There was a time when the animals were happy and healthy looking. They took part in their daily activities with pride and never thought the future would be bleak. But the reality of the recession is sinking in. When the animals go to the stores to buy what they need, they are told that the era of "buy one get one free" is over. The poor animals go to the welfare office and are given lower weekly allowances or refused money altogether. Meanwhile, as the majority of animals are suffering, Mr. Bull is trying to keep the Money House afloat in spite of an unsustainable demand for loans and signs of even larger problems. His wife spends lavishly as animals in neighboring gardens starve and struggle. Now, Mr. Bull has to also contend with the leaders of the Mafia - a group of greedy animals led by Lord Cheetah - pressuring him to make sure that the Money House survives. They know that if it fails, their lives of privilege will be threatened. Take a new and modern view of George Orwell's Animal Farm as today's animals struggle with the recession in Number Tense Dawning Strict.
Number Tense Dawning Strict
By Eberekpe WhyteiUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2010 Eberekpe Whyte
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4502-2123-8Chapter One
They were delicious moments once upon a time when all the animals that resided in the Animal Kingdom in a lush Garden were happy because the grass was green and fresh, the weather was good, and the crops grew and there was enough food for all and businesses were doing well such that there was also enough money for every animal to spend. Some spent stupidly while many more did not bother to spend wisely. Enough for all! Enough for all! Enough to go round! Should we not be wasteful! Were the practical shouts from every nook and cranny of the Garden from the Gardeners. There was surplus of food and money such that the animals could afford to be charitable by giving away some of the things they needed and those they did not need to the poor in the neighbouring Gardens. They ate, fed upon fat at times, and would make merry with music and songs because what they allowed themselves to think and worry about was the beauty and glow of the immediate present, leaving tomorrow to worry about itself. If they believed there was a tomorrow, that was.
The animals were too happy and healthy looking and went about their daily activities with pride without a thought that the future would ever be bleak and the whole animals subjected to wants and needs that would be caused by a greedy few animals that refused to think beyond their greedy noses.
The truth was, none of the animals were ready to worry about the greedy few-they could continue to be greedy all they cared as long as their immediate necessities were meant daily. And their immediate necessities were to have money in their pockets, and enough of it to travel to wherever they chose and have plenty of fun when they wanted it.
Suddenly everything began to change. The climate became unpredictable and ever hopeless, the grass turning brown and all the crops dying and small and big businesses collapsing. Laughter soon started vanishing from the faces of the animals; there were wants and poverty none of the animals had answers to. The reality soon dawn on all the animals that they had just been hit by a shortage of everything they once knew and were familiar with that would cripple everything they had always held so dear to their hearts.
There was no fun any more nor places where they could go to and have fun because everywhere and everything was empty and the little money that was in their pockets had to be accounted for. All the animals became prudent, at times a prudence that led to selfishness that it became every animal for himself and God should mind his business wherever he must be. The animal faces were growing dark and sad. What has befallen us? A majority of the animals would not stop wondering. They wanted to cry, but their eyes were all dried of tears.
The reality of the recession started sinking in deeply when the animals would go to stores to purchase whatever items they needed and they would be told that the era when they had to buy one item and get the other free was over. Things became worse when the very poor of the animals would go to the welfare office for their weekly allowances which was either given to them after it had been reduced so that it became worthless or they were not given at all. There was a recession, they were told and the sooner they understood the better for all of them.
Those that suffered most were the animals from the neighbouring Gardens that had to depend on the wealthy animals from the well cultivated Gardens for charity for their very survival. One by one they began to go lean and confused and those that thought they were strong and smart enough began to make away with stuff that belonged to all the animals for themselves, further making the other animals poorer and the Gardens impoverished.
Mr. Bull dozed off. He was thinking in his sleep. Something must be done. If the Garden must return to its past glory, greed and the greedy animals that had caused the shortage of everything in the Garden must be chased out of the Garden and any other Gardens. He got up from where he had been sitting all day when he thought his head was going to burst open from just thinking of the shortages that had just hit the Garden, which had made all the animals to lose their fighting spirit and their ability to think of a solution to the problem. And he walked inside to meet Mrs. Bull in the kitchen.
Mrs. Bull had just finished making potato mash. She left the mash potato in the oven and had it switched off and started taking off her apron and limb gloves. She looked out through the window and allowed a smile to rest on her beautiful face. We cannot have it all bad, can we? She thought to herself.
It was a romantic afternoon, a slightfully warm weather and the rain was drizzling outside; it was more romantic inside as the whole place was only lit by the ray of the sun that managed to find its way in through openings in the window. If there was anything Mr. Bull would have loved this particular day, it would be to stay at home in bed with his wife beside him while he worries himself silly with the problem that had recently been disturbing him.
