Cruisin'

“We’re going on a cruise!” Claire Nathan exulted to Randall.

Everyone in Periwinkle County takes a vacation together each September. It’s not really a vacation. They go some place to work in the vineyards of the Lord.

In past years they have gone to Saskatchewan to help with the persimmon harvest, or to Florence to restore old paintings with persimmon oil, or to Provence to help with the persimmon stomping.

“How’s going on a cruise going to qualify as working in the vineyards of the Lord?” asked Claire’s husband, The Rev. Dr. Randall Nathan, (Retard).

“We’re going to take persimmon pudding to Mali, so they can have a balanced diet.”

“Hmm… I used to date a girl named Mali,” said Randall.

Their grandchildren, Betsy and Johnny, rolled their eyes. They’ve heard of their grandpa’s old girlfriends before.

“The town council has rented the whole Ms. Hotdam cruise ship from Ancient Mariner Cruise Lines,” said Claire. “The Persimmon Boys are going along to provide music on the cruise. One of them is a preacher now, you know. They call him Pastor Persimmon. Because of Hurricane Hannah off the east coast, they’re going to come right up the Mississippi and pick us up at our landing.”

And it happened. Everyone in Periwinkle County got on Ms. Hotdam.

Ancient Mariner Cruise Lines has no ship to shore communication possibilities, other than messenger albatrosses, so we shall hear no more of the Periwinklians until they return from… oh, wait a minute… that’s not Mali on the destination line… it’s Somalia….