The Second Saga: Part Seven

I shall begin by clearing up a few points. The Oggish notion of the overall passage of time is governed (mostly) by seasonal changes and not by a strict calendar. The more astute among you will see immediately that this will lead to some difference in the length of a year as the weather would largely cause that change to happen. So;

Spring is called Newness Season

Summer is Warm Season

Autumn is called Brown Season

And Winter is Cold Season

This does have some disadvantages of course, odd weather conditions could mean Newness Season starting at different times in the north of Oggland from the south but generally speaking it balances out in the end. This situation has grown from the Oggish concept of time, or more precisely, the lack of concept. Ogglanders don’t have any time for time, they just live as they see fit, sleep when tired, get up when you wake, eat when hungry and do some work in between. That which is not done can be done tomorrow or the day after, possibly. This was one of the other reasons for the Romans leaving, they’d tell an Ogg to turn up at 10 o’clock and he’d show up at 9 o’clock asking what they wanted or conversely he’d roll in at 11 o’clock and when told “You should have been here an hour ago” would ask, “Why....what happened?” The Romans, who were organised, just couldn’t deal with this at all. In this way, an Ogglander is never early or late, he always arrives at just the right time and nobody complains. It’s just the way of things.

The days of the week are also differently named;

Monday =Mournedee

Tuesday = Ceconday

Wednesday = Middleday

Thursday = Thorsday

Friday = Finntend

Saturday = Slowdee

Sunday = Stoppdee

This represents a 5 day working week, with a possible ‘half day’ on Slowdee but almost nobody works on Stoppdee unless it’s really, really necessary.

Religion is unheard of in Oggland, the Druids did try to move in from Walland once but everybody just laughed at them till they went away again. The Romans didn’t even bother to try, they were too upset about the time keeping.

Hope that helps...let’s get on.

Oggin stopped just short of Nitaa’s gate and turned to the two Bobs.

“Now....lads....the lady who lives here is....er...well...a little strange....so don’t be staring and gawping at her....just get on with your work....Okay....?”

Both answered in unison, “Yes mister Oggin sir...” and nodded solemnly.

As the Oggbarrow was too wide to go through the gate the trio carried it over the gate posts and into the garden. Oggin was impressed by the obvious strength of the boys and the ease with which they tackled the task without guidance. As they set off toward the back garden he heard one Bob remark to the other.

“’Ere...look’a this ‘ere garden will ya...is loike yon beach at ‘opton...”

“We’da best not be yer when yon tide comes back....!”

Both laughed quietly and even Oggin smiled a little. He tapped on the front door with the cat’s head knocker and Nitaa opened it almost immediately. She was dressed from neck to ankle in a one piece Leopard skin outfit which Oggin guessed would not have been that tight on the Leopard, in fact he could count her ribs, the bright red lips were back and her hair was tied into bunches.

“ ’ello Oggin...you on yer own d’en....?”

“Morning Nitaa.....No...I ‘ve brought along some help...a couple of Bob Weaver’s boys.....is it alright if we just press on...?”

“You fil yer boots mate....I’m gonna ‘ave a cup a tea...aint I....”

“Right you are then...we’ll get on...As it’s Finntend I’d like to get as much done as we can....”

With a nod, Oggin moved back from the door and turned to follow the boys into the back garden. When he arrived he found both the Bobs crouching next to the cat run, fingers through the wire, ‘scritching’ cat’s heads, in a state of utter bliss.

“Come on you two....let’s get going...”

