As Jack and the Doctor of Mineral Village walked down the steps that lead from the town square to the beach, they both breathed in the deliciously-tangy seaside air. It was sharp and salty, and it carried the shrill cries of the seagulls that hovered and spiralled over the waters. It was a beautiful day in general, and Jack was glad to have found the time to step away from his duties on the farm and enjoy the afternoon. He reminded himself to thank the Harvest Sprites, the diminuitive seven elfish brothers who often helped him on the farm, with an extra gallon of milk each with their regular pay, later on.
"No wonder Kai is so healthy," said Jack. "His adventures at sea must be very invigorating." Every summer, Kai arrived at the village to manage the Seaside Lodge restaurant, but the rest of the year, he presumably spent his days as a crewman aboard a merchant vessel.
The doctor looked startled at his words.
"What is it? What did I say?"
The doctor shook his head, and rubbed his chin pensively. Moments later, he hit his fist into the other hand, coming to a conclusion. "I can trust you, right, Jack? I mean, what I'm about to tell you violates the doctor-patient confidentiality ethical code." He waited for Jack's nod, which came hesitantly. "Have you ever noticed how Kai always takes two little white pills?"
"Sure, but I thought that those were vitamins, or aspirin, or something."
"What, every six hours? Don't be absurd-- although you're partially right. One of those is a Vitamin C supplement. He's got a constant case of scurvy, from a lack of citrus fruits when he's out to sea. That's the real reason he never participates in the swimming festival on the first day of summer; his body's covered with black and blue sores."
Jack missed a step and nearly stumbled into the sand as they neared the Seaside Lodge. "What did you say?"
"It's true, completely true. The other white pill he takes is pennicilin. He's got herpes, Jack. I can't say that it's not to be expected, though. I mean, all those days at sea, isolated on a ship with an only male crew...." The doctor shook his head.
Jack thought about this for a while. Then he thought some more. "I'm not sure what this her-pees is," he said, mouthing the unfamiliar word awkwardly. "I'm not following you, doc."
"I'll, uh, explain it to you later," he said, sticking his hands into his lab coat. His head spun, amazed, just as the pain-chipped front door of the Seaside Lodge opened and Kai's brother stepped out onto the front porch.
"Aiiiiit, whassup, homies?" Jamal wagged his tongue side to side, his head bobbing as though listening to some unheard music. "So how ya doing, my bruthas, on this fine and beautiful day?"
He meant it in a friendly manner, but Jack instantly disliked him just for the way he said things. "Ummm...," was all he could say.
"Cool, cool," Jamal said, then took a drag from what looked like a hand-rolled tiny cigarette in his hand. "You're nature boy and the doctor, right? Kai's told me lots about you two. Oh, wait, where are my manners? You down with this?" He held out the 'cigarette,' which he held with pinched fingers.
"Nature boy?," thought Jack. He took his blue cap off and scratched his head.
The Doctor looked at the proferred joint with disdain, and coolly said, "Cigarettes are bad for your health, you know. Not good for the lungs," he added, waving away the bittersweet tendrils of smoke that wafted up to him.
"Hey, no problemo, doc! But you should know dis ain't a cig, or any kind o' smokes. This here's called a *blunt*," Jamal emphasized the word so that Jack could almost see the italicizations. "And it's made o' all-natural herbs and shit, like fucking KFC--- Finger lickin' herbs and spices, know what I mean?" He cracked up at his own joke, as the Doctor and Jack looked at each other.
Their expressions said it all: What is he *talking* about?
"Ah...what did you say it was called? A blunt?"
"Hell yeah, nigga," Jamal took another deep drag and half-smiled, half-giggled incomprehensibly. "Know what I mean?"
"Still, no matter what it's called, smoking can't be very good for you," the Doctor began.
Jamal shook his head, cutting him off. "Not dis shit. It's *all* good. It makes you feel all, uh, happy-like."
"Like anesthesia?"
"Yeah," giggled Jamal. "Dat's the shit. Anesth--anes-- that pain killer shit. I'm surprised youse don't gots it here; it's all the rage back where Kai and I came from. He pointed to the bags that both the Doc and Jack were holding. "Whatcha gots in there?"
"Huh? Oh this," the Doc started from his own thoughts, and handed his bag over to Jamal. "It's a TurboJolt, in case you get tired here," he said hastily. "You can get more from the clinic in town, if you need any more. It's a welcome gift. Now about this 'blunt'...."
"A gift? Holy shit, man, that's like real neighborly and shit! Thanks, big D!"
