19828 - The barefoot inquisitive
B. Euaggeliou, N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Athena Kehagias
Two friends who haven’t met for some time, come face to face on an uphill street of Athens. He who climbs up the hill:
– Oh, Christ! You were just in my mind! I was wondering if you would still have that innocent look you had when I first met you on May 2010.
– I am glad to finally see you through paper. Since then I was Just, not innocent though. Maybe in my glance you saw yours! You know how friendships are …
– I’m afraid I am neither innocent nor Just. That’s why my friend, I look at you so intensely in the eyes! Just in case I steal the justice you carry inherently.
– You are certainly innocent, as you were even acquitted by the court. This is what innocent means. Is he, who was wrongly accused and justly acquitted. That’s why I am with you, wherever I may be. So you don’t need to steal my justice, as you always have it with you.
– Yes, you’re right. I have a vindication paper! And you know it from the beginning, as you see me through the paper!
– Your paper is always white, regardless of the bruising of society. For Humanity you are justified! Now that we’ve made it clear, do you want to go to Thission?
– Of course I do. To drink very sweet coffee. I’ve also got candy. Do you want to count our steps to there, or you already know how many there are?
– It depends on how many candies you have, to make the way there sweet .
– I have that many that we could even go from the National Highway. They smile.
– If you do the distance walking, it will become a marathon. Are you ready;
– Yes, my friend, I’m ready. Besides, what I always remember intensely about you, is that even half a step walked with you, is a marathon.
– Let’s then make our steps together to share half of them!
– Our purest roots are these shared steps. The barefoot ones. They take off their shoes. You start, so that I can see with the naked eye, how much the imprint of your foot resembles the imprint of my left palm.
– With our feet on the earth as roots and our hands up in the sky as tree leaves we are the bondage of blue. See how alike we are due to humanity. Because your hand and my foot write history on the sea land.
They start arriving at Thissio, because the beginning is everything.
Arriving at Thissio, they see the following scene: An elderly lady with a straw broom, sweeping the grass. The friends look at each other!
-This is definitely one of ours, let’s go to greet her. She cleans up for your birthday!
They approach her:
– You must be Mrs. Inquisitive. I know that we can make you one question each. Please tell me how old I become today?
– That much,that it can’t be incuded within any month, the Lady replied.
And they both knew that it could fit only in May. Since it is the smallest month in letters.
Due to gentility!
– I remember you, said the lady. And I was wondering when you will come barefoot … That’s why I was sweeping …
They are approaching Mrs Inquisitive and they embrace her. “That’s what wonderings are for,” said the two friends simultaneously. “So we could be smothering them with love while grounded “
So they decided to treat her to sugar with a bit of coffee. To relieve her from the bitterness of life.
They go and sit at a table with two chairs. Mrs Inquisitive, is wondering where she will sit. On the table of course, they told her again with one voice.
The Lady was left wondering. The waiter arrives.
– What would you like;
– Bring us two very sweet Greek ones and a submarine for the Lady.
Finally, the two of them are left standing barefoot with the coffee in hand, and the Lady with the submarine seated .
-Why do you stand there like sugarcane?
-We are observing the victory of the sugar …
-You are happy hereon …
– So you drink the same coffee. Says the Lady.
– Yes. That’s how we minimize the chance of mixing them up.
– Exactly. All we know for each coffee is who drank first.
The Lady smiles wondering.
– That’s how we also know who is the second one who shared it with us. One coffee for two bodies, like the friendship of Aristotle.
– In this friendship, are we the old or the grumpy?
– We are the Ancients who don’t wear away. Those who do not forget the future!
-The hyperfuture interest us my friend?
– From the beginning to the end!