Saturday, November 14, 2015

The Brimstone Protocol


Your Mission, Brimstone (should you choose to accept it), is to leap into the void suspended only by silken strand, aiming for that scrotty Poinsettia on the table down there (obviously decided to make this one last two Christmases…). 

 
Now – you`ve fulfilled the first part of your caterpillar duties admirably – your eating-and-eating has been unsurpassable and now it`s time to glue your enormous self to a branch and pupate for a while. You`ll be fine – just pretend to be a leaf. 

I have to tell you though, Brimstone, that when you emerge you might see some changes... perhaps most noticeably, Wings – this is perfectly normal. And you must use these to Take Off and find yourself a mate, because binge Eating, Brimstone, is no longer your duty; as a butterfly your duty is to Multiply.

Well, my work is done now, and I will self-destruct in thirty seconds. Turn away, lad – it won`t be pretty.

I Accept my mission, Captain, and I`m ready to do my best. Oh Yuck! He wasn`t joking… Oh well:

Wheeeeee! Out of the way - Here I co-! Oh sod it…

And so it was that a couple of weeks ago a green and wiggly thing abseiled past my ear, missed the poinsettia and stopped half way past. 
 

A moment`s ponder, then it started gently swinging till it manoeuvred itself onto one of the leaves. Then looped its way over the edge and disappeared.

Next day after in-depth Googling, I recognised a Strange New Leaf stuck to the stem.  `Twas surely a Brimstone Butterfly Pupa! (Don`t like to think he`s a Moth – we have curtains we care about…)

The thing is, How did he get to the ceiling, and right above our poinsettia, thereby avoiding myriad deathly kitchen landings: the white-hot-plates of the cooker, the bottomless evil waters of the sink and oh lord! the disgusting piles of fester in the cat bowl…

One could postulate that, nibbling contentedly on nearby clematis, he was carried away by a moonlight shadow and whisked through the window to the ceiling on a fierce updraught.

He`d made it by whatever magic, and I monitored his progress (of staying stuck to stem) for Two Weeks. Between two and four weeks I knew he`d Burst Forth, so with careful surveillance I would see him briefly in full flutter then urge him outside to fulfil his destiny.

Nooooooh! He`s Gone. This morning he wasn`t stuck to his stem; nor was he in the pot, on the table or in the cat fester. ( And SpartaCat no longer has the oomph to catch a Brimstone with or without wings).

I never imagined I`d be So Devastated by his disappearance.  Is he coping; how are his wings; will we ever see him again…?





9 comments:

JW10 said...

Greetings again Dolores,

Strange how we grow fond of little bugs. Yet, it is a fact of life that we all must move on, even the bugs. Let's hope one day your Brimstone Butterfly returns, laden with gold, to repay his kind, friendly, neighbourhood, All The days of Dolores mother.

Liked the highlighted Mike Oldfield lyric. It's locked in my head now and I've been humming it for ages.

Dolores Doolittle said...

Me too, JW,(humming) And the Mission Impossible theme... For my transformation, I`m planning to curl up in the bin bunker for the afternoon then Leap Out as Claudia Schiffer.
Or maybe I`ll just pretend to be a Leaf...

JW10 said...

Knowing you, it will be as a beautiful leaf, Dolores.

Ah, the Mission Impossible theme. One of the few tunes I can play on the guitar (Only five notes to learn)
Doot Doot Dit-Dat Doot Doot
Dee Doo Doot Doot...(repeat 50,000 times)

Dolores Doolittle said...

Wow - The Doot-Doot Really works! (I`ve just been playing mine on my Mission round the Co-op).

Thank you - I am indeed quite like a beautiful autumn leaf and Guess What - I found Brimstone! All this time he`d been a Leaf too, Pretending to be a Pupa. I like to think he was happy...
But where the heck did Brimstone the Caterpillar get to?

Expat said...

Hi. Just letting you know I am still alive and kicking. All is well on this side of the pond. One of these days I will get my act together and resume normal service. Meanwhile, a very happy Christmas to all and much love.

Dolores Doolittle said...

Hi Expat - a real Joy to see you and glad to know things are good yonder.

(How did Brimstone here the butterfly/moth suddenly become a rocket-propelled weaponthing)?

Have FAB times over Christmas and New Year! Love & kisses till the next time...


Patsy said...

He's clearly been called away on a message so secret he couldn't leave you even the teesiest of clues. But one day something amazing will happen and he'll gave played a small (and green and wriggly) part.

Dolores Doolittle said...

Hi Patsy and Thank You - now feel hope-infused. Shall investigate every green leafly flutter with new vigour!

JW10 said...

Nice to hear from you, Expat. Delighted all is well.

Regards to Brimstone when next you meet, Dolores.