"Big....D?" The doctor blinked, and began to laugh. "I like it! Jack, did you hear what he called me? I've got a nickname! 'Big D'," he said again, pleased with the way that it sounded.
"Whatcha gots in your bag?" With his hand still pinching at the quickly-diminishing blunt, Jamal pointed with his pinky at Jack's own parcel.
"Uh, it's a welcome gift also. Here's some Grade-A honey, fresh from my farm," Jack said. He took it out of the plastic bag and held it up to show him.
"Aiit, nature boy! Goodies!" Jamal practically lunged towards Jack and caught him in a bearhug, slapping away at his back. Jack winced with every blow, and was relieved when he was released. "You know, just one of these blunts hits all the spots....but for some reason, you get mad hungry afterwards, know what I mean?"
Jamal held up the golden jar of honey and grinned at it. "Yeah, I'm gonna need this shit, hell yeah!"
"Um, Jamal, about those herbs," said the Doctor. "Do you think I might be able to get some of that shit-- I mean, some samples? For my clinic, you see. As the only doctor in Mineral Village, I kind of consider it my responsibility to know about every therapeutic means out there."
"Sure, doc! Damn staraight, this thing'll make you feel good, no matter what ails ya. Only thing is... it's kind of on the pricey side, ya know?"
The Doctor shook his head. "Don't worry about costs. All I care about is my patients, especially if this thing works, like you say. Can I start off with, say, two pounds' worth?"
"God *damn*, that's alot!" Jamal lifted his sunglasses over his eyes and grinned at Jack. "Big D sure knows how to treat his patients, am I right?" He turned around and entered his house, leaving the door ajar.
"No, no," the Doc laughed and called out loudly, "one pound is for me; the rest is for Basil, the town herbalist. I'm sure he'll be very interested in this, er, blunt of yours also!"
"Do you think that that's a good idea, Doctor?" Jack creased his forehead. "I mean, it's still rather experimental in terms of its medicinal benefits; do we really want Basil to start eating these leaves too? Because, you *know* he's going to do just that."
"Hell, nature boy!" Jamal returned, holding a roughly brick-shaped package of green 'herbs' in either hand. "This shit's all good. I've been doing it for ten, maybe twenty years now! Here ya go, Doc! Just come back whenever you need more! First batch is free, then after that, I'm gonna have to start charging ya!"
"Oh, well, I don't know if I'll be back *so* soon...." The Doctor grinned at green bricks in his hand. "I mean, look at how much this is!"
"Trust me, Doc! You'll be back, *real* soon." Jamal grinned and nodded his head knowingly, as he waved goodbye to his two guests.
"No wonder Kai is so healthy," said Jack. "His adventures at sea must be very invigorating." Every summer, Kai arrived at the village to manage the Seaside Lodge restaurant, but the rest of the year, he presumably spent his days as a crewman aboard a merchant vessel.
The doctor looked startled at his words.
"What is it? What did I say?"
The doctor shook his head, and rubbed his chin pensively. Moments later, he hit his fist into the other hand, coming to a conclusion. "I can trust you, right, Jack? I mean, what I'm about to tell you violates the doctor-patient confidentiality ethical code." He waited for Jack's nod, which came hesitantly. "Have you ever noticed how Kai always takes two little white pills?"
"Sure, but I thought that those were vitamins, or aspirin, or something."
"What, every six hours? Don't be absurd-- although you're partially right. One of those is a Vitamin C supplement. He's got a constant case of scurvy, from a lack of citrus fruits when he's out to sea. That's the real reason he never participates in the swimming festival on the first day of summer; his body's covered with black and blue sores."
Jack missed a step and nearly stumbled into the sand as they neared the Seaside Lodge. "What did you say?"
"It's true, completely true. The other white pill he takes is pennicilin. He's got herpes, Jack. I can't say that it's not to be expected, though. I mean, all those days at sea, isolated on a ship with an only male crew...." The doctor shook his head.
Jack thought about this for a while. Then he thought some more. "I'm not sure what this her-pees is," he said, mouthing the unfamiliar word awkwardly. "I'm not following you, doc."
"I'll, uh, explain it to you later," he said, sticking his hands into his lab coat. His head spun, amazed, just as the pain-chipped front door of the Seaside Lodge opened and Kai's brother stepped out onto the front porch.
"Aiiiiit, whassup, homies?" Jamal wagged his tongue side to side, his head bobbing as though listening to some unheard music. "So how ya doing, my bruthas, on this fine and beautiful day?"
He meant it in a friendly manner, but Jack instantly disliked him just for the way he said things. "Ummm...," was all he could say.
