“How firm you are in your seat of eternity,
Your monument of everlastingness!
It is filled with offerings of food,
It contains every good thing.
Your ka is with you,
It does not leave you,
O Royal Seal-bearer, Great Steward, Nebankh!
Yours is the sweet breath of the north wind!
So says his singer who keeps his name alive,
The honorable singer Tjeniaa, whom he loved,
Who sings to his ka every day. (Lichtheim, Middle Kingdom, 194).”
Pharaohs have sung those words for the souls crossing their way to eternity!
Demolishing arts, violence, wars, and death in life have become utter
absurdity!
Since dawn, the theatre’s gown has been worn out by the screens of modernity.
And what the Romans and the Pharaohs did has been just heritage by human
ingenuity!
Many years later, the story told about Chaucer, tells how uncertain is
purity!
I.
Act 1:
“I won’t take my mask off! These are
my last hours on earth! I want to be featureless! You’ve loved me when I was
featureless; you’ve left me when I was featureless! We all hide things, and we
all show what we can only reveal; after the resurrection, we won’t look the
same, we will be far more beautiful if we played well the game”
These were the last words Mr. Chaucer
said!
It was
sunset time in April 2040 when Mr. Chaucer entered the court. Two years ago, a
plague outbroke, and all the people in East Norway had to wear shields to
protect themselves. Yet, Mr. Chaucer had put a black mask on his face covering
his eyes for many years. No one ever has known his real features, except for
his old beloved fiancée. He tried to bury such love with his old-forgotten
features after their breakup! Yet, he has never forgotten her, Louisa.
On that day, when he entered the court, as he was a Judge before being
promoted to be a minister, he tried to give freedom to all his suppressed emotions
and thoughts by pronouncing them. He walked stealthily inside, but he had
such self-composure to stop his provoking thoughts inside to be fair and
square. He has to be professional despite all he has been through, and the
plethora of emotions overwhelming him.
The first case he had to deal with
was tackling domestic violence. During the lockdown in the plague, a husband beat
his wife several times and tried to shoot her after their discussion and
quarrel about why he cheated on her, and luckily, she did not die!
Mr. Chaucer to the husband: What was
your motive to kill Sandra?
The husband: I had zero motive to
kill her, or even cheat on her, I was livid and blind!
Mr. Chaucer: However, she proved
that you were not loyal through submitting legal documents and the cameras in
your house showed you hit her several times and tried to shoot her.
The husband: I totally lost my
temper as my love faded and I got bored, but I never intended to kill her at
all.
Mr. Chaucer at this moment had a
shiver and started to preach to men in the court:
Prison is freedom. I have been
hidden to accommodate my anxieties, bad temper, and sins and feel free. We can
always hide, but we must confess at one time or another. We must feel peace
when we confess our wrong deeds. In the lockdown, many families became happier
as they discovered how intimate and kind, as well as blessed they are. Other
men, who are blind, kept on beating their wives and could not bear to be in the
same house together. Chaucer started to cry and confessed that he cheated on
his fiancée many years ago, and despite the fact that he was always free, he
felt imprisoned without her love. Since then, he kept his mask on, and he
couldn’t take it off! He also felt free when he confessed his sins and hid his
features. He wanted to be judged upon his deeds, or not being judged at all... He was always caught in this dilemma that he wanted to quit his job as a judge as he felt
he is just a human being with flaws and he cannot judge! He was jolted out of
his thoughts to listen to the husband shouting!
The husband: You should set me free.
We all have our sins!
Chaucer: You are again rushing
without reason. It is true that we all sin, but have you learnt anything?! Your
ego is controlling your mind, and you defend the unreasonable common social
mistakes!
The husband: I love her no more, and
I will divorce her.
Chaucer: If you do not love her. You
both depart without any harm. You are mistaken, and we will reach a lawful
verdict after deliberation!
