A Peculiar Party Under The Palms March 22, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Fiction, Travel & Leisure, Word Play.trackback
An old friend invited me down to Naples for a Garden Party at his estate. I accepted, of course.
When I arrived, the place seemed deserted. Overgrown. Neglected. Untidy.
I called out and heard my words echo around the fountain, bouncing off the stones before sinking.
A few minutes later, my friend appeared in the garden, dapper and distinguished as ever.
But he seemed distracted.
Worried.
Ill at ease.
A bit green about the gills.
After greeting me with his customary cold-blooded warmth, and inquiring after my journey, Freddie called for Teddy, the Butler.
Aah . . . good old Teddy.
I’ve known Teddy forever and wondered, given the odd appearance of the garden and Freddie’s apparent distress, whether he had been let go.
But no.
There he was, looking much the same as usual.
Oddly enough, he offered me a drink from an empty tray.
I accepted, not wanting to appear rude.
“Thank you, Teddy. It’s . . . um, refreshing. And quite light.”
“Hoppy to hear that.”
While sipping my non-existent beverage, I scanned the garden for Freddie’s wife.
Betty was nowhere in sight.
Until I blinked.
She popped into view, with strobe-like stealth, behind Teddy (still proffering libations from an empty tray).
How curious!
Like Freddie, Betty seemed flustered and self-conscious.
I noted that she had one eye in the mirror as she watched herself go by.
She seemed to be admiring her hat.
Or its feathered plumes.
Or both.
I couldn’t decide.
I felt dizzy.
The garden spun round like a carousel.
Faster and faster.
Perhaps the cocktail had gone to my head.
Betty patted her bonnet, with all the frou frous on it.
I gasped for breath, gulping like a guppy.
What was going on here?
Where were all the other guests?
What had happened to Freddie, Betty, and Teddy since my last visit?
Why were my thoughts echoing round, bouncing off stones, before sinking?
To Be Continued . . .
If you missed any installments, the entire story can be found at the Short Stories tab . . . or just click HERE!
You might also enjoy Kate’s post: Amphibious Action Hero.
Comments
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Spirit Lights The Way 
This is good stuff, Nancy!
Thanks, Cin! Good to see you out and about. 😀
Can’t wait…
Thanks, Tammy . . . I’m enjoying myself. 😉
Hmmmm, been smoking something?
What chou talkin’ ’bout, Willis?
Keep your eyes open and maybe you’ll see a few Fairies . . . hiding in the bushes having tea. 😯
Zakly, fairies at the bottom of the garden
Or, perhaps, a few Pixies. 😉
quelle delicious opening line….
An old friend invited me down to Naples for a Garden Party at his estate
*sighs*
Merci beaucoup!
Hah hah what a fun story! I can’t wait to read part 2… The pictures are marvelous.
Thanks, Rosie. I’m having far too much FUN with this one. 😀
haha really enjoyed reading this ^^
Thanks, kz! I’ve almost finished the next chapter. Stay tuned . . .
Ha ha! Very good! I am waiting…….
Teddy is cute.. 🙂
Pixie . . . I am having such FUN with this. I can’t wait to see where and how the mystery ends.
Fun! I followed ..rare for me being a visually stimulated individual ! Nice mystery for a frog!
Thanks, vastly curious! With a nom de plume like that, I’m delighted to hear that I piqued your curiosity. 😉
If I participated in the chain letter of blog awards, I’d nominate you for the Versatile Blogger.
Thank you, Eric! If I participated in the chain letter of blog awards, I’d accept.
Not fairies nor pixies, but maybe g(e)nomes, Nancy. 😀
Good idea, Denise. Maybe I can get the Travelocity Gnome to help me solve this mystery! 😀
Curiouser and curiouser, Nancy! My favourite has to be the butler. I want my own!
Freddie and Betty are delighted with Steady Teddy! But once this mystery is sorted, they might loan him to you for a few weeks ~ he’s always wanted to visit London and its environs.
Looking forward to the next chapter. Now, that invisible cocktail may have something to do with the weirdness, humans are not used to invisible drinks. 😀
Thanks, Marie. The invisible cocktail will be touched upon again before this tale is through.
I wish I had an old friend to invite me down to Naples for tea, or even an invisible drink right now. I have cabin fever from being snowed in. 😦 Roll on the next installment.
Sounds like a common thread . . . Pixie is also experiencing cabin fever from snow, snow, and more snow. I’ll try to keep things moving along.
I love this, Nancy! 😀
Thanks, Dianne. I am having FUN watching the story unfold.
Me too! 😉
The little green amphibians have certainly been entertaining lately! I like the common thread moving about with lots of whimsy! Your sense of fun is contagious…nice. 🙂
I posted this on Friday and then noticed a common thread with Kate’s post on her Amphibious Action Hero. What a great surprise! 😀
*dun dun dun* You’ve drawn me in, Nancy!
(And I usually don’t say that about parties!)
🙂
The best kind of party, eh? Almost no guests! 😆
Ha! I’ve been catching up, so I just read all three installments of this story backward. Extra intriguing!
Oh . . . a backwards told tale. That reminds me of a movie about memory and amnesia that was told backwards. I forget the title.
It’s a Ryan Nolan movie (of Inception fame), called Memento.
Yes! Memento. Thank you, Barbara.
I’ve missed reading for the last few days…so I’ve backtracked to Part 1…hmmm…I feel slightly dizzy…perhaps I’ve imbibed that phantom drink as well.:)
I’m beginning to wonder the same thing. “There must be some kind of way out of here.”
Several readers requested that I post A Peculiar Party Under The Palms as a single page.
Just click HERE and you’ll be whisked through cyber space to join the party. Wheeee . . .