"That's Where Your Mojo Is" Part III
AS ELEPHANT GERALD, Django Rhinoceros, and John Cole Crane approached Miss Kitty’s Playce, they were feeling discouraged that they couldn’t find this mysterious thing called mojo. Certainly, John couldn’t play his saxophone with his new friends if it wasn’t found.
“You think the mojo got blown out of your nest and stuck in a tree?” Django Rhinoceros asked.
“Well then it could be anywhere in the bayou,” John said sadly.
In front of Miss Kitty’s Playce, Billie Goat Holiday was standing at the bottom of the stairs. She had her hands on her hips and was tapping her hoof.
“Uh-oh, Billie looks mad,” Elephant Gerald said.
“Who’s Billie?” John asked Django.
“Just the best singing goat you ever heard,” Django said. “If you ever get to play your sax again, her voice will carry that tune to heaven. But don’t make her mad.”
“Why not?”
“She’s sweet on Gerald, ya’ know,” Django whispered. “But Gerald, well he’s just downright blind to her affections if you know what I mean. That’s what makes her mad.” John wasn't sure what Django meant, and just nodded his head.
Django himself was sweet on Billie and swooned to her singing, but when her temper flared, he ran like a chicken from a wolf.
“Gerald, where you been?” demanded Billie Goat.
“Miss Billie, this here’s John Cole Crane, a saxophone player. We’re helping him find his mojo!”
“Well that is no excuse to be late for practice. What’s a mojo, anyway?”
Gerald looked down, Django looked up and John Cole Crane just let out a squawk.
“I think my granny goat used to say something about mojo bein’ a heart condition,” said Billie. “Or… was she talking about that big ol’ mole on the end of her nose? Anyway, ya’ll better come in. You’re late!”
“Glad to meet you Miss Billie,” John said nervously. “But you see…you see my missing mojo is the reason I can’t come in and play with ya’ll!”
Billie raised her pretty brown goat eyes, shrugged her shoulders, and walked up the steps.
When
they got inside, Miss Kitty had already poured the kids a cool mango shake. Gerald,
Django, and Billie sat on the stools by the counter. John nervously took his
saxophone out of the old white cloth. He took a deep breath and blew out a
whiny, sour note.
“Gerald,” Billie whispered. “Can’t you help John find this mojo thing he’s lost? We sure could use a sax player.” Billie loved any opportunity to be so close to Gerald. “Maybe Miss Ella could help.”
“No, Billie,” Gerald whispered back to her. “You know my mama wants us to figure out our own problems. But maybe if he can stay at my house tonight I can figure something out.”
Billie turned bright red as Gerald whispered in her ear.
“Gerald,” Billie whispered. “Can’t you help John find this mojo thing he’s lost? We sure could use a sax player.” Billie loved any opportunity to be so close to Gerald. “Maybe Miss Ella could help.”
“No, Billie,” Gerald whispered back to her. “You know my mama wants us to figure out our own problems. But maybe if he can stay at my house tonight I can figure something out.”
Billie turned bright red as Gerald whispered in her ear.
“When Johnny bird and I go," said Gerald. "You two make sure the whole band is early for our last rehearsal tomorrow before our big show, ya’ hear?”
“You got it, Gerald,” said Django. “And John, don’t you worry one feather about your mojo. I bet it’s going find you!”
The next
morning Elephant Gerald was dreaming about performing a song on stage. But as
soon as he woke, the song just left his head.
“Oh, what was that catchy song,” Gerald said disappointed. “I’m sure I've heard it before.”
He put on his lucky pouch, hoping it would help him find John’s mojo. Miss Ella was in the kitchen arranging some hay on a plate with gobs of peanut butter mixed in.
“Muck encrusted hay biscuits!” Gerald exclaimed.
“Goooood Morning, sugar,” Miss Ella said in her sing-songy voice. “I just had to make something special for your big day. How did your rehearsal go yesterday?”
“I met a new friend who plays the saxophone. Problem is, Mama, he lost his mojo. We’re trying to help him find it, but it’s hard to find something when you don’t know what it is.”
“Lost his mojo, hmmmm?” said Miss Ella. “Yes sir, that’s a mighty big problem. You think about that, Gerald, and I’m sure something will come to you. And where’s this friend of yours now?”
“His name is John Cole Crane, and he slept on the roof last night. Mind if I call him in?”
“It would be a privilege to meet a new friend of yours, Gerald,” replied Miss Ella.
Gerald thought it would be easier to call up to John from the fireplace. He stuck his head into the hearth. “Hey Johnny bird, are you awake yet?”
Little did Gerald know that just as he was calling up to the crane, John was bent half way into the chimney to see if his mojo had somehow fallen in there. The loud echo and the surprise of Gerald’s voice scared John, and he lost his balance. Down he went head first into the soot-filled fireplace.
