There are legends about the magical knowledge of the Bushmen. Last year, around Catholic Christmas, I sat in the Odette bar in Johannesburg: I am often in South Africa on business for our firm.
My attention was attracted by a tall, colorful old man, already a pretty nutty one, but demanding more and more portions of gin with some special dignity. He gestured me to his table.
- Are you from Eastern Europe, boy?
“I'm from Russia,” I replied.
“My name is Vincent Burt Johnson, but everyone just calls me Doc. I really was a doctor, but I'm 85 now, so you understand. Have you heard about voodoo? So our bushmen will be cooler! Do you want one true story, boy? From your old life? Few people believe me, but it's true. I bought him a double drink: something suggested that the story would be interesting.
“I'm listening, Doc.
And imperceptibly pressed the button of the recorder.
Promotional video:
TWO FRIENDS
Ralph Leclerc sat on the doorstep of his bungalow on the outskirts of Orlando, a small town on the outskirts of Johannesburg, with a bottle of disgusting local gin and smoking a pipe. I must say, he has already typed in order. Actually, it was not even the outskirts, but the last outpost before the endless savannah. Those who were not afraid of wild animals and bushmen settled here and most of all appreciated the silence and loneliness.
- Black-oiled grubby, how long can I wait for you? - shouted to his servant. - Have you forgotten that I have a guest today? Look, Tom: if the pork is too dry, your back is out of luck. Tom muttered something in his own dialect, and the thick candle in his hands immediately went out. Ralph just spat in annoyance. In fact, his servant's name was different, but there was no way to pronounce his name. Leclerc returned to the bungalow, went to the calendar, tore off another page.
- What, Ralph, are you already licking without me? said a smiling man in a cork helmet and khaki shorts as he entered the bungalow.
- Edwin! Old devil! You will starve to death while we wait for you! Edwin van der Heide was his only friend, the same loner and bachelor and the same descendant of the Dutch settlers. They met every Saturday, and besides gin and hunting, this was their only entertainment. The friends sat down at a table lined with plates of fruit, dried venison, tasteless local cucumbers and vegetables, the names of which even they, true Boers, did not know. The conversation flowed unhurriedly and, as always, flowed into a nostalgic channel.
- Ralph, would you like to see Amsterdam, canals, windmills at least once?
“And don't tell me, Ed …
Suddenly, all the oil lamps in the house went out.
- What the hell?
When the light was restored, they drank one more.
- Of course I would, red-haired devil. But will you leave the house for these monkeys? Lazy creatures, they only know how to sleep and steal!
“Don't say that, Ralph. These are Bushmen, they are very different from their fellow tribesmen, every second of them is a sorcerer, and the neighboring tribes do not even understand their language.
GOLD AMULET
At that moment, Tom's wife Donna entered the room with a tray of steaming meat, wearing Ralph's old trousers and his own sun-bleached cowboy. There was something on her chest that gleamed in the light of the lamps.
“Amulet!” Edwin exclaimed.
- Ha, buddy, everything in this house belongs to me!
As the woman put the tray down on the table, Leclerc tried to grab the piece of jewelry. The woman, frightened, began to grumble something in her own way, but the man slapped her in the face and still took possession of the amulet. And then he hung it around his neck.
- Get out, black rat!
At that moment, Tom appeared at the door.
- Mass Ralph, Mass Ralph! - he fell to his knees and held out his hands. - Don't do, don't do! Bad bad!
He reached for the jewelry.
- Get out both!
Tom took his wife by the hand, and they went out on bent legs. And again all the lamps went out.
“What’s wrong with you, Ralph? Let me turn the wicks myself! Ralph examined his trophy. In shape and size, it
was like an unfolded child's palm and hung on a thin leather strap. On one side, and on the other, the little thing was covered with incomprehensible letters and drawings. There were depicted strange animals and some kind of freaks - either people or trees. The weight of the amulet was impressive.
