Mustard Love, pt. 2
Welcome back for more Mustard Love! If you haven’t read scene one yet, go do that first and then come back for scenes two, three, and four. To reiterate, the artwork and characters are by the brilliant Sam Toft (go check out her stuff). I simply added the nonsense of words and music.
MUSTARD LOVE cont’d.
SCENE 2
It’s early the next morning. Violet is pruning her flowers that are planted at the steps of their door. Doris is helping by sniffing and digging in the soil, sometimes poking her nose in the thorns. She yelps from the sting, but continues to poke. Violet looks at her and shakes her head with a slight smile. Ernest steps out from the front door and scans his horizon.
NARRATOR: *the sound of breathing in and exhaling*
Ernest has a fishbowl that carries a goldfish atop his head.
NARRATOR: This is Rover. We try to take him on outings as much as possible. He becomes very melancholy at times. We try to keep him perked up, but alas, we fail.
ERNEST: What a beautiful morning.
VIOLET: (without looking up from her pruning) Where are you off to so early?
ERNEST: I just want to take a ride down by the Prom. I’ll be back in time for lunch, dear.
VIOLET: You taking this one with you?
Violet gestures toward Doris, who is still poking the thorns.
ERNEST: Might as well. You coming, Her Majesty?
Doris’ ears become alert at the sound of her name in the air. She waddles with Ernest as he goes to get his bicycle. He puts her in the basket, sets Rover on the back of the bike, and pedals off down the path toward the sea.
SCENE END
(“Nice Weather for Ducks” - Lemon Jelly)
SCENE 3
Horace the duck is seen off in the distance. He tries to catch up to Ernest and Doris. They slow down, not because of Horace but because they spot a familiar sheep in the green meadows and ride off course to say hello to her.
NARRATOR: This is Audrey, our local sheep that is thought to be the reincarnation of Audrey Hepburn. Long neck, a little vain, but something about her is so pleasant when one is in her presence. Just delightful.
ERNEST: Good morning, Audrey. All is well, I hope?
Audrey looks at Ernest with an elegant smile and makes a nodding gesture. She walks closer to the basket on Ernest’s bicycle so she may greet her friend, Doris. She puts her face close to Doris’. Doris has little bitty speckles of dried blood on her nose and Audrey sticks her tongue out and licks at them a bit. Doris sneezes in Audrey’s face. From the scare, Audrey jumps back. Ernest chuckles at them as Doris keeps twitching her nose.
Horace Duck has finally caught up to the group.
NARRATOR: This is Horace. He talks a lot.
ERNEST: Well, we’re off to the Prom. Good day, Ms. Hepburn.
Audrey makes another nodding gesture to them as if to say goodbye. Horace flies up to Ernest’s head to catch a ride with them and they take off once again. They ride through the gorgeous scenery.
NARRATOR: I can never keep my eyes focused on the path in front of me. I have a bad habit of staring from side to side, admiring the surroundings. The beautiful green hills, the lavender-colored tree tops, the single red telephone booth in the middle of everything that has only pizza business numbers written on the inside, and the elderly couples walking along their own paths, hand in hand. Doris enjoys the surroundings just as much as I do and I’m assuming Horace does, too.
Doris has her head popped out of the basket, ears blowing back in the breeze, and a smile lay upon her face. Horace’s wings are spread out like an eagle’s.
NARRATOR: This is scenery that never ages.
SCENE END
SCENE 4
Ernest and Doris arrive at the Prom, passing beach huts and little shops as they come onto the boardwalk. Ernest decides to walk his bicycle along the boardwalk.
NARRATOR: The smallest piece of rotted wood ruined me ever riding on here again. I flipped my bike and that was it. Forever walking across now. Never again. Hmm...There are quite a few people around for a Thursday morning.
ERNEST: (talking to Doris) Odd. Why aren’t people at work today?
NARRATOR: They’re probably wondering the same thing about me.
As they walk further down the Prom, they see an elderly couple sitting on a bench that is over-looking the sea. Ernest smiles at them.
ERNEST: We need to get Mrs. Mustard out here, Doris. She hasn’t been out here in a while.
Doris yips in agreement. Ernest sets his bike against a wooden post. He squats down and sits at the edge of the walk, letting his legs dangle over the sea. Doris sits next to him and they both look out at the gorgeous setting that lay before them. Ernest turns his head to look at Doris.
ERNEST: We should do something for her. Last night was a little reminder of how lucky I am to have met someone so sweet and lovely. To this day it amazes me that she still enjoys waking up next to this.
Ernest looks down at himself in repugnance. Doris scoots closer, paws at his shoulder, and licks his face.
ERNEST: Ha, thanks, girl.
(“Perpetuum Mobile” - Penguin Cafe Orchestra)
ERNEST (CONT’D): I have an idea. C’mon.
Ernest jumps to his feet, as does Doris, grabs his bike, and they head back to land. Ernest heads into a few local shops and then heads home.
SCENE END
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you are enjoying the story, and seriously, go check out Sam Toft’s splendid work and mind. You may fall in love with it all as I did. The last scenes will follow soon, so if you aren’t already subscribed, maybe consider it? Cheers, Hannah