A Naughty Night ...or Two!...

                                                    ( Feb 08 )

                              A Naughty Night ...or Two!...


                                

                                          My Brother and I

             When still at primary school, we had been given a very small
            toy like transistor radio, the size of a current time mobile phone
            which we used to share at bed times.

            Our mother used to send us to bed very early
            before our father's arrival from work
            which made it hard to sleep especially during summer time
            when we could hear all the other neighbourhood kids
            still roaming about, playing merrily till late into the starry night.

            My father had decreed about the use of the Radio: 

           ''We were not allowed to listen to the Sunday Radio Theatre''
            unless he had read a review prior to airing

            and had judged it suitable for our ages.

            We were both good kids basically
            but temptation often proved much stronger than our best wills
            and we ended up frequently disobeying secretly.

            Our beds were placed in an L shape in a shared bedroom
            with the head sides touching
            so it was easy to put the little radio as close as possible
            to an equal middle distance so that we were both able

            to listen at a very low volume

            especially when it was obvious by the content

            that it would be forbidden.

            One of those disobedient nights we landed on a very scary play.
            So scary that we were both frozen with fear and scarcely breathing
            both wishing the radio turned off

            but neither dared make the slightest move despite the fact
            that it was sitting only a couple of inches away from each.

            It was about some crime that someone had committed
            and a chorus of several male and female voices
            representing the Echoing of the Offender's Conscience
            with a Haunting, Ghost like quality
            chanted repeatedly, initially softly, like a whisper
            but increasingly louder and with more accusing

            and threatening tone at each repetition: 

          

             Then my brother, much younger as he was, asked with trembling voice:

            

              I considered the offer carefully for a few seconds in the dark 

                                

              but if I said yes, that would mean that I would have to ...move
              in order to get it... which of course... I did not dare ...
              so i refused with equally trembling voice:

                                    

               A good lesson learned but only temporarily...

                                                      * * *

               Another Play another Disobedient night

               This one was not as scary, but had a very lasting impression
               on me because of its strong symbolism
               which spoke to me at the time
               so much so that even now I can still remember most of it
               yet it took many years later to understand its meaning.

               I do not remember title or author

               but the main part of the story runs like this:

               A small party of friends and colleagues
               are meeting at a friend's house.
               A couple of them have already arrived and are talking.
               Their conversation is interrupted by another arrival
               announcing some rather peculiar news:

               "There have been some Weird Sightings of Rhinoceroses in the City"

                It sounds odd and unbelievable but it is soon confirmed
                by more friends arriving and some strange stampeding noises

                are started to be heard in the street 

                and the friends gather near the windows from where

                they can now witness the curious phenomenon for themselves.

                The last friend to arrive, highly anxious and agitated
                brings even more disturbing news regarding the current situation:

                "Some strange virus is affecting anyone who steps outside

                into the street causing them to turn into Rhinoceroses

                and Inevitably Join the Herds" 

                Initially the friends decided to remain in the house 

                until it was all over but as the hours went by 

                those who had already been exposed to the virus 

                on their way there, found it difficult to contain themselves.

                They felt an irresistible urge to burst out in the streets
                and join the herds, so one after another
                despite their initial resolve, started to give up and left the house

                while the remaining ones witness their transformation 

                to Rhinoceroses from inside the windows

                Finally only those who had arrived early
                and had not been affected remained. 

                But as the hours went by they came to realise 

                with tremendous anguish and anxiety

                that more and more people were being converted 

                and it looked like  there was no hope any more.

                They were doomed to either Stay and Die Isolated in the house

                or Run Outside and follow the Herds.

                 After a lot of agonising resistance only One remained.

                 In the end, after a lot of internal struggle

                 and unable to resist on his own any longer

                 he gave up and in despair threw himself 
                 into the street joining the Herds...

                                                   ***

                   How often despite our own reasoning, beliefs or ideals

                   find ourselves eventually having to give in 

                   into Society's trampling forces

                     

                   turning into Rhinoceroses and joining the herds 
                   in order to avoid isolation, loneliness, exclusion,  
                   rejection, discrimination and the rest...