Vagabonds: Anthology of the Mad Ones Vagabonds Vol. 3 | Page 28

hallucinogenic herb called “piper methysticum” from the root of the
yanggona plant, which when wrapped in a T-shirt and dipped in Fiji-brand
bottled water looks like dirty dishwater, and tastes like it too.
Within seconds my tongue went numb, then my entire mouth.
Out of the fire came the staples of cooked taro and yams, which I
had trouble eating since I couldn’t yet taste them. Neither could I identify
the fish we were eating, except that they were fresh.
But I was definitely enjoying the “Kava Klatch.”
“If we perform our dances, worship magic stones, and drink Kava,”
John said, pausing slightly to gulp. “Then John Frum will return to us with
more gifts.” Not just cigarettes and chocolates, but also outboard motors
and television sets.
Once, the locals practiced polygamy and penis wrapping, but John
says the Presbyterians from Scotland put an end to all that.
Not to mention, “cannibalism.”
With a sleepyhead Kava buzz, I wondered idly, as I slowly rolled
over onto my side for maybe a light snooze, what would be the next
course?
John just sat there with a vague vampire smile, sticking a kebab
skewer of stale marshmallows into the fire. . . .
26