All the attendees felt how angry Mr. Chaucer was albeit his concealed
features; his inner pain was vivid in his voice! Half an hour later, the
husband was sent to jail to stay there for two years.
The next day, Mr. Chaucer had a one-of-a-kind issue that a man spread
negative vibes and caused depression to many people via social media platforms
which led to long depression episodes for many citizens around Norway and affected their immunity.
Chaucer to Jack: Why have you posted
false news and fabricated images of war victims on the borders?
Jack: That was true, yet the media
doesn’t show that. Facebook always gives vibrant vibes and omits real life for
the sake of limiting violence. Truths are altered and evil is always
victimized! The truth is removed because they claim it’s a “sensitive content”!
Chaucer: Have you been there to
judge?
Jack: Actually, I belong to a
mixed-race city; I am one of those who got evacuated from their homes and got detached
from their families. I lived in abject poverty and hazardous peril all the
time. Sir, if you know your vision can see as long as the horizon is unlimited,
I cannot unleash my vision longer than a second or further than a meter. I
belong to an occupied country; a long-living land, but perished dying souls,
despite audacity.
After hearing such words, Chaucer
felt perplexed and deeply agonized; he could not overcome his trauma when he
joined the army many years ago. He knows well what is the meaning of injustice!
He knows well when all the lands are bereft of all colours, and just daunted by
grey, black and red! Norway, now, has restrained rules against negativity and
dystopian thoughts. Yet, it is totally dystopian not to reach a resolution in
conflicts and not to defend yourself in unfair situations; it is totally
misleading!
At such a moment, Chaucer imagined
that he died and that he met another wiser judge, Rakan...
II.
Act 2
Rakan was smiling and welcomed
Chaucer to soothe him; he knew well how his overthinking was killing, and how
he wanted justice for everyone in a world controlled by worldly unfair rules,
interests, and grudges! No one has further vision beyond death, and no one
knows the whole truth, other than death!
Chaucer -scared- : Hi! Who are you?!
Rakan: I am a former judge from Egypt
who died in 332 B.C. when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt. My name is
Rakan, and I know you are Chaucer and you are a judge too. I won’t ask you how
is Earth, because I know it is still in a state of turmoil... Half the nature’s
soul is already resting here because of human abuse in all its forms.
From here, we can see far better and
judge everything, because we have a better vision here!
Chaucer was really frightened at
this moment that his heart missed a beat .. Rakan felt that apprehensive
feeling in Chaucer’s eyes and shivered involuntarily...
Calmly, Rakan said, “Here there is no fear; we
are in absolute peace! All the dead rest in peace... You know... Let me introduce
to you my friend, Aaru, who died in Kadesh Battle in 1274 BC which led to the
world’s first recorded peace treaty... His birthday is today, the day he died,
he was reborn into a totally new world!”
Chaucer suddenly felt relaxed after
reflecting on Raman’s words: Hi Aaru! Happy birthday! You seem very happy;
would you tell me your wish?
Aaru: Welcome Chaucer! We better
listen to Neferhotop and Tjeniaa singing first on the Harper’s song for my
birthday!..
O tomb, you were built for
festivity,
You were founded for happiness!
How firm you are in your seat of
eternity,
Your monument of everlastingness!
It is filled with offerings of food,
It contains every good thing.
Happy birthday to a pure soul!
Resurrected from the world’s growl!
Chaucer felt goosebumps and was
happy to listen more, but Rakan and Aaru broke into gales of laughter.. hahahaa..
hahahaaaaaa
Aaru: This cake, the food offering
we have today is more than enough... I wonder why we sought more on Earth!
Rakan: Same philosophy! Why do we all
have all these battles and grudges to occupy other lands or die while setting
free other lands. War is always pointless!
Chaucer: This cake is really
beautiful! Yet, I want to ask you to help me reach a resolution in a confusing
case on Earth! You, also, haven’t told me about your wish!
Aaru and Rakan: We know your
question and we think we have answered you!
It’s our wish too!
