He was a dapper little man and somewhat shorter than most,
His age indiscriminate.
He`d lived with and cared for his elderly mother
Who sadly had now past on.
No brothers or sisters, or nieces or nephews
To intrude into his orderly world.
Walter Peregrine Ramsbottom
Presented himself as a man of no consequence,
But then, we all have our secrets!
He was careful with his money.
The house where he lived was old, gloomy and dark.
It`s furniture drab and extinct.
With the exception of one room.
A room which no-one ever entered.
A room where Walter kept his most treasured possessions,
His collection of combs from around the world.
There were combs from India carved out of bone
And crystal combs from Peru.
Magnificent jagged combs of sharks teeth
Which would shred the skin if misused.
Japanese combs decorated with silken lilies
Last used by the concubines of wealthy emperors,
And combs made of wood and feathers
Adorned by Apache warriors.
Colours of gold and flame and lapis lazuli.
Long combs and tiny delicate affairs.
Most were rare, exceptional and quite old.
Collectors items.
Not to be used.
Except,
Walter Peregrine Ramsbottom did use them.
Maybe once, sometimes twice a week
A ceremony would take place.
Walter would prepare himself with cleansing oils and perfumes,
A ritual would follow
With music appropriate to the mood.
Soft lighting reflecting his features,
He`d leave his dreary daytime garb of greys and browns
And Walter Peregrine Ramsbottom would become –
“Selina the Voluptuous”
A temptress dressed in robes of finest red silk.
Her lips glossed with scarlet
And her smoky eyes painted a charcoal hue.
With flowing golden locks falling below her waist
She would dance and sway to the gypsy cymbals.
Shaking her tambourine, she`d move in a rhythm of rapture.
Approaching the catalyst of the ceremony,
Selina would bow before her temple of combs
To select the chosen one for that evening.
Tonight, one of peacock feathers.
An exotic creature for an erotic interlude.
Selina the Voluptuous absorbed the beauty rising within her.
She bathed in the reflection of lighted mirrors.
She raised the comb in an Act of worship
Then reverently fixed it into the myriad of soft tresses
Which cascaded and caressed her naked shoulders.
Erotic being and exotic creature that she was,
Selina moved her hips
And swayed to the increasing rhythm of the darkening drumbeat.
She was a princess,
A queen among women
And all beings desired her.
Faster and faster she danced in wild abandon,
Her passions rising with the crescendo of noise.
Her thoughts increasing in intensity and imagination.
Her body hot with emotion
Selina the Voluptuous reached the heavens —
Then peaked !
She slumped, exhausted, to the floor
And lay there.
Slowly, slowly a transformation occurred
And Selina the Voluptuous,
Was gone.
Walter Peregrine Ramsbottom returned to his grey world
But to those who looked close enough
Who took the trouble to care,
Or had the courage to dare,
They would see a sly twinkle in his eye
As he perused his “Catalogue of combs to be purchased by the discerning buyer” .
Next time he would try “Vanessa the Soceress”
Or become “Naomi the Mild”
Or even “Tegwyth the Barbarian”
.
THE WORLD WAS HIS OYSTER !
Jan Reed
May 2012