HANDELL'S TWICE-TOLD S.

SANTAMARIA, DEC. 5 1975

DEAR MOTHER,

I DECIDED TO LEAVE MANY YEARS AGO, BUT SOME TIMES WE FORGET ABOUT IMPORTANT THINGS. MAYBE YOU’LL BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT KILLING MYSELF WAS THE FIRST THING I DID AS AN INDEPENDENT PERSON. OF COURSE I PREVIOUSLY MADE SOME PHONECALLS AN ATTENDED A COUPLE OF RENDEZ-VOUS IN ORDER TO KEEP EVERYTHING TIGHT. NOTIFICATIONS CAME ON TIME, A MARBLE TOMBSTONE FINEMENT TAILLÉ, A SOLEMN MASS IN A FANCY CHURCH, A NICE NOTCH IN AN UPTOWN CEMETERY, AND AN IRONED SUIT IN THE CLOSET READY TO BE WORN. DON'T WORRY IF YOU FORGET BRINGING BLOSSOMS TO MY ULTIMATE NICHE. WE ALSO FORGET ABOUT SIMPLE THINGS. PLEASE, GIVE AWAY MY BOOKS, I KNOW YOU HATE THEM ALL, DON'T WANT YOU TO BURN THEM UP. PLEASE, GET RID OFF ALL OF THOSE PORTRAITS OF MINE, TOO. TRY TO BE INDEPENDENT AS WELL. MAKE YOUR OWN WAY. IN EVERY WHICH WAY YOU LOOK WIND BLOWS SMOOTH AND HARSH. YOU DRIFT AS FARTHER AS YOU CAN. WELL, I'M GETTING TIRED OF TYPING THIS LETTER SO I'M GOING TO END BY SAYING THAT YOU WERE MY MOTHER AND I APPRECIATE IT. TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF. I FORGOT TO CALL UNCLE JOHN.

TRULY,
YOUR SON H. D.

P.S. I'm serious about my books.

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THE TRUTH JOURNAL Dec. 06 - 1975

YOUNG PEOPLE KEEP DEPARTING

By H. VILLAMIZAR. Photo by H. V.

THE EIGHTH SUICIDE VICTIM THIS MONTH WAS FOUND IN HIS APARTMENT LAST NIGHT. AGAIN, CAUSES ARE UNCLEAR. NONETHELESS, AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THESE DEATHS ARE LINKED TO DRUG CONSUMPTION WHOSE RATE ENCREASED NEARLY 75 PER CENT THIS YEAR ENDING. MARRY ANNE LOUIS, YOUNG H. D. LOUIS’ MOTHER CLAIMS TO BE “A GOOD WOMAN WHO RAISED A GOOD CATHOLIC BOY”. TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD H. D. LOUIS RAN A WELL KNOWN CLEANING COMPANY. THIS RELATIVELY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN ATTENDED TO HOLY SANTAMARÍA COLLEGE WHERE THE PREVIOUS SEVEN SUICIDE VICTIMS USED TO GO TO. Mrs. LOUIS WILL SPEND A MOURNFUL CHRISTMAS AND A GLOOMY NEW YEAR AS WELL AS OTHER FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THIS SUICIDAL WAVE. MAJOR S. T. CHRISTOLES AS WELL AS ARCHBISHOP McKIDLOVER ARE PLANNING NEW STRATEGIES “TO CALL A HALT TO THESE SORROWFUL DEATHS”. SANTAMARIANS EXPECT THIS DARK STAIN IS WIPED OFF THEIR TRANQUIL COMMUNITY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Open Letter

March the 5^th, 2011

Miss Roach:

The caleñas sewers

I really wanted to tell you something since long time ago, something that comes out from the deepest of my soul. Are you ready to hear it? I hate you! I deeply hate you. But you´ll wonder yourself ¿why? If you are an insignificant insect. That is because you exist, you got it?? Your existence makes me feel uncomfortable, frightened, unsecure and even powerless of fighting against you. Thus, when I just think about running into you at night, maybe next to my bed, oh!! That´s actually a dreadful experience to me since I can´t stand you. I know you feel it when our unfortunate meetings happen, when you start prowling by the wall or around the kitchen, the bathroom, I don’t know, wherever you want to appear.

By the way, about your anatomy!! First at all, I guess this one is kind of awful, you know, your red, oval and viscous body is the most revolting thing around the world. Secondly, how you walk, how you even fly, how you look at people, My Goodness!! I’m pretty convinced these ones have been your weapons to intimidate the humanity for centuries.