Staying at home would be a forbidden thing to say as far as Mrs. Bull was concerned, both of them were preparing to go out for shopping, it was going to be an important day in their lives-especially that of Mrs. Bull- she had been planning for this day, and now that it was here, nothing was going to stop her from enjoying every moment of it, even though for the past one month now Mr. Bull's mood had been out of place. He had been fuming over everything and anything, but Mrs. Bull had assured herself that his bad mood was not going to affect her as she did not want her focus to be lost on the reason why she was going for the shopping.
"What is that face for? Do you have to look as if you lost a beautiful world and found one wretched and miserable earth in its stead all the time?" Mrs. Bull had to force herself to say when she could not tolerate his moodiness any more.
"What I have found exactly!" Mr. Bull was almost snapping.
"And you do not snap at me!"
"I did not!"
"I thought you were almost going out of character. Do you want some mash before we leave?"
"Is there a single animal in this Kingdom that had not gone out of character? No."
"You are not going to be a party to the other animals. Go and change into something; there is shopping to do."
"I am alright in this outfit." He was wearing his garden outfit with a jacket with holes all over to keep the mild wind at bay he uses when he was tending the plants and flowers in the garden.
Mrs. Bull said nothing. She eyed him and went into the room to change into something more appealing. Mr. Bull knew better than to remain where he was standing. Though Mrs. Bull was not the nagging type, but she could spit fire when she was provoked. And if there was anything Mr. Bull hated in the world, was to see his beloved wife angry. He went in and came out with something different and a much better jacket.
"Do I have to say you are looking already like the head of the Mafia which you are aspiring to be? Let us make it snappy." Mrs. Bull said.
They both stepped out of the house and locked the door. Mrs. Bull held on to their little Puppy, Samuel, while Mr. Bull was holding the buggies. His face was twisted with a mixture of anger and a pretentious smile. Why cannot the females just go out and do their shopping without the males pushing the buggies behind them? He was thinking.
"It is called romance." Mrs. Bull said as if reading his thought and providing an answer to his question.
He would prefer smoking his cigar while they go shopping than having to be the one to push the buggies.
"What did you say?" Bull snapped with surprise.
"I thought you were wondering why you should be pushing the buggies."
"I do not think I said that aloud."
"Your face is saying it louder than you could imagine. Maybe you should smile before you start making Samuel think he made a mistake for allowing himself to be adopted when he would have been free roaming the neighbourhood."
They walked up to the bus stop and waited for the bus to come. For thirty minutes they stood at the bus stop waiting for the bus to come until, Bull suggested they should walk to the retail store since it seemed the bus would not be coming as scheduled on the bus information board. Mrs. Bull agreed thinking perhaps by the time they walked to the retail store, Mr. Bull would have snapped out of his bad mood. It deepens instead. He was complaining and nagging about anything and everything his eyes could see.
"Winter ought not to have come this month." He complained.
"It is because of the changing climate. And it is beginning to look like Christmas." Mrs. Bull forces herself to say. "It is not full winter yet."
"The climate should remain as it has always been."
"Maybe you will have to talk to the Mafia to start educating the entire Animal Kingdom and beyond."
"What I am going to do exactly."
"Good."
"Did you remember to switch off all the electrical appliances before leaving the house? Gosh, I just remembered now!" Mr. Bull said.
"I thought you did." Mrs. Bull said suppressing her irritation.
"Lord, God, we have to go back!"
"I did!" She snapped when she could not help it any more.
"You did? Hell, you did."
They passed a factory with a long line of animals in queue all talking at the same time, arguing with one another, threatening to fight one another and some smoking away. There were the enforcers of the peace, wild Cats, with thick round stick in their limbs to maintain law and order. In front of them was a big signboard boldly written on it: NO VACANCY. YOU MIGHT BE LUCKY AFTER THE RECESSION. GOD BLESS THE GARDEN.
"Look at the long queue and the hungry looking faces and the anger in them, it used not to be like this."
"We can as well try to live with it, can't we? It is called recession, hey!"
"This is disgraceful! Who would have thought we would be in this mess?"
"We are in it, yes? Maybe we are headed towards a situation where the best in us is being put to the test! I just remembered now that we did not come out here to discuss the politics and social condition of this Garden, or any Gardens. We are here to do our shopping!"
"The prices of the groceries have increased and still increasing."
"At least we can still afford it. Bull dear, it is freezing!"
"You should not be thinking of yourself alone."
"I am also thinking of my dearest Puppy, Samuel. And I think that is enough thinking for my brain. How I will be grateful if you will stop complaining, dear!"
"I am not complaining; I am only letting you know what we are facing in this Garden presently."
"To think I am not blind!"
"Yes!"
"At least you have the opportunity of talking things over with your gang of spoilers when they gather later today. They are meeting at your place today in case you have forgotten. Sweetheart, would you do me a big favour? Do not spoil this day for both of us. Please"
"Yes. But you do know I am not part of the spoilers."
