Early this morning, before the full heat set in, Mordecai left. He had spent a good deal of the past few days carefully packing his pack and whittling wood stakes, thin and sturdy, like tiny daggers. He and Charles bid adieu and they left before the city was covered in a hot haze that made it appear mythical and not fully real.
Which brings me to today’s word!
Farandman is an old Scottish noun for a wayfarer, traveling merchant or peddler. It is derived from the Middle English (northern dialect) farand (present participle of Middle English faren to go, travel) + Middle English man.
While my brother is peddling nothing more than his specific brand of trouble, I believe this old Scottish word is an appropriate send off for Mordecai.
Bubo flew behind for a few hours and said that except for a small fire that may not have been Mordecai’s fault, his exodus from Brooklyn seemed smooth.