And… please, let tell you one single experience that I had last time with one of your sister: I was in my bedroom, and it was over there too. Its intimidating presence made feel really scared. It immediately noticed that and decided to approach near me but of course I, in a brave act, took the atomizer and sprinkled that horrible roach with poison to murder it. This insect wandered through my room by clinging to its wretched life, until it finally died.

Sorry, I guess I have been kind of hard with my appreciations toward you but I want you to figure out the reasons of my hatred. I actually know you are not guilty of my fears and phobias, and nothing or nobody is. You´re not guilty of your own existence. However, I guess that never in my life I´ll stop of hating you. Now, what could we do to solve this matter? Nothing at all. Only, please, stay away me unless you want to feel my sandal´s hit.

My best wishes to you, and don’t hate because of my honesty!!

Cordially,

Viviana R.

PS: I hope not to see you in my bedroom tonight; otherwise you know what is going to happen.

still missing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSdb_uzkBc0

still waiting

10 de marzo | Noticias | Derechos humanos

Still Waiting

Colombia: People demand return of Sandra Viviana Cuellar

Descargar: MP3 (1.5 MB)

“Gathering for life and return and no more disappearances” is the name of the public activity organized to take place on March 11th, in Cali, Colombia, making reference to the case of environmentalist Sandra Viviana Cuellar and the thousands of people who are still missing in Colombia.

The event will include music, dances and strong demands for the return of Sandra, who is missing since February 17th. The activity will take place in Parque de los Estudiantes, Cali, this Friday, March 11th, at 2pm.
“We continue looking for our friend and activist Sandra Viviana Cuellar Gallego, who disappeared on February 17th. We are shaken by this, but at the same time we are hopeful that she will return home,” reads the invitation to the event.
“We invite you to meet and reject all demonstrations of violence and disappearances whose victims are men and women of all ages; for our city and region to remember those who never came back. And for our authorities and servants, who are responsible for our protection, to act effectively and allocate all resources needed to find the missing people.”
Meanwhile, Sandra’s family and friends wrote a public letter to the Colombian national and departmental authorities and solidarity networks and human rights organizations to express their solidarity with this case.
“At this point, without any significant developments to bring Sandra home and after a desperate search, we feel that the government’s investigations haven’t been enough, which is an evidence of the need to have better and more qualified institutions to solve the cases of people missing”, reads the letter.
And they add that this “brings the issue of forced disappearances in our country to light, as the warning by Amnesty International, the letter by six European MPs to the Colombian Executive and the message by Costa Rican President to President Santos asking for information on Sandra’s case prove”.
Photo: tercerainformacion.es

ANECDOTE

Anecdote : My high school graduation

Characters (mother, Eliz, father, brother)

This was the story of little Eliz high school graduation. it was Friday but no movement, no “minga” were taking place there, the peasants were worry about it because traditionally in an indigenous community a high school graduation deserved to be celebrated. Eliz was on her bed crying and talking with her family.

Eilz: No, no please, I don’t want a party tomorrow in this house. Be a little sensitive with me. I can't dance nor drink.
Brother: yes, my little sister, I know it but we have prepared all the things for our celebration and I already get my high school degree tomorrow.
Eliz: you always think about you. You are such a selfish.
Mother: my little Eliz, I understand you but, please let us to make the party for your brother, for your whole family, it was not your brother’s fault.
Eliz: yes it was my brother's fault, because first you asked him to go to the town in that carriage with that horse and he did not go. So I had to go. I will suffer seeing my brother dancing while I am dying.
Mother: but honey, you know that all of us have been waiting for that celebration And we already sacrificed two pigs, 50 cuys and 10 hens. We also put “chicha” to ferment.
Eliz: yes?... , and while you are dancing , drinking and eating, who is suppose is going to take me to the bathroom, as you can see I can't walk.
Brother: you were a silly girl, I advised you that the horse used to walk so slow. And you flustered the poor horse trying to make him run fast.
Eliz: ooh, the poor horse....he was not the victim, please; it is me who can’t walk. Don’t you see it?
mother: your brother is right. The horse was so tired and old and he didn’t use to run fast, your brother said it to you, but you were trying to force him to run fast so He got exasperated and threw you away then you broke your leg.

The great Saturday arrived, the house was full of people dancing, playing flute, and drinking “chicha” eaten “cuy”. The little Eliz was on her bed with her swollen leg full of pain .nobody remembered she was there until Monday........