"Oh, Bull!"
"Ok, we are here for shopping and not a discussion of the gang."
"Thanks." Mrs. Bull said with some relief. "Are you going to hold me?"
"And throw the buggies away?"
"It is really cold, you know. It is like everything and even the wind has been hit by the recession. Shall we?"
In less than fifteen minutes they were at the retail store where Mrs. Bull would be buying the items she would need to prepare her great meal for the Mafia who would be coming over to their home later in the evening on Mr. Bull's invitation.
Mr. Bull strolled into the store taking the Puppy from his wife and giving her the buggies; he brought out his pack of cigarette, and took out a stick from the pack and began to light it. Before he could light it, the security animal at the door, Duck, walked up to him.
"Animals and smoking are not allowed inside the store, Sir." Duck reminded him.
"This is not just any of those your animals, it is our pet, Samuel, and when did this society become a place for the deprived?"
"Sorry, Sir, it is the policy of the store."
"What policy? I am a customer, and I am right!"
"I am sorry, Sir, you have to take your pet outside and enjoy your smoking outside as well."
"What is this Garden coming to, did you hear that, love?"
"Ok, maybe you should take Samuel out while I do the shopping myself." Mrs. Bull said.
"I think your wife is right." Duck said "The store is happy to treat every of our customer equally."
"If only you will shut up! You do not come to my space to start giving me lectures on what is right and what is not. I am going to leave this store because my darling wife thinks it is the proper thing to do. Darling, I will be outside." He turned to start going, but turned back when he remembered something. "Sweetheart, do you have enough money on you?" He asked.
"I might be over-spending." She replied.
"In that case you can have the debit card. I will be outside." He turned and went outside with a smile on his face. He went to the smoking shelter provided by the store, put Samuel on his thighs and started smoking away.
Mr. Bull had intentionally brought the Puppy into the store and was about smoking inside the store knowing it was the only way he would be sent out thus preventing him from doing the shopping with his wife. His greatest weakness besides pushing the buggies was shopping. And he had time without number wondered why Mrs. Bull would not stop shopping for once; she goes shopping at any slightest reason. Even though this particular shopping was important, the recession had not taught her any lesson. And as far as she was concerned, there was nothing wrong to overspend, it was simply an art that only serve to amuse her.
As soon as Mr. Bull was outside, Mrs. Bull walked up back to Duck, the security animal.
"He thinks I do not know he hates shopping that is why he always insists we bring Samuel with us and he tries to bring him into the store as if he does not know the rules of every store. You must have planned enough for the recession." She gossips.
"Yes." Said Duck as way of warding her off.
"We should always have our plan B, you know. You should be grateful that you still have your job."
"Yes."
"Never to worry, when my husband becomes the head of the garden, you do not have to be grateful when you do not have to." She gossips more and went and started doing her shopping.
"Yes." Was all Duck could say adjusting his trouser on his waist.
While Mr. Bull sat in the smoking shelter smoking, he continued to stroke Samuel on his head, Samuel was enjoying every action of the stroke as he continued to close and open his eyes pretending he was falling asleep. Mr. Bull remembered he brought a copy of the Times Newspaper with him from home; he put his limb in his jacket pocket and brought it out.
"Sam, I think you have to relax on your own awhile while I try to make meaning out of this print." He said to the Puppy and placed him beside him.
He opened the first page of the newspaper and then to the second and the third, and eventually he folded it and had it replaced in his pocket. He lit another stick of cigarette and carried Samuel on his thighs. The newspaper seemed to contain the same news and adverts of everything he does not want to read that had continued to give him sleepless nights and days. He heard a shout from behind and turned, and gosh, it was John, one of the Rottweiler, one animal he did not want to see in the whole wide world at the moment.
John was wearing a faded jeans trouser round his tiny waist and a tight fitting blue long sleeve shirt, which he folded up to his elbow. He wore a silky thick jacket atop the shirt for warmth. His stomach protruded out because of the nature of the shirt. His chest was bare revealing different sizes of necklaces. He was wearing a smile on his chubby-bacon-fed oily face as he walked towards Mr. Bull. Mr. Bull wished he would stop smiling because the smile made him look meaner and more destructive. He had a flat face on a rectangular head and a pair of flabby lips. His hair was cut to fit the shape of his head leaving a curl in front. John had a followership in the Mafia, and together, they believed the Garden was specifically for the Gardeners and any other Gardeners in the Garden must be kicked out. He had often argued that the reason why the Garden was going through its present mess was because there were a lot of unwanted Gardeners and the sooner they left the earlier the restoration of the Garden to its past glory.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Number Tense Dawning Strictby Eberekpe Whyte Copyright © 2010 by Eberekpe Whyte. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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