Dr Fixit (4491 - 4500)

 

4491

the word processing with the keyboard

carefully choosing my every word.

‘Dear Libby, I’m glad to read your message.

I cherish our union of awesome age

and a charming memory that won’t fade.

I hope a visit soon could be paid

to you and your family. Right now,

“Dr Fixit” is about to wear a new crown.

I’m busy crafting its sequel, “THE RETURN

OF MENDIT ONE”. Just as with it I’m done,

 

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‘I’d mail it to you. I wish to assure you

it’d appeal but then the final verdict to you

I would leave. Expect the script soon.

POSTSCRIPT: I finally like with a broom

swept loneliness out of my life

and settled down with a teacher as wife.

She’s a good woman and I hope we’d thrive

as great partners for the rest of our life.

With my arrival, local theatre is booming

and with a childhood friend we’re jointly grooming

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‘great thespians for the future, fellows

who would cross the Milky Way and be heroes

in all the universes, fellows who dare

to dream to surf the planets and won’t care

about who lacks the belief in their dreams.

Other lesser beings would have the beams

and hope looking at the dogged dreamers

who by being bold are great achievers.

Extend my thanks to Jim and goodbye.’

After I sent the email, I said, ‘Hi,

 

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‘that is how to compose an email

and send. If the sending didn’t fail,

in seconds the recipient, if at work

with the gadget and they also log

to the internet, would receive it

and send a reply instantly to it

if they so wish.’ My aide gave nods

to what I said and after a long thought,

as he watched me play with the mouse

and keys, remarked: ‘But my grouse

 

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‘is still with the internet. How do you connect?’

‘Oh, with the service providers, it’s direct

with a modem or other relevant gadget.

Ah,’ I said, seeing a reply jet

straight to my inbox. ‘The person I sent

the mail has just replied.’ I bent

my finger and clicked the right button

of the mouse and the cursor did butt in

on a highlighted envelope-like box

with the Arabic numeral, 1. When struck,

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the mail opened and it was a quick missive

from Libby. ‘Dear Dr Fixit, massive

is my joy to read from you. I’m glad

to know you’re doing well and quite smart

to blaze a trail with an old playmate.

I and my hubby have made December a date

to visit the country again

and to join the big carnival train

in Calabar as we, though it was once planned,

failed to make it there. We would scan

 

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‘the jungle with our binoculars

hopefully to sight you and your guys.

Endeavour to time your visit to the city

with ours. Bye.’ I sent to Libby

a rapid reply. ‘Dear Libby, it’s a deal.

We would meet. Bye.’ I then did reveal

to Crookedmouthit in the last quarter

of the year we would return as squatters

to the city to welcome our friends

from the West who the carnival would attend.

 

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You see, whenever I wanted to teach

a new English word though in Antish

my chat was generally, I would

pronounce the strange word and when he would

seem lost and repeat it; then I would

delve into explanation till my aide would

come to a clear understanding invariably

increasing his English vocabulary.

He had repeated ‘carnival’ and right now

I delved into a long explanation. ‘A noun

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‘is the word, “carnival” and this means

a big occasion where many colourful teams

of humans compete against themselves in dance

and drumming, some wear masks, some act like clowns

and they would parade the main streets

of the city till the morning meets

the darkness of the night for days on end;

the best teams win trophies. It tends,

the frolicking I mean, to happen at year end

where bonuses are paid and for where to spend

 

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‘their hard-earned cash, fun-loving humans

would join any available conveyance

to come do it here. It’s a spectacle,’

I said. I heard the sound of a vehicle

move into the premises of the cyber cafe

and then I looked up and did survey

my surroundings and recalled on arrival

a phone was missing and it seemed the trial

from the hullabaloo around us was about

to begin. The manager did shout,