John’s long skinny body came crashing into the ashes, rolled out of the fireplace, and onto the floor in front of Gerald and Miss Ella. Ashes flew everywhere and his sax tumbled to the floor behind him. The once white cloth that held it was as black as coal.
“Um, Mama, this is John Cole Crane,” said Gerald, coughing from the cloud of dust.
John looked more like a giant crow than a crane. He stood up and tried to shake the ashes off with his feathers making an even bigger cloud.
“Oh my! Sorry ma’am! So sorry!” John flew as fast as he could around the room, catching all the soot and sweeping it out the door with his wings. He closed the door and leaned up against it, trying to force a smile.
“And, well, John, this is my mom, Miss Ella.”
“Miss Ella? Gerald, you didn’t tell me your mama is THE Lady Ella. Oh, I’m a big fan! My daddy plays your music all the time. You’re the queen of our nest Miss Ella!
“Pleasure to meet you John Cole Crane. I know your daddy. He’s a great sax player. Why we played together back in the day. How’s he doing?”
“He’s great, ma’am. Wait ‘til I
tell him I met you!”
Ella looked up at the elephant clock on the wall with a trunk for the hour hand and an arm for the minute hand.
“Well we can talk more when I see you later,” said Miss Ella. “But now you two need to get going or you’ll be late for rehearsal.”
“Yes ma’am. Good-bye ma’am. I mean, thank you ma’am!” said John. He let out a little cough and a cloud of ash came out of his mouth. His face turned red and opened the door.
“It will be alright, John,” said Miss Ella. “I think you’ll find that mojo of yours deep down inside.”
“Pardon me, Ma’am?” asked John.
“I’m saying, don’t worry. You’ll find it, baby,” Miss Ella said.
As Gerald followed John out the door he heard his mama humming a familiar song. A really familiar song…
“Oh, what was that catchy song,” Gerald said disappointed. “I’m sure I've heard it before.”
He put on his lucky pouch, hoping it would help him find John’s mojo. Miss Ella was in the kitchen arranging some hay on a plate with gobs of peanut butter mixed in.
“Muck encrusted hay biscuits!” Gerald exclaimed.
“Goooood Morning, sugar,” Miss Ella said in her sing-songy voice. “I just had to make something special for your big day. How did your rehearsal go yesterday?”
“I met a new friend who plays the saxophone. Problem is, Mama, he lost his mojo. We’re trying to help him find it, but it’s hard to find something when you don’t know what it is.”
“Lost his mojo, hmmmm?” said Miss Ella. “Yes sir, that’s a mighty big problem. You think about that, Gerald, and I’m sure something will come to you. And where’s this friend of yours now?”
“His name is John Cole Crane, and he slept on the roof last night. Mind if I call him in?”
“It would be a privilege to meet a new friend of yours, Gerald,” replied Miss Ella.
Gerald thought it would be easier to call up to John from the fireplace. He stuck his head into the hearth. “Hey Johnny bird, are you awake yet?”
Little did Gerald know that just as he was calling up to the crane, John was bent half way into the chimney to see if his mojo had somehow fallen in there. The loud echo and the surprise of Gerald’s voice scared John, and he lost his balance. Down he went head first into the soot-filled fireplace.
John’s long skinny body came crashing into the ashes, rolled out of the fireplace, and onto the floor in front of Gerald and Miss Ella. Ashes flew everywhere and his sax tumbled to the floor behind him. The once white cloth that held it was as black as coal.
“Um, Mama, this is John Cole Crane,” said Gerald, coughing from the cloud of dust.
John looked more like a giant crow than a crane. He stood up and tried to shake the ashes off with his feathers making an even bigger cloud.
“Oh my! Sorry ma’am! So sorry!” John flew as fast as he could around the room, catching all the soot and sweeping it out the door with his wings. He closed the door and leaned up against it, trying to force a smile.
“And, well, John, this is my mom, Miss Ella.”
“Miss Ella? Gerald, you didn’t tell me your mama is THE Lady Ella. Oh, I’m a big fan! My daddy plays your music all the time. You’re the queen of our nest Miss Ella!
“Pleasure to meet you John Cole Crane. I know your daddy. He’s a great sax player. Why we played together back in the day. How’s he doing?”
Ella looked up at the elephant clock on the wall with a trunk for the hour hand and an arm for the minute hand.
“Well we can talk more when I see you later,” said Miss Ella. “But now you two need to get going or you’ll be late for rehearsal.”
“Yes ma’am. Good-bye ma’am. I mean, thank you ma’am!” said John. He let out a little cough and a cloud of ash came out of his mouth. His face turned red and opened the door.
“It will be alright, John,” said Miss Ella. “I think you’ll find that mojo of yours deep down inside.”
“Pardon me, Ma’am?” asked John.
“I’m saying, don’t worry. You’ll find it, baby,” Miss Ella said.
As Gerald followed John out the door he heard his mama humming a familiar song. A really familiar song…
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