Velvet VIII

-“There is the law of cause and effect. The doors opened to darkness in the past, perhaps pave the way to more death and destruction today.

For instance, the Swastika was also a pagan symbol representing the power of sun and fire. Hitler personified evil itself, and his actions are repercussive to this very day.

For a long time Jews, Arabs, and Christians lived in relative harmony and they prospered in business trade and cultural exchange.

Even during time of duress, when the Catholic Church persecuted the Jews during the inquisition, and expelled them while confiscating their assets in the process, the Arabs opened their doors to them.
Many Jews fled to Turkey, and North Africa where they were met with open arms.

Yet it was after the holocaust that the Zionism movement became a dominant force, which is understandable and coincidentally, the domain of England over Palestine came to an end a few years later in 1948.

The 1948 UN partition plan for Palestine was to create one Arab and one Jewish state. Yet a dispute eventually resulted in the first war of the Arab-Israeli conflict, which rages to this day."

-“Sorry, but I don’t plan to vacation in the Middle East, anytime soon. I told you that I don’t even read the newspapers, unless they come with glossy pictures of celebrities.” Beatriz said despondently.

-“Beatriz, New York is not that far away. Don’t you see that violence begets more violence, and this in turn feeds the darkness?

Put yourself in a neutral place, or in another’s shoes. Would you forgive and forget the loss of a son, daughter, or brother so easily? Although we do forget that we all bleed the same, and although distant relatives, we are all still related as members of the human race.”

-“I guess I don’t think about it that way. I guess it’s safer to point the finger at someone as the bad guy, like in the plot of a movie.” Beatriz says.

-“One should be careful not generalize a whole group of people based on the conduct of the rotten apples and take a rational and neutral approach, for there are good and evil people of every creed and every race – you know that.”

-“I guess so, but still…I’d rather not read the news; it just gives me a feeling of hopelessness and despair. Sometimes I just feel so empty inside.” Beatriz says with defeat.

-“Perhaps you feel empty because even though you fill your body indiscriminately, you don’t connect the soul. In your frantic search for sex, you distance loneliness for a bit, yet push away that which you are truly seeking - love.

Come here baby, and give me your right hand.” Carmen takes hold of Beatriz’ extended hand and makes a fist of her right hand. –“Here takes his ray of light I enclose here and keep it tight.” She folds Beatriz’ hand into a fist.

-“Use it to shine your path, and to be a light in the dark. Choose which side to serve. We can’t allow evil to triumph over the light - for the sake of mankind.

We can’t allow it!” Carmen urges.


Slowly Beatriz unfolds her hand and contemplates the valleys and roads delineated, as a solitary tear travels down the length of her cheek.

-“This is bullshit.” She says still under the influence.


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