The boys sprang up and Oggin explained what he wanted to do and what he wanted them to do by way of assistance. He left them to unload the Oggbarrow and lay out the tools while he marked out the trench.  Together they cleared two patches of the pebbles and the pebbles off of the marked oblong, then Oggin made the first cuts into the soil with his ‘dragging pick’ and one of the Bobs shovelled the spoil into the Oggbarrow. When it was mostly full he wheeled it across to the other Bob and tipped it onto the cleared patch, the other Bob set about sieving out all the stones and putting them on the second clear space. Oggin was surprised and pleased to see that the Bobs needed no coaching and were happy to just work away without chattering. And so it went, dig, shovel, cart and sieve, from time to time the three would swop places so that backs and legs didn’t get over used. Despite the size of the trench, six feet by four feet, it progressed well and Oggin decide to call a halt for some food and a bit of a break. Oggin turned the Oggbarrow over and used it as a seat and the two boys perched on the growing pile of stones, all three began tucking into their pack up food. Suddenly, Nitaa appeared from her back door, carrying a tray laden with four steaming mugs. Both the boys, who hadn’t seen her up till now, froze. In fact one of the Bobs was stuck like a statue, with a piece of bread in his hand, poised an inch from his mouth. Both just stared with wide eyes and slack jaws as Nitaa slowly approached, her eyes bright and her ready smile invitingly broad. Oggin also noticed that the cold air of the garden had had an ‘effect’ on two other parts of her anatomy and the boys were now transfixed by those as they jiggled toward them. She stopped, smiled, blinked slowly and then her husky voice purred.

“’Ello Boyz....I b’ought yer some’finn’ot...........to drink...did’n I...”

Oggin glanced across at the Bobs again, both had reddened cheeks but remained frozen in mid air. Oggin quickly stood and took the tray from her.

“That’s very kind of you Nitaa...very kind....isn’t it boys...?”

The two suddenly jumped, as if stung and nodded and mumbled, like a pair of dumb struck monkeys. Nitaa took one of the mugs herself and Oggin moved toward the lads to allow them to take one each. They were now trying to look anywhere they could,  except directly at Nitaa. In turn, Nitaa was idly swaying from side to side and almost thrusting her hips at the boys. Oggin caught the motion as he went to sit down again and hid a wry smile, thinking ‘She’s good...very good’.

“W’ell den Oggin.....’ows it goin’ den...?” Nitaa asked.

“It’s going very well....we should have about four feet done by twilight today...but as its Finntend, we’ll only get a half day in tomorrow....”

“Das good den init...” she replied, then turned toward the boys, smiled and said,

“Is yer tea alwoite boyzz.......’ot enouff for ya...eh...?”

As they glanced up to answer she slowly licked her lips before raising her mug of tea to take a drink...watching them over the rim, like a cat watches a mouse.

The Bobs mumbled some words of thanks and went even redder before putting their heads down and trying hard not to be there at all.

“Rwoite....I’ll leave ya to it den....put da mugs by the bawk door wen yer done...won’t ya......Ta-Ta Boys......”

Nitaa turned slowly and walked away, Oggin watched her go and wondered how she didn’t dislocate a hip walking like that and how she stopped her bum falling off at the same time. From his right he heard a slight choking cough but let it go, he guessed the lads didn’t get out much and wouldn’t have seen that kind of woman before. Mind you it was a bit of an experience for Oggin as well!

The trio finished their food in restrained silence and then went back to work on the trench, the pile of stones and the spoil from the hole, rose steadily as the trench increased in depth and soon progress slowed as it took longer to fill the barrow from the bottom. As the sun fell, Oggin called a halt on the work and instructed the boys to put the tools in the trench and turn the Oggbarrow over and set it on top of the hole. With a final look around he led the lads out of the garden and home. He was very pleased with the way they had performed and told them so, in fact he decided to let them have the next day off as a reward. He knew that he could go back in the morning and just do some side straightening and that would suffice.

Oggin arrived home himself just as it was getting dark, the smell of Rabbit and Rodent Risotto filling the cottage. Kajoa urged him to get washed up quickly as the meal was almost ready and the ‘rodents’ would spoil if overcooked, so Oggin did as he was told and the two sat down together for supper. He regaled her with the tale of Nitaa the Cutter and the blushing Weaver boys and they both laughed, he then explained his plan to return the next morning and straighten the trench sides and then go on and see Bob, to arrange the Mournedee start. Kajoa cautioned him not to spend the day sat by the Weaver’s stove, gossiping and drinking tea, as there were a couple of jobs that needed doing nearer home. Oggin, who was tired, announced that a soak in a hot bath would be in order, to relax his aching muscles, so he went off to run the water. He set the flag for the Torchman, left him two coins and went back to the bath room to find Kajoa, perched on the side of the bath, with fresh towels, a scrubby brush and a very wide grin.

Shall we just say that Oggin went to bed that night a lot more relaxed than he thought he would...and leave it at that?