venerate ancient mother … to be commended such courage facing own imminent infirmity and demise…” Say, “Where sold here location 20 Mule Team Borax?” Say, “Available of purchase here cream of tartar?”

  For official record, stationed sentry interior door Wal-Mart desiccated skeleton covered skin split infinite fissures, esteemed aged citizen cast eye on this agent, say, “Well, look at this…” Say, “If it isn’t our little hero.”

  Feet of operative me stance before lauded skeleton, this agent request assistance, ask location to acquire muriatic acid, additional obtain drain cleaner?

  “Goodness,” say top respected decayed cadaver, splay knurled fingers aligned either side knotted face, frame wide-circle eye and mouth so affected expression of surprise. Say, “Don’t tell me you save the lives of innocent children and you do windows…”

  Visible milling about interior Wal-Mart, operative Tibor, operative Mang. Additional visible top glorious Madam Party Pillows, lady delegate Malawi. Bodacious Madam Fun Bags, lady delegate Nepal.

  Concealed interior trouser of operative me, paper American currency soiled fecal stain Trevor Stonefield, currency damp seed of this agent, partial saturated blood of clear-yellow bully.

  “Cleaning supplies,” say venerated dead-flesh mummy, “are on aisle fifteen.”

  Feet of operative me make small parade skirting labyrinth assembled packages printed many bright colors ink. Packages skinned tight glossy plastic. Plenteous plentitude too many objects ranked along shelf, bright faces begging for consumed before expiration. Best improved. Most strong taste. Dwindling worth mere days before rendered garbage by passing time.