- Pure gold! I swear to God! Ralph said in a tangled tongue.
- Where did they get their gold? If only an ounce of it could be washed here,”his friend sighed. “Actually, you shouldn't have put it on. The devil knows what he carries with him. Over there, remember Tolstoy Derk? He found an elephant tusk with some patterns in the savannah and hung it over his hammock. And his house burned down two days later. And he himself was numb. However, he could not say anything worthwhile before.
The friends laughed. They drank more and more, then hugged, and Edwin staggered into his jeep. And in parting he said:
- And you still take off this trinket, Ralph, you still have no one to show off!
Ralph was about to go to bed, but a sudden resentment flared up changed his plans. He took the whip hanging on the wall and headed to the thatched hut where Tom's family lived.
He pulled back the mat and entered, illuminating the terrified Tom, his wife and two children.
- Well, monkeys, have you forgotten who is the boss here?
He swung his whip and struck the first blow. Donna screamed, and Tom tried to cover his household with his body.
- Here's to you, here's to you, - the whip whistled in Leclerc's hand, - you will know how to contradict the owner!
Soon his strength left him, he returned to the bungalow, without undressing, collapsed into a hammock and began to snore.
Donna tried to smear the whip marks on her husband's back with nkabo juice from a hollowed-out pumpkin, but he stopped her.
- They will pass on their own, - he said in Bushman, - give me an ich-chu-korba!
She dutifully took out black slates from a wicker basket, each adorned with a tiny striped mouse skull. The husband, completely naked, put on strange shoes.
- Wait for me here!
MAGIC BUSHMEN
First of all, he entered the bungalow, moving silently and accurately orienting himself in the dark. Deftly removed the amulet that hung on Ralph's chest and put it on. On the street I looked at the starry sky and a torch at the well. That one immediately went out. Tom closed his eyes and began to sing. Although it was difficult to call it singing.
Rather, some kind of conspiracy, turning into an animal howl, with separate words in the clicking Bushman language. The man began to swing rhythmically, and then with an incredible stomping gait began to go around the bungalow. He shook his head and shook, and his circles became faster and faster and more convulsive. On the ninth lap, he collapsed exhausted. But after a couple of minutes I got up.
- Donna, we're leaving.
There weren't even any lash marks on Tom's back. He took off the ich-chu-korba and put them in the basket. The children joined hands, and together they went to the savannah. For a moment, Tom looked around: over his hut, the flames gradually began to grow. Three days later, young Doctor Johnson, Sergeant Whittemans and two native soldiers arrived at Leclerc's bungalow.
They looked inside - they were greeted by an eerie stench and clouds of flies. Leclerc was lying in a hammock, although it was difficult to recognize him: instead of a face there was something like a lion's face, his whole body was covered with terrible scabs, his fingers were missing. He wanted to say something, but only hummed.
- Leprosy! cried the doctor. - All - from here! Sergeant, let's get the canister!
A minute later the bungalow burst into flames, and the jeep was racing away at full steam. One of the Bushmen whispered to another: "Dance of death!"
Alexander, 28 years old.
EXPERT OPINION
Elena Yasevich, psychic:
- You cannot take without demand, and even more so by force to take away other people's amulets - this can lead to serious and most irreparable consequences. Any amulet accumulates and keeps the energy of the person who wears it, and if it is specially made for someone in particular, a very strong bond arises between him and the owner.
Each amulet is charged for specific purposes - for good luck, for protection from misfortune, ruin, etc. And if he falls into the wrong hands, then he begins to work “on the contrary,” that is, he tries to get rid of the kidnapper, and the logical conclusion of this opposition may be the death of the latter. In general, the story reminds of the well-known boomerang principle.
Very often shamans perform rituals to return evil to the one who caused it. Most likely, in this case just such a ritual took place. This is powerful magic, especially since it works in unison with the natural laws of the universe.
"Line of Fate" June 2013