Jolted out of his reverie, Chaucer
was crying and laughing! Such mixed feeling touched a breeze in his soul!
Later, he could find a loophole in the dystopian laws to set Jack free, aiming
that his word reaches out and sets his country free; what
is built on falsehood is false itself; war is pointless!
Chaucer kept on treading lightly in
the rain singing!
War is pointless!
Our moment of everlastingness!
Comes after Resurrection!
Where on earth is the meaningful
Affection!
He was as happy and as fresh as a
baby and so matured in that moment of epiphany!
Chaucer felt how a song, a piece of
art was liberating his soul, how his unleashed imagination emancipated him from
his dilemma; how history was mistaken to propagate for more wars, and how art
tried to bring peace. How old Aaru which means peace in pharaonic language,
and old Rakan which means wisdom in Arabic had a traumatic experience on Earth,
but they were brought back to their meaningful artistic baby names in the afterlife.
He wondered silently! Silence makes
us much miserable on Earth! Once we decide not to feel in order not to be hurt,
we decide to die! Once we decide not to see the beauty and be much more practical,
we decide to die! Once we decide not to call for our long-sought rights, we
decide to surrender, and die!
He thought he wanted to breathe, but
he had his mask on! He remembered he cannot feel! He remembered his broken
promises to Louisa, and how pain is nagging inside his chest… To detach himself
from such poignancy; to increase the ignorance of his feelings, he remembered
how people are dying around from the plagues and wars, and that sooner or
later, we will all celebrate with Aaru if we really understand the message of
how life goes!
The next day, Chaucer went to the
court to meet Karma’s cast, an inspiring modern theatre troupe of young actresses
and actors, who decided not to be silent and file a lawsuit against Ivy, a director who plagiarized their latest
show.
Chaucer: We have checked all the presented
documents and pieces of evidence, and there is a real act of plagiarism. Karma,
would you like to add anything?
Karma: we presented today other documents for
the director’s history of plagiarism and we would like to call for the rights
of other young artists he stole their work because they weren’t famous enough!
(It was well-known for Chaucer that
he never wasted time or postponed a verdict; he always investigated well every
case before each trial)
Chaucer: Yes, we investigated well
and it is proved that not only Ivy plagiarized the young artists’ work, but
many others, and we will raise their files to the supreme court. Now, Ivy, tell
us your motives behind copying others’ works, especially Karma’s...
Ivy: I wanted to seek fame and there
is telepathy of course... Ideas are everywhere, and if I do not steal them,
someone else will steal them!
Karma: No one is allowed to steal!
Chaucer: Karma, you are not allowed
to speak now. Yet, you are right! Ivy, you have no logic in your defense and
your words are pointless which proves how you lack the creativity of good
wording! You confessed that you steal adding to all the pieces of evidence...
Karma: he also plagiarized our
paintings, ornamentation, and music, not only the ideas!
Chaucer: I told you, you are not
allowed to speak, because we already know you are right; I admire your original
idea that you perform theatre to revolt against injustice and wars... Your
artistic theatre in the streets is valuable and original. Such poignant art
touches our souls and depicts the wars, environmental, and social issues around
the world in an easy-reaching way. We must have a court to fight against
nature’s crimes. We must have a court to eliminate thoughts crimes. Indeed, Your
marching revolting theatre has presented powerful shows; it reached out and shows
how Ivy’s work is a fraud. You are rightful Karma and you must gain back your
right.
Chaucer sent Ivy to prison for 7
years, and called to raise the penalty against plagiarism and to revive, fund,
and support young artists; it’s not fame that supports talent, but it’s the talent
that is vividly seen!
The next week, Chaucer, had an unprecedented trial with the prime minister. Citizens revolted against high taxation and low salaries. This was not the
problem, but the government imprisoned two activists who called for the
revolution. The mob was choked with rage and asked Chaucer, as he gained fame
for his justice, to set a trial and free the activists!
