FATHER (a short story)
- Why, father, have you done all this in my name? Why was I sleeping?
- Come, my sweetest child...
It is quite nice when my innocent kids call me father. For I am a sort of father to them, the one who cares, the one who protects them. I am the guardian of the Dream, the defender of The Way of Life.
- What are you saying, dearest kid?
- Father, look, my hands are bloody.
This happens from time to time; one of the children awakes for no apparent reason. It does not matter how much I care for their sleep, how tender my hand is on their little heads or how strongly I struggle with what might awake them. I say, for no apparent reason one of the children awakes.
After the Big War there was great confusion, many of my sons wanting to change everything -to improve they would say. They would look everywhere, even in the wrong places, trying to learn and wanting to bring home foreign plans and ideas. But our Dream was ready, it needn't being improved. And so I had to fight some of my own children and confront them with the choice of converting or being exiled from the Dream. Few of them had to be exiled though, the Dream was ready as I said, just some minor changes with grand names and I had most of them back in the herd, convinced, finally understanding the need to protect Our Way of Life, The Dream, and so they went to sleep.
The sacrifices to sustain the Dream have been many since. I will not dare to give account of all our deeds. Many nations needed being destroyed and humiliated; many ideas had to be strangled before they could even be tested -we could never allow other dreams to sprout, for that would weaken our own; many kids had to kill to protect our Dream and more had to die.
And so our hands are bloody. But not in our Dream.
- My sweetest child, you have awaken. Come now with me and return to your sleep and I will take care that your dreams remain sugary and gorgeous. Do not be afraid, kid, I will clean your hands while you sleep.
- But father, I cannot go back to sleep now. I am shocked with guilt. Look what my own hands have done, look at all the beautiful kids that my hands have slaughtered, all the faces that I had forgotten, all the voices that cry justice and that in my dream I have despised, without noticing them.
- Be quiet, my child. If you cannot sleep now, that is all right, but do not awake your brothers and sisters. Come, come with me now and see our family sleep.
- But father, we must awake them! They need to see!
- Hold, child, those juvenile impulses! Do not let your hurry blind you. See how innocent our nation is in her sleep. See how sweet and beautiful the Dream is, how pure and blameless.
- But that is not real! There! Vultures circling our Dream! Those kids need to wake up!
- Child! Think now of what you are saying! Look at our great nation and all of her children. Think of what would happen to those innocent kids if they were to wake up! Chaos and confusion, cries and guilt and suicide! Do you really want to assassin our great nation? Do you really want to destroy their pure Dream and force them to live in this painful reality? Would they be happier? No! Our nation destroyed, desolated, is that your intent? Is that your dream? Come now, child. You have awaken. Help me take care of their unblemished Dream. Help me! It is the greatest sacrifice to take care of our nation's Dream, I know, and yet I am requesting you to do this. Sacrifice! Help me help our nation if you cannot go back to sleep. Protect Our Way of Life! Protect their Dream! You can become a Guardian of the Dream! There is no greater duty for our nation. A silent one, I know. A solitary duty. The Greatest Sacrifice. Become a Guardian, my child, my sweetest child, you that have awaken. Take care of our Dream! Protect Our Way of Life!
- But father...
- Make me company, child. Do not destroy our beautiful nation. You are not a traitor, my dearest son, I know you, you love our country and you have loved our Dream. You are not a traitor! Our Dream may not be perfect but it is the best Dream around, I can assure you. The Best Possible Dream. Do not try to change it; better minds than yours have thought of it and failed. Stand up to your new responsibility! Take care of your brothers' Dream! Please, child, become a Guardian. Protect Our Way of Life!
From time to time I have this conversation with one of my children. It is up to them to choose -they are free kids after all. There are many Guardians of our Dream nowadays, but many beautiful children chose not to sacrifice, chose not to protect our Way of Life. They had to be taken away. Poor John, Martin, Malcolm, all beautiful children. They would not stop yelling, trying to wake up their brothers and sisters. They dreamed of a different way of life. Poor kids. But look now, my holly children sleep. How beautiful, how pure their dream is. There is no greater duty than to protect these kids. Any sacrifice is justified.
- Sleep now sons and daughters, do not let anything disturb your lovely Dream. I am always here, taking care of you, my beautiful children. I am here with you.
Chema Nieto
Agrigento, March 2005
(first, i'm not sure if anybody can see Randa's picture... this damn computer is fooling me! if you do not see it, believe me, it is awesome! second, excuse this digression; I have just seen Bamboozled, and the film and some talking with Elisa brought all this up. Third, where and how are you, Alex?. Fourth... well, there is not much more for now. Rejoice)