3025 - One picture, one thousand dead

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Evi Charitidou

– I’d like to show you a photograph, but I don’t dare…
– Why?
– I’m afraid of your reaction…
– So, is this photograph so terrible?
– It’s not this that is terrible.
– What is then?
– The crime!
– The crime?
– A crime against humanity.
– What exactly is it about? You seem upset.
– It’s about my history.
– I didn’t know that your people have suffered genocide.
– I don’t hold this against you.
– But, I hold it against me.
– You hadn’t been born in 1933.
– Neither did I die then.
– Do you still want me show you the photograph?
– Yes, of course.
– You won’t hold against me that I made you suffer.
– Isn’t this friendship?
– There you are.

The shock is unbearable. His friend is trying to hide the photograph.

– No, I have to see it, because it’s in your soul.
– It’s true. It’s graven on my soul.
– I’m really sorry for not ever….
– Don’t say this…I didn’t dare talk you about this.
– But why?
– I was afraid of being accused.
– Accused of what?
– Of propaganda.
– You are crazy!
– No, but society is absurd.
– Thus, certain people question the existence of this genocide.
– Yes, in the name of politics.
– Death is not politics.
– But, crime is.
– It’s a crime against humanity.
– Except that sometimes humanity consists of few humans.
– From now on, I’ll belong to them.