Monday, January 19, 2004
Dreams and Reality
The cup of tea on his table was going cold. Not that Max minded that too much. Tea was, after all, Tea, whether that was hot or cold. And Max needed that round the clock and especially when he was at his workplace in the chair behind the Editor's desk. Caffiene was one thing he couldn't live without, he was sure. And more importantly, think without.
George Soros's treatment of the current US government's imperial misadventure as an expanding bubble on the threshold of its bursting point had attracted Max's attention as he scanned the several articles on his desk. Wasn't Soros the Jewish financier and economist against whom Mahathir had launched such scathing criticism back in the late '90s when the 'tiger' economies of south east Asia began falling like a house of cards? The then Malaysian Premier had laid the blame for that squarely on Jewish fiancial brains like that of George Soros.
'Yea' thought Max. 'Shakespeare would tell you that as well. Courtesy, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.'
It were people like Soros who had created the bubble of economic growth in south east Asia and of course, the bubble had to burst sometime or the other and they probably knew when to do that too. That was when other bubbles of the IMF and World Bank bailout packages type were already in the making.
'And now this guy talks of the bubble of American foreign policy,' Max said to himself. Machiavelli's Prince, at once, comes to mind as do the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. 'Even, the Demon does get caught in the act sometimes,' as the Wayfarer had once informed him. 'Yea,' thought Max, as he picked up the other article, 'and give the Demon his due when he says it like it is. When he says that he speaks in doublespeak. Doublespeak: the language of the cowboy administration that's in the White House right now. And that's what Soros had to say.'
The tea had indeed gone cold as Max took a sip out of it now while his eyes gulped down the paragraphs on the next article. One would have thought that his eyes even widened just then for what they had swallowed whole. 'My God! That could have been me instead of that municipality clerk. What with all this mindless violence that has been consuming the innocents of the world: innocent people who do not know what they are killing for or for what they are being killed.'
'My day is made already!' said Max slowly to himself as he reflected on the dream and the reality that sat before him on the Editor's Desk. 'Shakespeare would have approved this play for publication as well.'
It read as follows:
Watching flashes of the on-going violence in parts of the world on the TV, and pretty tired of the scenes, the municipality-clerk falls asleep on the sofa and immediately enters into a dream.
Act 1
Bursel: You have the gun.
Saad: No I don't.
Bursel: I will believe in you only when you show me the gun.
Saad: What! You mean I should get it first and then show it to you?
Bursel: Don't be illogical to the strongest and the cleverest man around here. You have the gun, because we gave you the gun.
Saad: O.K. Then my house is open. Search for the gun.
Bursel: Don't play this with us any more, we will destroy you with your gun.
Saad: But first of all why did you give me the gun?
Bursel: For your protection.
Saad: So aren't you interested in my protection now?
Bursel: But you're becoming a threat to a dear friend of ours.
Saad: But he also has the gun. In fact, several, and more powerful than the rusted one I once had.
Bursel: That's the point. If he has the gun you shouldn't have it.
Saad: Why?
Bursel: Because we want to make the world safer.
Bursel: By the way, we have also started liking your house. It has a beautiful garden. My wife will love it.
Saad: My wife also loves it.
Bursel: Shut Up! There is no comparison between my wife and yours.
Saad: I will take this case to the country court, you are being unjust.
Bursel: Ha! Ha! Ha! You are ignorant, the judge is my father in-law. I don't think he will like his daughter to be unhappy.
Saad: Then I will call my people.
Bursel: People! What people! They're all drunk.
Saad: But this is not right.
Bursel: We decide right and wrong, not you.
Act - 2
(A loud noise is heard from outside, Saad is worried and wants to know about the source of the noise).
Saad: What's the noise outside? Let me go and see.
Bursel: No need. My men have started digging in your garden to find the gun.
Saad: I curse your men, and hope they get destroyed and dangle on to the fence as old pieces of cloth.
Bursel: You're out of your mind.
Saad: O.K. With my rusted sickle I challenge you and your cronies to come and fight.
Bursel: Hmmm! When will you accept your defeat?
Act - 3
(Some shouts are heard from outside, a group of villagers have gathered. They shout slogans in favor of Saad).
Villagers: Stop this injustice! Stop this injustice!
Bursel: (Referring to the villagers) Injustice! My dear friends, we are helping Saad to beautify his garden, we want to pluck his old plants, plough the land and then sow new seeds. These new seeds will give rise to new plants, these new plants will bring out new flowers, and these flowers will spread new fragrance around. (He winks).
(The crowd immediately split into two groups. One slips away. One party remains).
Villagers: Oh! Bursel you are great - and kind. Please don't forget to come to our garden as well.
Bursel: (Smirking) Of course, of course. How can I forget you?
Saad: I hope my people will get off their stupor and help me.
Bursel: Forget them. They're always either sliding on the abyss or peering into the sky. I told you they are drunk.
Act - 4
(Saad's six-year-old daughter, Ana, comes running in from the neighbor's house).
Ana: Abooee! Who are these people?
Saad: My child, these are lizards. They have come to hiss at us. Don't worry. We'll drive them away.
Bursel: Oh my sweet little lady! Don't worry. We're the old friends of your father.
Ana: (Looking at the men pulling out plants), Abooee! Why are your friends plucking my roses. Ummi won't like it.
Saad: I told you, honey, they're lizards. Don't worry we'll plant new ones.
Ana: Abooee, your friends aren't lizards. They're more like roaches.
Bursel: (Angry, pulls his gun out and shoots Ana dead. Her blood flows into the plants).
Saad: (With a look of contrition) You animal, you have no heart to do this? (He lunges forward at Bursel. Bursel's men catch him. Struggling, he shouts) Listen to me. One day you will pay for this blood. And the blood will follow you. Not just in your life but into your grave.
Bursel: Still dreaming, poor fellow. Kill him!
Act - 5
The Devil appears. He starts chasing some people. A crowd is cheering him. In their excitement they throw popcorns at the Devil and yell, "Slit their throats! Slit their throats. Show us more blood!"
The clerk wakes up with a start. He is amused by the dream and joins the crowd in the street shouting, "Blood, blood. We need more blood."
The tea on the table was now going stale beside the empty Editor's chair.
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