The Morning After chap.2

Unlikely friends chap. 2 The Morning after (reposting)

 

 

Herman woke up at the crack of dawn. As he came up out of his hole, he wondered if Sherman was around. Herman stopped to listen.............. but nothing. No music was playing! He figured old man Johnson found Sherman, and had disposed of him. Just like he had done with all the other snails he'd found. Seems every time Herman made friends with someone; they either moved on or were done away with!

 

Herman preferred to think they moved away, the thoughts of how old man Johnson got rid of the snails gave him a chill. But now he shrugged his body, and went to work. To make his work more enjoyable, he pretended he could hear music. Going up and down into the ground while swaying his body back and forth. He had done this for more than an hour. But just as he was coming up he swore there was real music playing. It was emanating from down by the turnip and radish plants.

 

“Hmmmm,” Herman mumbled. So he worked his way down there. Sure enough there was Sherman nibbling on some turnip leaves. Herman yelled, “ Hey Shermie- my friend. Boy, am I glad to see you still around”

 

Sherman stopped nibbling long enough to say, “ Oh, hi there Herman, what's up?”

 

“ Oh not to much, how about you? Those leaves tasty to you?” Herman asked, with his head titled to one side.

 

Sherman stopped chewing, long enough to say, “ These are delicious, but those over there give me gas!”

 

Herman looked toward the radish crop, then laughingly said, “ Yeah, those are radishes, the white ones can get that way. Just don't eat any when I'm around, Shermie!”

 

Sherman started laughing, then cut a big one, “ Sorry to late, already ate a few- guess they don't agree with me, he he!”

 

“ It's ok, good thing I am up wind of you though, “ Herman replied in a relieving tone.

 

Just then they both heard a loud “ Shoo-ey, who let off the stink bomb? You could kill a person with that!”

 

A large black ant came out from behind the next set of plants.

 

Sherman looked around, then back at Herman “ A friend of yours, perhaps?

“ Never laid eyes on him before,” Herman answered.

 

“ Hi- ya!” the black ant replied while moving is body in a karate chopping motion.

 

In a regal fashion, Sherman asked, “ And who might you be, with your ' hi-ya' attitude?

Herman went down into the ground, and then came back up next to Sherman. “yeah, who are you and what's that funny get up you got on?” Herman inquisitively asked.

 

“Let me handle this, since I am the King, Herman,” Sherman said authoritatively!

 

He turned to the ant, and said, ''Well then, just whom might you be?”

 

Sherman and Herman stood there waiting for the ants reply...........

 

 

“ Oh sorry guys, very impolite of me, not to introduce myself, I'm always forgetting my manners” the ant said. Then he stood real tall and said, “ My name is........ my name is....... man, that's another thing I forget a lot!”

 

Herman shook his head and thought ' must have been dropped on his head to much.' Then went down into the ground and back up again.

 

Sherman blinked a few times, “ Now how can you forget your name? Have you got it written down somewhere?

 

The black ant stood there for a minute thinking, as he tapped his head a few times.

 

Herman came up by Sherman, and whispered “ anything yet Shermie?” Sherman shook his head no, then motioned like the ant was nuts!

 

Herman giggled, and said “ be back in a minute.”

 

King Sherman slide over to the ant, and looked at the things he was wearing. “What's this thing you got on, is that belt holding up you bottoms or whatever they are?” Sherman asked.

 

The ant looked down, and happily said, “Oh this is my karate outfit! That's right my names- Karate Chopping Joe!

 

Sherman squinted his eyes, and asked “What's that....karate?”

 

K.C. Joe, the ant, said proudly, “ It's a form of martial arts, and I am a black belt in the form of karate!”

 

Sherman said sarcastically, “ Looks more like you're wearing p-jammies!” Then he snickered just as Herman came back up.

 

“Jammies,” Herman started, “ but it's not bed time-we just got up!”

 

“No Herman, I told him his outfit looked like P-jammies!” Sherman said while laughing.

 

All the while K.C. Joe was moving around like he was fighting an invisible person.

 

Herman and Sherman stared at Joe, then at each other- then back at Joe.

 

Sherman whispered, “ He must be off his rocker, Herman.”

 

K.C. Joe stopped and looked at them, Hmph!, he said.

 

Herman said, “ what I didn't say anything!”

 

Sherman started, “Well, it wasn't........ok it was me sorry Joe!”

 

K.C. Joe ( for short) replied in a asking tone, “ hasn't your moms ever told you, it's not nice to talk about someone?”

 

Herman bent his head down, then said in a sad way, “ I never knew my mother.”

 

Sherman and K.C. Joe looked at Herman; and Joe said, “Wow, that's harsh man...worm. But you look like a right nice worm though!”

 

Herman looked up proudly, then said, “ Yeah you're right! I have done pretty good so far. Thanks Joe.”

 

K.C. Joe answered, “ No problem, I got a cousin in China that has no dad. So I know where your coming from. He was part of the Red Ant Army and was killed in battle. It was a real bloody war, almost wiped out the whole colony of Red Ants too.

 

Sherman stood with his eyes wide open, and gasped, saying “ohhhhh!”

 

K.C. Joe turned to Sherman , and said, “ Sorry Sherman, it's gruesome, but a sad reality. Some people just don't trust the Red Ants. Now what about your family, where are they?”

 

Sherman proudly said, “Oh, all of my family are everywhere, got cousins that are slugs, but we don't claim them much.”

 

K.C. Joe asked, “ Why?”

 

Sherman said “ Oh they are hippie's – roaming free. They refused to live in a castle too. You know like I do, they just slither around here and there.”

 

Herman asked Sherman, “ What's wrong with that? I mean I don't have a shell and I do fine, although it would be sweet having a rad stereo like you got. Speaking of that Shermie, show Joe your radical tunes- maybe put it on something hipper, not that you're a hippie dude!”

 

Sherman laughed and said, “ Ok, be right back!”

Herman went down then up next to Joe, and said, “ Just wait, Joe” with a big grin.

 

When K.C. Joe heard the music, he was shocked! Then when Sherman came out he said, “Wow- you got some of Fuzzy Caterpillars? Thats a righteously awesome band man....er snail. I got to see them perform right before Nikki Catz quit! Without him the band folded- but they're music is still good!”

 

Sherman replied, “ yeah that's why I got their album. Might be a collector's copy too, Since not to many were made.”

 

Herman said, “ I don't know who they are but this has got me wanting to get back to work. See ya guys later, unless I get pooped. Then it's asta la vista, baby!, Herman giggled as he wiggled into the ground to the music.

 

K.C. Joe said, “ I got some karate moves to work on too. What are you gonna do Sherman?”

 

Sherman proudly stated, “ What I do best- pillage and plunder..... I mean eat!” Then he laughed, and began munching again.

 

K.C. Joe began moving up wind of Sherman, and said, “ he he, I don't want to get hit with another one of your stink bombs. See ya, oh yeah happy plundering Sherman!”

 

But Sherman was already busy devouring more turnip leaves and rockin' out to the tunes. He could hear K.C. Joe saying, ' Hi ya- and some other words he'd never heard before.' They all did their work while the Fuzzy Caterpillars music boomed out of the speakers on Sherman's castle shell.