Mirage

Mirage

Albert stared out over the vast stretch of sand. What an amazing sight! Hues ranging from fawn to a deep coffee formed a rasping quilt in the late afternoon sun.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that he and his wife had been planning for more years than he could remember.

“Well Maude, did you ever think we’d see Egypt? Happy anniversary, honey.”

“It’s just a bunch of sand!” she said caustically. “I want to go to the bazaars and do some shopping.”

“Smell that air,” Albert said, “it’s the smell of the exotic, the smell of adventures waiting!”

“Hmmph,” was her response as she sucked the last of her lemonade through a straw with a slurping noise. “More like the smell of camels.”

Albert watched the light play over the desert. She has no soul, he thought, not for the first time. How can anyone see this and not be touched by the vastness and the beauty?

There was something almost familiar … What is it this reminds me of?

A wind crested one of the dunes, making the sand ripple. Of course! Albert remembered reading the classic “Dune” many years before.

In the distance he could see a line of Bedouin nomads, crossing the sterile landscape. Fremen, he thought with a smile. And, that ripple of sand is the trail of a giant sandworm, the source of the spice mélange.

Pulled into the memory, Albert could imagine the feel of the planet Arrakis and he became, for a moment, the Muad’Dib – the leader of the Fremen, the avenger of his father, and the savior of a planet.

“Albert!”

Albert startled at the sound of his wife’s voice.

“Albert! What’s got into you? You’re squirming around like you got worms in your britches.”

“Not in my britches, dear,” he said, turning to her.

Maude stared at him like he’d gone mad ...

and Albert broke into laughter as the darkness descended.

Notes

Day 4 – "15 for 15 Contest --- Closed"  [18+]

Thank you for taking time to read my words. I would appreciate it if you took a moment and left a comment. Your reaction, impressions, criticisms, - yes, even praise are all equally welcome.

Ken