B"H
Chapter: Bald Eagle
There was a young child whose na me was Happy Joe, by far
the smartest boy on the block, and the eldest son, but not he first
born to the large number of children that made up his family.
Our s mall section of a long street emerged from the road both
leading into, and out of town. Many roads a man may travel until
he gets to the town where Happy Jo e lived. The fields on both
sides thereof stretched into oblivion in a consistent monotony.
The pavement stretches forth as though a singular strand of hair
sitting in the middle of a bald scalp. Ironically, most the town's
residents earn their livelihood at the only factory in the town,
which produces myrtle extract to stimulate and regenerate hair
roots.
On approach to town, the fields yield to dwelling structures,
with cultivated yards and a white picket fence. M ost of the
residences include also barns and pens for beasts and fowl; and
one catches a glimpse of various domesticated animals penned
in different plots. All surrounding roads and streets lead to the
downtown mall. This singular structural entity evidences
existence of human life in the area , the old country store that
was renovated through several reincarnations until becoming a
mall. It houses the government offices, private medical and lega l
services, entertainment facilities, and every business operatio n
run by the residents within a twenty -six kilo mete r
circumference.
Decades passed and Happy Joe grew up and established his
family. During my recent visit to Joe Town, I noticed that greed
mongers had snatched up all the land that people kept as a family
inheritance, in some instances, several generations. Placed at
several meters distance are whole rows of metal poles with
strange heads and eyes that peer beyond all veils of privacy;
electric light signals, trucks, busses and other motor vehicles,
the only vestige of life that re mains visible. There were eve n
video cameras attached to the light poles, progress has
decimated the privacy of Joe Town dwellers. You can't eve n
have an idle discussion without the city officials wondering
what goes on in your head, what goes on in your mind.
I could hardly discern the path had now beco me a wide
junction that all but erased Happy's habitat; instinctively, I
turned in the right direction, but there was a charge to get
263