Three Word Thursday

This is a fun word game to play, devised and hosted by Quilly. Each week she gives us three obscure words and challenges us to use them in a paragraph or story. You can join us by clicking on the link to her blog, Quintessentially Quilly.

Thanks Quilly for doing this so faithfully!

Tortiloquy – (n) crooked speech

Montivagand – (n) wanderer of the mountains and hills

Vultuous – (adj) having a sad or solemn expression

^&^&^&^&^

Alice, Brian and Liz were enjoying a pizza together at Alice’s apartment. Every time one of them brought up the recent difficulties the other two covered their eyes or ears as a signal that this meal was to be trouble-free. As the pizza finally vanished, Brian swallowed a bite and asked Liz, “When are you headed for Brazil again to visit your family?”

“I don’t know, Brian. I’d like to go soon because no one is getting any younger. But when I go I feel that my life is back here so although I’m surrounded by my very loving, noisy family, I’m still alone.” The vultuous expression on Liz’s face was so contrary to her usual nature that Brian felt bad for bringing it up.

“I wish I could go with you and see Brazil. It sounds like a wonderful place,” Brian said, “but I don’t think they’ll let me leave the country until this alleged mystery of Marina’s death is resolved.”

Liz’s expression immediately turned to sparkly, “I’ve been trying to tell you all evening, but you two keep covering your eyes and ears that ridiculous way! The director has straightened things out with the police! They now know the patients with elevated arsenic levels were not poisoned by anyone except possibly themselves as they searched for last measures!”

Brian and Alice cheered, but Brian sobered. “Well why haven’t they told me that?” he asked.

Alice answered, “I’ll take care of that,” and pulled out her cell phone to call the DA. Liz and Brian traded grins as they listened to her bludgeon her way through the bureaucracy that protected the DA and get some kind of satisfaction from him. “Great!” she exclaimed and snapped the phone shut.

“You’re off the hook. I don’t put up with tortiloquy from anyone, but especially with a guy from my own law class whose job it is to uphold the law. For him to think he can put me off with twisted speech is a joke!” she exclaimed.

Brian added, “And one who graduated lower than you in class rankings and who is painfully conscious of it.” He turned to Liz and asked quietly, “so when do we leave?”

Alice sensed something wonderful for both of them starting and excused herself from the table and went to clean up the kitchen. She turned up her music and sang loudly to the folk music on her favorite CD. “Lord I was born a ramblin’ man,” she chorused. As she really got into the groove she started using the scrub brush for a microphone. When the song ended she looked up, startled to see Liz and Brian standing in the doorway clapping and laughing. “You’re a natural!” said Liz. Brian cracked up, “a natural what?” he asked. Alice threw the soapy brush at him. He deftly caught it and said, “It’s settled. We’re going to spend Christmas in Brazil!”

“Oh Alice, please come with us!” Liz invited enthusiastically. Brian elevated one eyebrow which Alice read for the half-invitation it was.

“Thanks, but I’ve already got a plan,” she answered. “I’m going out to the farm and then I’m going to find some place to go hike for 2 weeks. I’ve been dying to get back out hiking, but with work and this mess Brian’s being dealing with, it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to be a montivagand."

At Brian’s expression she added, “and don’t apologize and don’t tell me I need protection! I’ll be taking mom and dad’s wolfhounds with me. They’re big enough and smart enough to protect me. And you’ll be happy to know I’ve scheduled my firearm refresher for next month. So go to Brazil, have a wonderful time, and bring me back a really good present! If it’s not really good I’ll never represent you again. Or worse, I’ll send you a bill for all we’ve just been through!”

Brian went over to his sister and engulfed her in a big hug. “You’re the best, sis,” his muffled voice spoke into the top of her head. “I can’t stand this!” Liz exclaimed and came over to be part of the hug. They all stood there a few minutes being thankful, and then broke apart feeling a little foolish.

They returned to the living room, finished cleaning up the pizza and then settled into a hot game of Scrabble. All three were ferocious competitors, but Alice won as usual. Laughing, Liz said, “you know, if you’d let me use Portuguese words I’d be the champion.” The other two agreed that was probably the case. Brian stretched and said, to Liz and asked, “I’m about beat, but may I take you home?” Liz tried to look casual as she assented, but there were three hearts in the room standing up and cheering at this turn of events.

After they left Alice sat down with her laptop to find the best place to hike for two weeks with wolfhounds. “Hmmm . . . not too cold at night in December, easy to get the dogs to, and away from the city so I can see the stars . . . “ She fell asleep as the laptop’s fan whirred.