Chaucer: Mr. Alfrothul why did you
order to imprison the activists and why did you raise the taxes, while the law
amendments, set 10 years ago, allow the freedom of expression, forbid poverty,
negativity, and burdens of all kinds? Weren’t those your policies to keep
happiness in Norway, and hide the real-world
tragedies?
Mr. Alfrothul: We always work for the sake of the citizens. In prison, there is
freedom sometimes!
Chaucer: So, if I send you to
prison, you will be free?
Mr. Alfrothul: I have to rule and
control the situation; some people are not as important as others.
Chaucer: No, all lives matter!
Mr. Alfrothul: We need money and power to rule
the country.
Chaucer: That’s greed and unlawful lethal
power! You must step down, now!
Mr. Alfrothul: I will set the
activists free and will not impose extra taxes! I will try to manage, though it
is a must; greed brings development!
Chaucer: Greed is negative, and
“negativity” is forbidden according to your laws! Thanks for the confession! Your
arrogance made you feel you are still in power. Actually, you are proved guilty
and we have already set the activists free. Sadly, no second chances! We
amended the law, that any minister who makes any mistake is terminated!
Chaucer was nominated to be the
Prime Minister after the news of this trial went viral, but he refused! He
wanted to be a judge and work on his inner conflicts as a human being... He couldn’t stop thinking of his love Louisa,
and of Rakan and Aaru and how peaceful would it be to join the leagues of love
and peace!
Chaucer became a world-renowned judge... One day, he invited
different political organizations to Oslo for a secret trial! The media kept
investigating the reason behind such a secret trial that is going to be
revealed at a political conference in 10 hours. No one could know the secret,
it was like Chaucer’s hidden features until a certain moment.
III. Act 3
After ten hours, Chaucer stood in
front of everyone in the court and started to talk.
Chaucer: Mr. War, tell us your
motives to outbreak daily, especially in occupied lands, civil wars, killing
civilians, and destroying lands with nuclear bombs?
A voice of fear replied, a
disappearing apparition, an unknown fog of dust and ashes appeared vaguely: I
am an old criminal and enemy; typical as viruses were older than humans, I am
older than their psyche. They fail to suppress me and stay lawful. They fail to
be satisfied with what they have. They fail to control their hatred towards
other ethnic groups. They fail to suppress their phobia and search for the
truth behind stereotypes. They feed me to grow and expand on their lands. They
think that survival is for the fittest, and while killing to be a superpower,
they kill their children too. I am not the criminal; it is their greed that
creates me. I could have perished in nature if they kept the natural maps of
lands and human features untouched!
That dust and voice suddenly
disappeared and it became freezing cold!
Chaucer didn’t want to have a long
trial or endless negotiations with the invited organizations which were terribly
scared. They haven’t ever expected this trial and they have already signed
papers to give parts of their lands to refugees, but it was not identified how
much of it, and all signed for the curiosity of knowing the secret! They
thought it is a fun game!
However, Chaucer announced that each
of the attendees must donate 70% of their lands to war victims after confessing
all war crimes, or call for the withdrawal of any occupier worldwide!
Within one month, Chaucer could
bring back the old natural map of the world without any occupied land, or any
land suffering from the aftermath of any revolution! The rich countries
supported the poor to kick out poverty without any debt because those poor
countries were originally rich before the occupation, revolutions, cultural phobias,
ethnic clearance, hatred, environmental damage, and enslavement!
Chaucer wanted deeply to take
everyone to Aaru to show them how peaceful moments are really significant.
Chaucer’s peace treaty in Oslo became very remarkable, and he was awarded by
environmental organizations, as ending wars decreased drastically pollution and
long-lived the historical trees in many lands.
Chaucer was not happy about all that;
still, his human nature and his feeling of self-blame were overwhelming. He has
not ever thought of taking off his mask. His dilemma of loneliness, as he
misses the love of his life, because of his own mistakes, was really
disquieting! He has always felt he cannot be rewarded as long as he is sinful!
