Open Writing

As Keawe walked away from the old man's house, he again doubted that he had done the right thing. To be sure, it was a wonderful bottle, but had the old man tricked and fooled him? Why had he been thrown out so abruptly? Had he made a pact which might bring him back fortune? Fears began to fill his mind. He counted his money again. Yes, he still had fifty dollars in coins. He decided to put the bottle to the test.

The street was empty. Nobody was in sight. He carefully placed the strange green bottle in the gutter and walked away. At some distance, he looked back, and saw the bottle still in its place. A little further away, he looked again, and the bottle had not moved. Then he turned into another street. Something bumped against his elbow. It was the neck of the bottle, which was now firmly jammed into his coat pocket. It would not let him rid himself of it.

Walking through the city streets, on his way back to the ship which had brought him from Hawaii, he came across a shop which sold all manner of curios. Its windows and shelves were full to overflowing with strange and ornate sea-shells, ancient coins, tribal carvings from distant lands, exotic pictures from China and Japan — treasures which sailors bring home after their voyages. A new idea came to him. He went inside.

'Would you like to buy this fine bottle? You can have it for one hundred dollars.'

The shop-keeper looked at the bottle and laughed. 'It's just an ordinary bottle. I'll give you five dollars for it.'

'Ah, but take a closer look at it. You'll see that it is no ordinary bottle.'

The shop-keeper held it up to the light, and inspected it more closely. He saw the colours flashing within its green surface, and caught a glimpse of the shifting flame and shadow deep inside it.

'It is indeed a strangely beautiful bottle,' he said to Keawe. 'But it's not worth a hundred. I'll give you sixty dollars for it.'

Keawe had achieved what he set out to do — he had sold the bottle for a profit of ten dollars. Surely that would prove, once and for all, that there was nothing magical about it.

When he reached the docks, he found his ship and went aboard. He opened the old wooden chest, which contained his few belongings, to take out a shirt. He jumped away in shock. There, sitting snugly among his clothes, was the bottle. It had reached the ship even before he had.

He slammed down the heavy wooden lid of the chest. His friend and fellow-mariner, Lopaka, heard the noise and came to Keawe's cabin.

'What's wrong?' Lopaka asked. 'You look as if you've seen a ghost. Why are you staring like that at your chest?'

Keawe swore his friend to secrecy and told him the whole story. Lopaka listened, first in disbelief but eventually realising that the strange tale was true. He offered his advice:

'Do exactly as that old man told you. Make up your mind what you want. Give the order. If the imp does as you wish, then sell the bottle straight away for less than you paid for it. Indeed, I will buy it from you, for I would like to have a schooner of my own, so that I can go trading between the islands.'

'I have a better idea,' Keawe replied. 'I want a beautiful house and garden near the coast where I was born. I want it to be like the grand house I visited today, with clear glass in the windows, pictures on the walls, and fine furnishings. I want it to have an extra storey, with balconies, just like a royal palace. It will be a place where I can live in contentment, and entertain my family and friends.'

They agreed on a plan. Keawe would take the bottle back to Hawaii. He would wish for all the things he wanted. If the imp provided them, he would then sell the bottle to Lopaka, who would ask for his schooner. A few days later, bound by this agreement, they set sail on their homeward voyage across the great Pacific Ocean to their beloved Hawaii.

**

BRIAN BARRATT

Brian Barratt has had half a century of professional experience with books and Education. He’s been a bookseller, editor, publisher, author of schoolbooks, private tutor in English and thinking skills, class tutor in creative writing for adults, writing group leader in several schools, mentor to gifted students, judge of many writing competitions, and curriculum editor for Australian national Tournament of Minds... among other things.

He is a moderately/severely hearing handicapped elderly gentleman who explores the history and usage of the English language; writes whimsical articles; researches and writes about his ancestors, including many in the Book Trade during the past 300 years, and an elusive Gypsy; listens to recordings of Enrico Caruso, John McCormack, Kathleen Ferrier and other great voices from the past; relishes Messiaen's Turangalîla Symphony and the music of the erhu; loves dictionaries; digs into the palaeopsychology of religious beliefs; rummages around in people’s minds; talks to dogs and birds, and to the possums that live in his shed.

Since 1936 he’s lived and worked in four countries, in this order: England, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Australia. He's lived in a leafy eastern suburb of Melbourne since 1971, next to where the rich people live. His house is actually a library-museum-art gallery-wizard's lair. There's a sign which reads 'Persons not wishing to see worlds outside or inside themselves are gently advised to close their minds whilst in this place'.

Do visit his Web site The Brain Rummager www.alphalink.com.au/~umbidas/

**

JOHN BURGE

In 2008 John artist completed his first retrospective exhibition at the Victorian Artists Society in East Melbourne. It had been his first Melbourne show in thirty-six years and ranged from 1975 till the present. The nine panel ' Bluebeard's Castle ' - a free adaptation of Bela Bartok's 1918 opera - was seen for the first time in it's entirety.

He had previously exhibited in Melbourne in 1972 at the Warehouse Galleries in Richmond and, according to some, provided one of the most memorable and notorious openings of the time.

John then moved to Europe and lived for twelve years in the Catalan village of Ortedo, deep in the Spanish Pyrenees, exhibiting in Barcelona during the dying days of the Franco regime.

He later showed in Amsterdam and Munich, exhibiting with Dali, Vasarely, Magritte and Fontana before a critically acclaimed exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum, Alkmaar. Despite forthcoming contracted exhibitions, family circumstances meant a reluctant return to Australia.

Through the mid-eighties and nineties he moved into book illustration and became involved with art education in schools. Over the last four years John has returned to full-time art.

In May 2010, he exhibited a second, more complete showing of ' Bluebeard's Castle ' at the Kingston Arts Centre. It included previously unseen work and as a coda, 'The Don's Last Tale ', a large watercolour on the theme of ' Don Giovanni '. The exhibit was opened by Mr Rob Hudson MP, Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts and a short discourse on Bartok's opera was presented by Associate Professor Thomas Reiner, head of the Monash University Conservatorium of Music.

An exhibition of new and recent work was held from the 16th of June until the 4th of July, 2010 at the Jackman Gallery, 60 Inkerman Street, St.Kilda, VIC. 3182. The gallery continues to carry a wide and comprehensive selection of John's work.

Do visit John's Web site http://www.johnburgeart.com.au/