Bubba French MMD2

"Bubba French was a genius
His name first came up in 2024"

Grandfather cleared his throat
Spitting quietly into an old handkerchief
The camp chair made of tree branches
Hiding under all the quilts and cushions
Creaking ominously as he shifted his bulk
As if it was willing itself to not fly to pieces
Becoming kindling for the crackling fire in the hearth

His right tentacled appendage
Wrapping thoughtfully around his left hand
Grandfather went on

"He was the new hope
That was going to reform genetic research
I can't tell you what he did exactly that gave 'Hope'
All I know is he was on Time Magazine's cover
And it said "A New Hope" over his head."

Chuckling suddenly
He added

"Lucasfilm sued them for that
But I don't suppose you even know what I'm talking about
It was a famous movie title
And back then companies and people
They thought that you could own words"

Grandfather was silent for a little while
His mismatched eyes
One blue as the ocean
The other a sparkly brown
Which changed to gold at times

This was one of those times
His ocean blue and sparkle gold
Locked upon the dancing flames
Heedless of time

I sipped my spiked coffee
Grateful for it's warmth as it coursed through me
Sitting back in the chair
Sticking my furry toes out towards the fire
But not too close
I learned not to do that years before
I scorched all the hair off my feet once
And while it hadn't hurt
It had smelled pretty bad

The old mantle clock chimes it's half hour sound at us
Breaking the old man out of his reverie
And starting him talking again
Suddenly
And a wee bit less whispery

"French was hired by Monsanto
He was the new face of the company for a time after that magazine cover
And they trotted him out at every news conference
They made him their poster boy for a new era at the company
A new era that would result in them being loved by the world
Or so they had hoped"

HIs leather skinned brow wrinkled deeper
Brown tentacled left gripping pink monkey right hand
Just a little tighter

"Then in the summer of 2027
We all found out about the Armenian Incident"