Tilt House
in English

After the epilogue.

Tell them it's snowing North to Brownsville! The oranges will not blossom this year, the country is beautiful as always as it's strange to hear people speaking hot weather. Morgenstern would perhaps give the word if he could, with Majorie, to pass the system of barbed wires and to thwart the watchtowers supervision, to cross police zoll without being taken and to return to Tilt House.

It was a very cold day, the snow grated under Angie's feet. A strange loomy foggy morning where the only way to walk was to follow the path leading to the second supervision tower, there stood the Independence Rosetree, planted at the territory entrance the day following the event: the Independence. Three branches grew in two years and could be there in ten thorn years, this rosetree would confuse with the twisted barbed wire points. Angie protected the bush with a cover made of straw. From the police station came the conversations of wards. She understood badly what they were saying. Men of 23º Legion spoke, almost all, English with a strong Chinese accent. Paul, Angie's husband, called her. She always recognized him, even in the night.

He smiled...

From his car Nach dropped Butch and Farrow the mayor of Spencer City at the camp entrance. Without result, they met the representative of the US government. They asked the right for the Tilt House residents, to cross the soil of the USA. Once again the US government replied the independence was perhaps a fact but the recognition of the State of Tilt House was an other thing. They were not willing to recognize this State neither even to authorize its residents to use a corridor through the American ground because they wanted to reach the sea.

Since two parley years they were in a cul-de-sac. The geographically tilt House closed situation did not allow its residents to go abroad. Some members of the community asked for their extradition. No reason could be found that any of the residents could recover his American nationality. On five thousand three hundred residing, thirty only left the territory. Thirty Mexican laborers requested by the Mexican government fled during the events that preceded the independence. No news: radio waves were scrambled. Butch and Farrow, the only two authorized persons to leave the territory, were closely supervised when meeting Nach the observer from the Pentagon. An agent of the C.I.A. was always present during these meetings.

Nobody tried, during these two years, to escape. Nobody returned on a stretcher. A blanket on the head, three of them tried to take contact with a foreign country and to make know what happened in the South of United States of America, on a small six thousand acres territory surrounded by barbed wire and watchtowers.

In the beginning, after the residents accepted the idea no one could circulate freely, the Federation confirmed a certain number of oral rules. Each decision had to be taken at the unanimity. The Federation could not exclude an individual because it was impossible to realize, people were able not to choose between to leave or to stay: they were there and could not go elsewhere. Foreigners taken on site during the independence had first the title of Guests, these guests were afterward made members of the Federation.

... He smiles.

Through the fog the voice of Paul called Nach. He replied to the call and went in the direction where Paul and Farrow were coming in.

"The interview was again shorter than the last time. They did not even allow us to sit. On the other hand, Nach during our return, made me understand that a revolt had burst in an Indian community."

Farrow intervened :

"I pass ahead, representatives of communes should be arrived."

He distanced them in a fast motion.

Angie took Paul by the shoulder. They were the same since always.

"Frank and Majorie Morgenstern are doing their last preparations to escape. They shout at each other as much they can, a small thing in their world, speaking about their future as of the day of their weddings. They even anticipated a Thermos bottle with cafe, for the road! I imagine what is waiting for them on the other side!"

Angie shook his head. The old couple departure pained him.

"They worked all their life in their small shop in the New Jersey."

When chatting they arrived ahead the closed factory. Franck and Majorie held timidly at the entry of the hall where the meeting was taking place. They were dressed like tourists. Franck carrying his camera with a shoulderstrap, and Majorie a picnic basket. Macho was near them. The old peon mocked nicely to amuse them. Macho remained after the independence, he had nobody in Mexico. The adventure of Tilt House fascinated him. Majorie went to Butch.

"You are going to help us?"

She twisted her fingers nervously when addressing to Paul.

"Everyone stands by you Majorie."

Majorie turned to Franck.

"You see although they are going to help us!"

Franck was stumbled.

"Since the beginning they helped us! Thanks to their assistance for the past two years we have been captive here."

He looked nervously at Paul.

"You will take care of my car. We it have since 47."

The two loves of Franck were his car and his shop. Majorie was not envied. So that Franck dreamt of his car and his shop...

They entered the meeting hall. The discussion was lively loud. Representatives of the communities wanted unanimously something to be done. The Federation of Tilt House could remain no longer in this state of isolation. Tomorrow their guardians would enter the territory and take the direction of the Federation. Herbie Farrow had a badly way like a madman to preach the contrary. Twenty times he stamered:

"Gentlemen!"

Twenty time one cut it.

"Ooch !"

Everyone shut up to this shout tearing Herbie Farrow. Herbie, the mayor become mayor citizen of the thousand communes of Tilt House, he kept the old habits of his passed notoriety. He always used a serie of knacks to speak. His favorite knock consisting in exiting hurriedly the hall as if a serious event came to happen and to return almost weak. A brick that dragged always by there and happily, served him to ask the right to speak. Then, without making it deliberately, it crushed his fingers. He failed really, a very high hand in a pathetic gesture. It shook the former as if it wanted to undo some pain.

"Hi ! Son of bitch ! What did you want to tell us exactly ?"

Only Warms knew the mayor sufficiently to know he was faking.

Herbie slackened with a smile, and the hall leaves in a general laughter flash. Once more Herbie had defended dearly its right to speak.

"Gentlemen !"

Hands raised as a leader, on the point of his feet, Farrow was going to speak. A real crisis to mad laugh shook the meeting. Nobody came to the meetings when Farrow was not present.

"Let me speak... I propose the meeting of all communes ahead the lake, three men are dead, and you, Warms , you are well placed to know that it is impossible to pass the frontier."

Warms was responsible for the escapes, the glory for an ancient sheriff! He knew Farrow was true.

"More that one thing make us anxious, Butch and me. Most of the soldiers are Chinese. Only the managament is American. Nach, the friend of Butch, became increasingly anxious. It seemed that the USA and Russia wanted to constitute an stand alone state."

All faces became serious. That meant brothel and capitalistic anarchy, The USA were opened on totalitarianism. That heap of an agreement between peoples, as them, had to be found in camps. For the majority the question was posed and it was necessary to reply to it. Everyone agreed to help Franck and Majorie to escape the house which leaned funnily.

(To be continued...)

©2000:
Certains ne veulent pas comprendre qu'une création doit être protégée. Le fait de protéger les droits de l'auteur ne limite pas la liberté du surfeur, mais encourage simplement les créateurs. Si les auteurs ne peuvent voir leurs travaux protégés et leur droit d'auteur respecté sur l'Internet, cela remet en question toute créativité littéraire ou artistique.

©2000 jpr kraffe

haut de la page