He could not ever forgive himself, and he wished Louisa could forgive!
--- In another reverie and deeply
within such self-dilemma, Chaucer met Mr. Motive. Deeply, within a
mind-and-soul trial for the evil side in humans, he questioned false concepts
with Mr. Motive, “Why do you grow inside humans, while in eternity you are demolished!”
Mr. Motive: The human psyche is
based on triggers; I am the walking monster to make your legs move. Why have
you cheated on Louisa? Isn’t it your desire to own more and try more to be moved
more and more?
Chaucer: I was blind, and I cannot
remember but fog on my eyes.
Mr. Motive: You could have
suppressed such desire as you could bear up with your mask. It needs faith and
courage; you weren’t courageous enough to face the temptation!
Chaucer: I cannot bear such
self-blame anymore; I will always keep my mask on!
Mr. Motive: I have urged you a lot
to talk to Louisa, have you?
Chaucer: Yes! I did... I even talk to
her ghosts around!
Mr. Motive: You have not tried
enough! You can try again... You can forgive yourself first to give space for
her forgiveness to sprout... We are all human beings and we all sin... God
forgives, and so humans must do. If forgiveness
does not exist while you were sincere, then there was no understanding from the
beginning... You made a mistake- true!
Forgive yourself and move on... Otherwise, you will be committing a crime
against your soul. Here, your evil side is ruling you to destruct yourself. How
many times have you thought of death?!
Chaucer: Many times.. suicides!
Mr. Motive: Control me .. Send me to
the prison of your mask. The other side of death is never greener if you
don’t plant trees here. Your mask is a compromise; it is a grey area! Paint
your motives, rather, with a flamboyant will.
Chaucer wanted to be in the shoes of
criminals. It was a moment of emancipation! He wrote another e-mail to Louisa,
but he did not receive a reply! His anxiety haunted him and he thought he must
take off the mask... Yet, will he do it?
Chaucer started writing about Law
and psychology as an interdisciplinary subject in news articles in Norway; this
gained extra fame. The more he feels unable to move on, the more he writes to
help people lead a better life... He was nominated to be the minister of
well-being, but he didn’t give a word regarding that! His dilemma kept on
haunting him and made him always feel inadequate!
Later, in the spring, a pharmacist
from Africa was sent to jail. She was responsible for the production line of
mental-health bills and the artificial colours coating the bills proved to
cause cancer. What was really
questionable about such a case was that Arwa, the pharmacist was really qualified,
as she studied at Oxford and she has a brilliant career record. It is the first
case to be filed against her, and after investigation, it was proved that she
has been subjected to racial comments, while she had never fought back for the
fear of losing her job! Chaucer saw Rakan again in a blink of an eye... He
recalled his sunny features and delved into a featureless moment!
Chaucer: Arwa, what were the
chemical components you added to the medicine?
Arwa: It is the same we use every
time, and actually according to my recent research, the colour additives are
extracted from Arabian natural plants that make you relax. The vivid new
colours bring emotional peace rather and motivate the patients to take the
medicine regularly to pass any obstacles they feel in the early stages of
medication?
Chaucer: We read your research and
we examined the early specimens and they were safe. However, the newly modified
ones are not safe and cause tumors.
Arwa: It is proven that I had a
vacation for a month and I could not monitor the production line for a while.
Chaucer: Thanks Arwa! We have a
couple of questions for your assistant.
Jane: I don’t know why I am here! I
have been working in the company before Arwa came and I have never caused any
trouble!
Chaucer: Jane, you are not accused
of anything... We just want to know your opinion about cultural diversity, and
if you would like to visit Africa one day?
Jane: I think Norway is safer and I
do not like travelling! I am rather dedicated to my work.
Chaucer: I can see that; your fear
made your passport empty. We tracked a shipment that arrived in your company
and the handwriting analyst in the forensic investigation proved that you
received it and that you forged Arwa’s signature. This material received
proved to be part of the latest chemical component.