"Cool, cool," Jamal said, then took a drag from what looked like a hand-rolled tiny cigarette in his hand. "You're nature boy and the doctor, right? Kai's told me lots about you two. Oh, wait, where are my manners? You down with this?" He held out the 'cigarette,' which he held with pinched fingers.
"Nature boy?," thought Jack. He took his blue cap off and scratched his head.
The Doctor looked at the proferred joint with disdain, and coolly said, "Cigarettes are bad for your health, you know. Not good for the lungs," he added, waving away the bittersweet tendrils of smoke that wafted up to him.
"Hey, no problemo, doc! But you should know dis ain't a cig, or any kind o' smokes. This here's called a *blunt*," Jamal emphasized the word so that Jack could almost see the italicizations. "And it's made o' all-natural herbs and shit, like fucking KFC--- Finger lickin' herbs and spices, know what I mean?" He cracked up at his own joke, as the Doctor and Jack looked at each other.
Their expressions said it all: What is he *talking* about?
"Ah...what did you say it was called? A blunt?"
"Hell yeah, nigga," Jamal took another deep drag and half-smiled, half-giggled incomprehensibly. "Know what I mean?"
"Still, no matter what it's called, smoking can't be very good for you," the Doctor began.
Jamal shook his head, cutting him off. "Not dis shit. It's *all* good. It makes you feel all, uh, happy-like."
"Like anesthesia?"
"Yeah," giggled Jamal. "Dat's the shit. Anesth--anes-- that pain killer shit. I'm surprised youse don't gots it here; it's all the rage back where Kai and I came from. He pointed to the bags that both the Doc and Jack were holding. "Whatcha gots in there?"
"Huh? Oh this," the Doc started from his own thoughts, and handed his bag over to Jamal. "It's a TurboJolt, in case you get tired here," he said hastily. "You can get more from the clinic in town, if you need any more. It's a welcome gift. Now about this 'blunt'...."
"A gift? Holy shit, man, that's like real neighborly and shit! Thanks, big D!"
"Big....D?" The doctor blinked, and began to laugh. "I like it! Jack, did you hear what he called me? I've got a nickname! 'Big D'," he said again, pleased with the way that it sounded.
"Whatcha gots in your bag?" With his hand still pinching at the quickly-diminishing blunt, Jamal pointed with his pinky at Jack's own parcel.
"Uh, it's a welcome gift also. Here's some Grade-A honey, fresh from my farm," Jack said. He took it out of the plastic bag and held it up to show him.
"Aiit, nature boy! Goodies!" Jamal practically lunged towards Jack and caught him in a bearhug, slapping away at his back. Jack winced with every blow, and was relieved when he was released. "You know, just one of these blunts hits all the spots....but for some reason, you get mad hungry afterwards, know what I mean?"
Jamal held up the golden jar of honey and grinned at it. "Yeah, I'm gonna need this shit, hell yeah!"
"Um, Jamal, about those herbs," said the Doctor. "Do you think I might be able to get some of that shit-- I mean, some samples? For my clinic, you see. As the only doctor in Mineral Village, I kind of consider it my responsibility to know about every therapeutic means out there."
"Sure, doc! Damn staraight, this thing'll make you feel good, no matter what ails ya. Only thing is... it's kind of on the pricey side, ya know?"
The Doctor shook his head. "Don't worry about costs. All I care about is my patients, especially if this thing works, like you say. Can I start off with, say, two pounds' worth?"
"God *damn*, that's alot!" Jamal lifted his sunglasses over his eyes and grinned at Jack. "Big D sure knows how to treat his patients, am I right?" He turned around and entered his house, leaving the door ajar.
"No, no," the Doc laughed and called out loudly, "one pound is for me; the rest is for Basil, the town herbalist. I'm sure he'll be very interested in this, er, blunt of yours also!"
"Do you think that that's a good idea, Doctor?" Jack creased his forehead. "I mean, it's still rather experimental in terms of its medicinal benefits; do we really want Basil to start eating these leaves too? Because, you *know* he's going to do just that."
"Hell, nature boy!" Jamal returned, holding a roughly brick-shaped package of green 'herbs' in either hand. "This shit's all good. I've been doing it for ten, maybe twenty years now! Here ya go, Doc! Just come back whenever you need more! First batch is free, then after that, I'm gonna have to start charging ya!"
"Oh, well, I don't know if I'll be back *so* soon...." The Doctor grinned at green bricks in his hand. "I mean, look at how much this is!"
"Trust me, Doc! You'll be back, *real* soon." Jamal grinned and nodded his head knowingly, as he waved goodbye to his two guests.