The Egyptian Trireme

It was the night after the day that was Christmas. Kobo was finally in bed, or rather, stretched out on a couch in the lounge. It had been a good day. She had woken up early and watched Fish and Butterfly open their presents. Fish's was a bike and Butterfly's was a Barbie. And that was just the beginning.

The family had then climbed up the Snail. After that they had cooked a turkey and eaten it outside on a silver tablecloth. As well as turkey they had eaten ham, and mashed potato and broccoli and carrots, followed by a trifle made by the great grandmother.

Great grandmother had once again been asked to tell the story of how she and her brother had found the little china Santa that sat in the middle of the trifle every year.

It was seventy years ago, said the great grandmother. We were on our bikes. It was my brother who found it.

Fish and Butterfly were not listening. Fish was doing a conga behind the table, and Butterfly was eating the custard.

After lunch the family had gone in two cars to a beach park, where the great grandmother had sat on the grass in the shade, looking down upon the exotic scene. Ladies were bathing in headscarves and mixed groups were passing round hookahs. Barbecue smoke blew across the park in the stiffening breeze.

For dinner the family had eaten prawns and salad and oysters. The great grandmother had been grateful there was leftover ham.

I haven't eaten prawns in years, said the great grandmother. As for oysters, pooh!

But now, it was bedtime, and Kobo was in bed. All was quiet except for the humming of the airconditioner and the snoring of one of the members of the family. All was dark except for a light drifting semi-brightly down the stairs.

She fell into a deep post-Christmas sleep.

BANG!! BANG!! and BANGGGG!!!!

Kobo woke up.

What the dickens was that??? she said out loud. ( But later she wondered whether she had actually said dickens ).

Nothing else happened.

Well, thought Kobo, if no one else is bothered I shall go back to sleep.

She went back to sleep.

In the morning it was pointed out to her that a large heavy metal framed papyrus drawing of an Egyptian trireme had fallen to the floor only inches behind her head.