Jez and King Kallarackel III
Jez arrived late last night. He was exhausted poor thing. It’s a long journey and it was made worse by the hassle he had at the airport. Then, of course, he’d had passport problems before that. So all in all, he’s had a tough time. I had no idea when he’d arrive but I just happened to look through the window as a battered old taxi drew up and he staggered out. He looked totally lost as he stood there, searching through his pockets for the money to pay the driver but when I ran out of the door his face lit up and he held out his arms for a hug. Magic!
We carried his bags in together and I made him some coffee. He didn’t want anything to eat, although I offered. Then we sat on the sofa for a chat but his eyes kept closing and he couldn’t follow what I was saying. “Time for bed,” I said and he didn’t protest. As soon as he lay down his eyes closed and he’s still asleep now, even though I’ve been up for hours. So I thought I’d come and do my blog and then see if he’s ready to wake up when I get back.
As soon as he’s fit I’m going to show him round the town. It’s an interesting place is Picar. Jemima’s been telling me some of its history. The English were here for about a hundred years but it’s not a time the locals talk about fondly. They’re more interested in what happened before the English were here, particularly the king that the English deposed, King Kallarackel III. He was a really good king, benevolent is the word they use. No one ever went without in this area, even beggars who wandered into town soon found themselves with a roof over their head and food in their stomachs. It’s a philosophy they’re keen to carry on, although in these modern days it’s obviously not as easy.
But the most important effect that King Kallarackel had on this town is his interest in dolls. He was obsessed with them. They had to be a particular shape, long and thin, like him, but apart from that, they could be as individual as the maker wanted. “I don’t like bland dolls,” he used to say, “Anything but bland.” This area became famous for its dolls and they still export them world wide.
One of the things that people always said about King Kallarackel was that he wore his heart on his sleeve and so the dolls often had a heart-shape stitched on the left sleeve. After the English left that began to change. The doll makers wanted to make a more impressive statement about King Kallarackel’s heart, about how important it had been. They started to make the left arm in an actual heart shape - the upper arm would be made like an aorta, the elbow would be the heart itself and the forearm would be the inferior and superior vena cavae plaited together. The hand would be veins intertwined for the palm and separate for the fingers. They still make the dolls like this to the day. Sometimes they mark veins all over the doll’s body, all leading to the aorta at the shoulder. I’ve seen some of the dolls for sale in shops. For some reasons they remind me of Tug Christ, the doll that Kevin bought for my mother’s birthday. I think it’s because they are the sort of doll that gets inside your head and you keep thinking about it.
Anyway, I’d better get back and see if Jez has woken up. Talk to you soon. Oh, and I’ll tell you about Kallarackel cakes next time.
We carried his bags in together and I made him some coffee. He didn’t want anything to eat, although I offered. Then we sat on the sofa for a chat but his eyes kept closing and he couldn’t follow what I was saying. “Time for bed,” I said and he didn’t protest. As soon as he lay down his eyes closed and he’s still asleep now, even though I’ve been up for hours. So I thought I’d come and do my blog and then see if he’s ready to wake up when I get back.
As soon as he’s fit I’m going to show him round the town. It’s an interesting place is Picar. Jemima’s been telling me some of its history. The English were here for about a hundred years but it’s not a time the locals talk about fondly. They’re more interested in what happened before the English were here, particularly the king that the English deposed, King Kallarackel III. He was a really good king, benevolent is the word they use. No one ever went without in this area, even beggars who wandered into town soon found themselves with a roof over their head and food in their stomachs. It’s a philosophy they’re keen to carry on, although in these modern days it’s obviously not as easy.
But the most important effect that King Kallarackel had on this town is his interest in dolls. He was obsessed with them. They had to be a particular shape, long and thin, like him, but apart from that, they could be as individual as the maker wanted. “I don’t like bland dolls,” he used to say, “Anything but bland.” This area became famous for its dolls and they still export them world wide.
One of the things that people always said about King Kallarackel was that he wore his heart on his sleeve and so the dolls often had a heart-shape stitched on the left sleeve. After the English left that began to change. The doll makers wanted to make a more impressive statement about King Kallarackel’s heart, about how important it had been. They started to make the left arm in an actual heart shape - the upper arm would be made like an aorta, the elbow would be the heart itself and the forearm would be the inferior and superior vena cavae plaited together. The hand would be veins intertwined for the palm and separate for the fingers. They still make the dolls like this to the day. Sometimes they mark veins all over the doll’s body, all leading to the aorta at the shoulder. I’ve seen some of the dolls for sale in shops. For some reasons they remind me of Tug Christ, the doll that Kevin bought for my mother’s birthday. I think it’s because they are the sort of doll that gets inside your head and you keep thinking about it.
Anyway, I’d better get back and see if Jez has woken up. Talk to you soon. Oh, and I’ll tell you about Kallarackel cakes next time.
posted by Smooth Blue at 10:46 AM
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