OKAY What Now?! Mr. C is our guy!
ECH: I know, Gentle Reader, I know.
GR: I mean for reals?! I mean we love him! Dang..now I am bummed. I mean Mr. C. has gone through a lot just in this part of his life.
ECH: I know. He lived in Malta for 15 months! That is all! And during or around that time:
Murder charge in Rome? No worries
Vengeful Pope wanting you dead n’ stuff? Don’t mention it
A contract requested for your artistic skills on a lovely island in the Mediterranean? Sure..whatever you need
Allow Knights to shower you with affection and even Knight you in a ceremony? I mean, only if you want…
Create one of your greatest masterpieces in your career? OMG…YOUR words..not mine!
So yeah…he has lived a bit…
However, and here is where it gets dicey.
Once again, Mr. Caravaggio got himself into a bit of a scrap and apparently, it got heated. I mean, I totally get it. I myself recently got into a little dust up at the new “Enchilada Explosion” restaurant in town.
GR: Ummmm…”Enchilada Explosion?”
Adobe AStock of what an enchilada explosion may look like
ECH: Well yeah. I was having a night out with my cousins Jeb and Dee Dee. Remember them? I think Chapter 2…3 maybe?
GR: Okay, yeah, sure…
ECH: Okay so like the server guy asks “Do y’all want guac?” And I totes know the guac is extra but I can never remember how much and all? So I was all like “Is the guac extra?” and then he was all like “I don’t think so” so then I was all “Fine! Bring on the guac!”
GR: Umm hey Eric
ECH: Yeah, just a second…SO THEN I get the check at the end of the meal…and guess what is listed at the bottom? Additional $3.67 for..
GR: …sigh…is it Guac?
ECH: GUAC! It was GUAC! knew it! I totally knew it! Boy did I give him the evil eye when paying.
GR: So how does that relate in any way, shape, or form to Caravaggio getting into trouble? I mean seriously. You go on this long tirade about what, the “Taco Toronado?”
ECH: Enchilada Explosion
GR: Yeah…whatever…Can you please get this crazy train back on track?
ECH: Ahem….So what we DO know is that Michelangelo Caravaggio got into a NON-guac related incident. This resulted in an argument between he and a Senior Knight …
Adobe Stock
Arguments lead to weapons…
Weapons lead to injured senior knight…
Injured senior knight lead to Caravaggio running guiltily off into the darkness.
GR: Quick aside…doing great here..but is that supposed to be a picture of Caravaggio kicking the Senior Knight in some sort of University Backpack Duel?
ECH: It was the only stock image I could find on short notice. I didn’t think you’d catch that…
GR: Sigh..go on…
Unfortunately this argument resulted in a Senior Knight getting seriously injured at Caravaggio’s hand.
GR: Probably hit him with his back pack. Chemistry books are heavy.
Anyway…the Knight was injured! Old habits die hard and the Knights tracked down their man. From there they threw him into the local jail until they determined his fate.
Caravaggio, however, already knew what fate had in store. He had seen the gallows in Malta. It did not end well for those criminals and it would not end well for him.
Adobe Stock
Taking matters into his own hands, Mr. C. found an accomplice. Together they teamed up and made a great escape! Breaking out of jail, dropping into a boat he sailed off into the darkness.
After only 15 months in Malta, Michelangelo Caravaggio escaped his fate at the hand of the Knights of St. John’s….drifting off to the next chapter for the hot headed, murdering genius.
Thus ending Michelangelo Caravaggio’s time in Malta.
GR: Holy frijoles that is crazy business!
ECH: But wait for the kicker!
GR: Hit me…
The Kicker
The Knights determined that by escaping, he had deserted the Knighthood. So they set up a ceremony to “de-knight” Caravaggio. A large formal ceremony was set up to take away his title and knock him back down to a simple man.
They needed to gather all the people together at one time to complete this formal “shaming ceremony.” In order to get all of these people together, well…they were going to need space…
GR: Oh no…
ECH: Maybe a giant room?
GR: Seriously? For real?
ECH: Yeah…They set up the ceremony…and the Knights removed his title directly in front of Caravaggio’s own daunting masterpiece, “The Beheading of St. John the Baptist” taking place in a room that showcased his genius.
THAT’S the kicker.
Author personal photo complete with cloaked tourists!