The Metamorphosis of Lady Barbara Solange Minney Ch. 2
The station cafe was full much to Barbara's annoyance but it was still raining extremely hard so Barbara bought herself a cup of tea. Looking around she saw one table with only one occupant, a woman who seemed, Barbara thought to herself, respectable. After all she was wearing a hat and had gloves a well known mark of respectability!
After asking if she might join her (whatever else, Barbara had the good manners bestowed upon her at the expensive finishing school she had attended) she seated herself at the table and was very pleased to perceive the woman was not smoking. The ashtray was rather too near so Barbara pushed it away from both of them. The other woman smiled and remarked that she did not smoke either.
After a few minutes the woman spoke again remarking on the weather and asked Barbara if she had far to walk.
"Only as far as Mrs. Blocksidges," she replied, "I need a few items."
Oh dear me, is it some time since you last came?" she asked, "Mrs. Blocksidge died some 18 months ago, her beloved Emporium is now a Video Library I am afraid. It's necessary to travel to Bonking Newtown, that's spelt BONNQUIN, there is an Intercity in 10 minutes at 9.30 that will have you there in thirty minutes. You will find a Lingerie Boutique in Tongyn Place, just off Tulips Rd, and by the way that is spelt Twolips Rd, The council there appear to have a peculiar idea of spelling. I am afraid there is no-one of Mrs. Blocksidge's stature in this area these days but you may find what you require.
Barbara decided she had nothing to lose, so finishing her tea, she thanked the woman bought a ticket and waited for the train.
She had taken a taxi to Tongyn Place and was a little taken aback by the appearance of the Boutique. The filmy items in the window did not appear to Barbara to be suitable attire to wear but she thought it was the modern way of attracting younger women. She glanced at the name
Prop Mrs. Indira Luvalingam
, Barbara was unsure but nevertheless opened the door and entered.
Immediately her nostrils were assailed with an alluring perfume that was, at first, difficult to identify but somehow, impossibly it gave her a feeling of well being. Then she realised that it was sandalwood and musk.
"Good morning Madame, may I be of service to you?" A soft voice speaking the most perfect English that Barbara had heard for some time came from an Asian lady of middle years dressed in a Sari, Barbara supposed that she was of Indian descent she was absolutely beautiful and had a red caste mark in the centre of her forehead.
Seeing the enquiring look on the customers face the lady said. "I am Indira Luvalingam the owner, Madame - hopefully I can help you."
Although Barbara did not realise it the feeling of well being was a sensual feeling that she had not felt for years, if ever.
She turned smiling at the proprietor and explained that she had come to buy underwear and explained what she had in mind.
Indira Luvalingam, wise in the ways of ancient India, the god Siva and the goddess Kali recognised in Lady Barbara a frustrated graceless dried up specimen of womanhood. "Mmm" Indira, thought to herself," Unlike some of my more sensual customers this one needs her Yoni excited and yearning for a throbbing Lingum. I think this calls for a tincture of opium, powdered tiger balls, the semen of a rutting stallion and the expressed milk of the female baboon plus the secretions of a female rabbit in heat."
Turning her attention back to Lady Barbara, Mrs. Luvalingum asked if she might take her coat and offered a little light refreshment perhaps a glass of cool tropical fruit juices before they discussed her needs. Lady Barbara gratefully consented and reiterated her requirements. Before answering Indira Luvalingam gave her a glass of the fruit juice plus! As she waited for the offered refreshment Lady Barbara idly glanced at a magazine lying open on the table. The headline caught her eye. Barbara glanced at the date it was in point of fact dated three years earlier - nevertheless Barbara picked up the magazine
Hyderbad Thursday:
An unusual occurrence has enlivened the workaday life of rural Gawalapore. On Monday of this week a young woman of approximately 35 yrs of age has been found living in the jungle together with her 18 yrs old son. From first accounts it appears that the woman is Safin Patel who went missing from her home in Gawalapore some 20 yrs previously. In spite of intensive searches nothing was ever found of the girl. The evidence that this woman is the lost girl is based on the fact that the woman was wearing a bracelet and a necklet which were the property of Safin.
Also in the cave in which the woman was living was found material very similar to the dress Safin had been wearing when she disappeared. Unfortunately this woman appears to have lost the power of speech, to gain attention she barks or howls as a wolf, hyena or dog would do. The young boy with her does appear to be her son and the parents of Safin are overjoyed, being convinced they have found their long lost daughter and found a new grandson.
Test are being conducted at the Institute of Phychoanimalisis in Bombay.
Having read the article Barbara smiled as Indira returned with a glass of cool looking liquid refreshment.
"What do you think?" Indira asked, nodding towards the magazine.
"Well..." responded Barbara, totally unused to being asked to venture an opinion, and wishing to gain time. "Somehow I think there are too many imponderables, too many items that just do not add up."
"In what way?" asked Indira, obviously having her own views but wanting her 'guest' to state her opinion.
"It seems to me very odd that the woman has been found after all these years. The identifying items could have been found by her or even stolen. What does not make sense is this so-called son? He is 18, born two years after the girl disappeared into the jungle, that begs the question, 'With whom did she have sex?' Whoever she had sex with should have reported finding her surely. There is absolutely no possibility of her having a sexual relationship before she went into the jungle."
"M'Lady, I have no wish to offend your sensibilities but we are discussing the jungle in India, wild dogs and monkeys abound as well as other animals, it might just be possible that she was mistaken for a female of that species especially if she happened to be lying down and taken by a male - raped even." said Indira
"How horrible, oh no, no woman could possibly be taken in such a way and the act of congress would be impossible, Raped? I doubt that very much," replied Lady Barbara," I know nothing of such things of course but I would have not thought it possible to be impregnated by a non human male. Then produce a man/monkey, man/dog, oh dear me no. Mrs. Luvalingam, can you imagine having an animal...er...ooooh dear me, its does not bear thinking about does it?
Then as though dismissing the whole case from her mind she picked up the glass.
She did not notice what could have been a wistful look on Indira Luvalingam's face.
Barbara after just one or two sips suddenly emptied it stating that she had never tasted anything quite so, well exhilarating! and before Indira could reply she again went off at a tangent and again mentioned the underwear.
"Oh my goodness" said Mrs. Luvalingam, "Such a handsome lady like yourself should not be hiding under such old fashioned underwear. Even if only for your own pleasure you should wear something more alluring. Please come with me, let me show you some items that could be of interest. You are so charming I must say."