Jane: I have not done this!
Chaucer: Well! This was not the only
evidence! Your fingerprints were there on some of the equipment related to
Arwa; I think your gloves were cut and your anxiety, which you take medicine
for from the company made you unable to think well!
Jane: - felt in trouble- I am not
alone; the manager also knows, as we weren’t comfortable about Arwa and her
recent successful research threatened my position!
Chaucer: We knew it. According to
the anti-discrimination laws in Norway, you and your manager will be sent to
prison for 2 years and your pharmaceutical career will be terminated.
Chaucer was sad that laws that prohibit
apartheid, segregation, and racial comments on all scales take a long time to
develop. He was sad that he cannot stop crimes of harassment and rape and he
could not offer the poor a hand in order not to be criminals .. Feeling his
heart heavy all the time, and that he cannot be a judge anymore, he accepted to
be the minister of well-being though his soul wasn’t made of gold!
After some time in his new post, and
for being known as generous and fair, he was invited to many occasions by the
Norwegian citizens. Chaucer, one day, attended a funeral, and he started to
hallucinate about seeing his fiancée. It was just the ghost of his passion and
thoughts. Later, he attended a wedding and all the guests looked at him for his
weird black mask! The bride reminded him of his fiancée again and he
coincidently spilled the wine on her dress, as he lost consciousness out of a
sudden!
“I could not bear the burden of love and sin anymore, I could not bear
the paradox of a seemingly happy and fair, but really a remorseful dull person;
I cannot give more; more is less for me after such a long time in agony,” Chaucer
said those last words after confessing his sin once more in the hospital. At
that time, he saw Louisa, but it was for real. He heard her voice for the last
time, but she could not see his faithful face. People change, but it may be too
late!
“R.I.P. Chaucer, may God forgive you!”
Louisa said while touching his features!
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
After the final scene, a poem will
be recited, as an epilogue to commemorate good deeds and art with a contemporary
dance and theatre avant-garde performance.
The dance is performed via many
characters of different backgrounds depicting disparities, as they take off the
mask from the judge, and it splits in their hands to grow into different masks.
Then, they will unite as one body making a double symbol of the theatre stage,
on the one hand, and the tomb of all the equally dead people, on the other
hand. Then, a person stands over the tomb (also the theatre) but is resurrected
to take his well-earned bow. Multiple messages are left for the audience to
interpret and the epilogue shall arouse a plethora of feelings. Music, costumes,
and lighting must be well-considered to depict the tone and the mood.
IV. Epilogue
Shrinking humans, shrieking voices
Perished souls, revived signs;
Since dawn, with what has gone,
The land was constant despite ruins.
Surely that face was Chaucer’s;
The imagined in many clouds in the
sky,
And on Earth of many judges,
Fair or not; numinous are souls when
they die!
What is left, an old manuscript,
A painting in a tomb, a mystery in a
womb
Of a dying dream or a legend
encrypted
Of pieces of clothes or rags of
truths woven by a loom.
Lands are kept unidentified,
Children grew and died,
And Earth as mothers cried!
Genocides and wars don’t have judges,
Neither hatred, ignorance, or grudges.
What is left? What is warm?
Any touching art and any memory to
strive;
To build more memories vivid in
brains, not in an archive;
Photos and videos as Rosetta carve
profoundly our life!
And what carves our soul; a kiss with
unforgettable feature;
A hug that
brings to the world, a baby creature;
A new fair
soul, needless for a judge, striving for a pure adventure.
What is left? Is
it love and Aaru’s songs in his eternal theatre!
And with a kiss the world shall see
Chaucer through her eyes;
where his soul and features melt!
Where love never dies!
What is only revived is the chasm
between the fleeting laughter and pain!
What only revives us is the sincere love that we, afterlife, can regain!
Written by: Chaïmaà Moukhtar
April 2021
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