Sad anniversary approach
My thoughts shift to the sad memory for me that the 1st year anniversary
of Mephi's sudden departure will soon be upon us.
It is a rare event that newsgroup acquaintances develop into real
friendships!
Even rarer that such a friendship spills a little over into the "real
world" such was the strengths and depth of Mephi's character and warmth.
Miss you Dude, always!
Cosmos
Re-posted below is one such exchange that lightened my heart!
Subject: To Nomen Nescio, LOL- Your Brilliant Post has left me
Speechless!
From: Mephistopheles <no-fixed@address.net>
Newsgroups: alt.oyp.norp
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:00:05 +0200 (CEST), Nomen Nescio
<nobody@dizum.com> wrote:
Thanks so much for this wonderful account of your current adventures
which has quite blown me away. I remember well you writing somewhere
about the haunted eyes of Duncan & how we should do all we can to
right things for those children to whom life has dealt such a lousy
hand.. Yours is a piece to be treasured.
If there really is a Benevolent Deity, if a Peter & a Paul, a St.
Patrick, St George, St Andrew or their ilk really walked the earth
doing good, along with the late Mother Theresa, then I think you must
be somewhere among that distinguished Pantheon, for I don't think any
of them actually dared venture into the Burmese jungle or conjure up
miracles from a rusty mug of diesel, & I don't think even Jesus got
round to replicating TV on a bed-sheet! Can I put your name forward
for a gong, perhaps a peerage?
But that you were able to bring so much laughter & joy to these
awe-struck children with your mini-cinema (a first for them?) ....&
who would have dreamt that "Shaun the Sheep" that I snatched off the
Broken Biscuit Company (LOL)would have travelled so far & so
gainfully. I was half-minded to forward your amazing script to the
Radio Times, that most ancient of Radio & TV weekly Listings over
here, dating back to Logie Baird himself, that little Boffin in the
class below us in our London Elementary that we used to beat up, then
confiscate his dinner money. LOL. Nick Park of Aardman Animations
would himself be inordinately chuffed at the news, perhaps give it
pride of place on their DVD Blurb. I just regret I didn't post them in
Hi-Def format, which, as I still have the originals, I would now be
able to do.
And naturally, I came over all hot & sloppy with your Mephi story, but
then you always were such an impish little charmer, even in the
darkest days of the Blitz.
Meanwhile I shall patiently await your forthcoming Book,- not "Travels
with a Donkey", but "In Laos with A Laptop".
My Very Best (if envious) Wishes,
and thanks again for such a splendid missive. It was great to hear
from you.
Warmly, Mephi
>Picture the setting if you can, high in the hills on the Lao /Burma
border
>a people cling to their ancient identity and independence, harried and
>bullied by Khmer and Burmese neighbours, their presence barely
tolerated.
>
>In the corrugated roofed, earth floored school house, the impromptu
morning
>English lesson draws to a close, a place where Blackboard and chalk hold
>sway and ADHD are mere random letters. The humidity begins to soar as
the
>sun climbs towards the inevitable downpour early afternoon.
>
>A white sleeping sheet is stretched out taut, fastened in each corner to
>hang vertical over the face of the upended table itself standing upon
>another, room, mats are positioned in the centre of the floor and
expectant
>bodies jostle for prime positions, as the tension and excitement builds.
>
>Outside some metres away a mug full of diesel is carefully poured into
the
>green patchwork tank and the cap screwed tight. Right de-compressor
open
>and start to crank up the flywheel, faster ok hands clear! Flip the
>leaver, it catches like a 2" mortar pop once twice three! black soot
>belches from the muffler sheesh first go to! The speed builds and the
>generator is engaged. We have power gentlemen.
>
>Back in the hut faces turn towards me. Shutters I exclaim! And bodies
dash
>to close the 4 storm shutters and the room dims, the laptop is prodded
to
>life and the projector turned on and the windoz media classic player
logo
>shines forth.
>
>Cannot hear you! What do you all want I enquire, "we want Mephi" "we
want
>mephi" they all chant after considerable practice to near perfection!
(yep
>I was an ABC minor) OK I confess it was me that told them the lead
>actor's name was Mephi, just my little joke! Maybe I should have told
them
>that Mephi was really the nice man at the broken Biscuit Company who
sent
>me the films.
>
>The credits roll and its "Little Sheep of horrors" this time round and a
>hush descends in the room, outside a deep rumble of thunder adds to the
>atmosphere and no translation problems with these clips for sure except
try
>to explain what, exactly, is a sheep!!! Lonely planet's no bloody help
>either!
>
>Thunder cracks outside and spooks Lui, who shuffles across the mat and
>nestles between my legs, and looks out at Shaun battles on to victory.
But
>draw no assumptions, these Chao Khao are tough cookies, even the pint
sized
>ones can take your eye out at 50 paces with a catapult! And the adage
"if
>it moves its Food" holds sway with no room for western sentimentality in
>these parts of the world.
>
>We'll finish up with the BCG tomorrow, "old stock, compliments Becton &
>Dickinson" confident that Shaun the sheep will make new friends in the
>remaining days to come.
>
>LOL Cosmos
>
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