SECOND VERSIÓN

My high school graduation
Some time ago to get a high school degree in my community was an important event, because few indigenous people finished the high school. So it was an event that deserved being celebrated. Normally in a celebration people sacrifice about 50 cuys, two pigs, 20 hens, 10 rabbits. Also my brother would finish his high-school that day then the celebration would be for both.
It was a Saturday, and the following Saturday would be the celebration, it rested just seven days to dance, to eat, to sing, to drunk. The whole week was organized like this: on Monday would be the sacrifice of the pigs and the preparation of big recipients of “chicha” to put them to ferment until Saturday. On Thursday cuys would be peeled, Friday they would be roasted and Saturday eaten, the whole community would participate like the tradition was. My brother and me had to help with all the things. my mother asked me to go to the town to buy some things that were missing, I was so lazy those days, despite of the laziness I went. I had to go in a carriage pulled by an old horse. Also the horse was like lazy, then I tried to make him run fast by making noises with my mouth, but he did not want and I insisted, suddenly he got angry and he started to run too fast. I was so afraid, in a moment I felt I would die, because the horse became a devil. He wanted to throw me away. I could not get down of the carriage because the horse was jumping and running too fast. Moreover the way was full of stones, then I saw a big stone that was in the middle of the way. Ina second I fell down, the following thing I saw was that the horse was on the floor full of mud and the carriage smashed on the floor. I felt a little pain on my knee, then I saw a river of blood running trough my left leg. At that moment I started to cry.
The longed Saturday arrived, I was in my bed with my right leg like a gross stick holding by a support , I needed someone to took me to the bathroom because I could not walk for a month. But the celebration was great for them, that was what they said to me on Monday when they realized I was there.

Info about today's class

Dear students,
I won't be able to be in our class today (I was scheduled for a video-conference).
You can use this time to upload your "twice-told tale" or read and comment your classmates' texts.
Best regards,
See you next Thursday,
Prof. Sol Colmenares Rodríguez

P.S. Please, if you see this post, pass on the news to your classmates!

Twice-told-tale

Twice-Told-Tale

Gustavo Maglioni

Jim and Tom

Jim: Oh what a beautiful island. Is this really the place Tom?

Tom: Yeap buddy, this is the place.

Jim: My God I think I'm not prepared for this. I wish I were not here. I want to be with my girlfriend and to finish the university.

Tom: Cut that shit! We're here and this is what we do: Kill bastards and terrorists, give these people Democracy.

Jim: Do you think they are there? In that dense and dark jungle?

Tom: Yes, I do and I want to kill them.

Jim: This shit scares me Tom I don't want to be here, is to dark in here.

Tom: Don't cry pussy. Let's kill'em all.

Jim: What the hell! Oh Jesus Christ! They’re here!

Tom: Ok people get back!! Take cover and shoot to kill!

Jim: Noooooo! Tooooooooom! You bastard, I told you!

Me and Tom

1965, the trip in the airplane and the boat was too long and uncomfortable. My eyes were exhausted of seeing that great quantity of water. I hate the ocean. I saw the crew and they all were about 19 or 21 years old, they looked as scared as me. I thought I was fucked up because I was going to die in a war that wasn’t mine, but I was there, scared and thinking about my lovely girlfriend, my old parents that were proud of me for fighting for democracy and my classmates. Just for a moment I forgot all those things and observed that beautiful island. Those golden beaches, that green and blue water, the beautiful birds flying over the sea and the big green palms. It was awesome, for a moment I thought about living in that place. However, it was a hostile place full of those bastards who killed my friend, the Major General Tom H. Thomson, also known as Mr. T Thomson.

When we got there my mind couldn’t believe I was going to die with a rifle in my right hand and dressed in a camouflaged suit. I wanted to get back into the boat and run away like a coward. But I kept walking towards the dense and dark jungle expressing my feelings of fear and cowardice to Tom. He, a tall, blond and handsome 31-years-old-man, gave me the confidence to fight for my country and to kill all the Sappers. But I don’t know why I was still saying that I wanted to go back to my town and forget all this absurd war.

Everything occurred in a second. Tom was in front of me, I could see the sweat on his neck. He said something and suddenly a great wall of fire was covering all the setting. He was dead.

The News

Yesterday, the first contingent of marines, led by Major General Tom H. Thomson, landed on the beach of Da Nang at 12:00 hours of America. After a long trip, the contingent established a great air base on that area and fought against the troops of the Vietcong. Lamentably, General Thomson lost his life fighting for our country, leaving a wife and three kids all alone. Our condolences to the Thomson family.