One Only Dies Once

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One Only Dies Once

Well now, here isn’t, or more accurate – me personally, I didn’t find much quality on art or writers level, with some bold and widely famous exceptions. If we talk about the frameworks of film art, things are slightly different. For instance, while the SF film elements are inclining to a high-budget deeds with the stories of a near future, with involvement of the overpaid movie superstars (often the co-producers themselves), made with the help of the newest generation of super-fast graphic technique, the horror now rules in the film expression, but in other way. Unlikely the early deeds dating of the middle of the Twentieth century, when the psychological moment was highly accented, with the support of instant enforcement by a classic musical background in mono technique, those new achievements aren’t less good, considering the high professional level of the make-up and increased element of the eccentric humor which puzzles and fascinates more than it scares, unobtrusively filmed by the worldly quite known quality directors.
I felt, even at the middle of my monologue, that I do exaggerate a bit with the entering depth of my opinion, but I think I felt the interest of Death. For Her, all this was actually a hobby, closely connected with Her profession. Also, always when I start a thought of mine, I think that is a matter of decency to finish it, even it may get the mode of complicity. And if I get lost in the explication of my own thoughts myself, I can guarantee that nobody would know that for sure.
– I BEG YOUR PARDON? – Death asked. I was on the edge of a mythic despair, but She saved me. – ACTUALLY, I GOT THE POINT, MAINLY. – She didn’t want to look stupid – PITY I AM NOT ALLOWED TO RECORD THIS CONVERSATIONS WITHOUT A CONSENT OF THE CLIENTS. THE DEAD HAS THEIR RIGHTS. – Here She came to one of those pauses – BUT THEY HAVE THEIR OBLIGATIONS AS WELL. – She marked Her last words with a swing of Her hair. She gave me a sharp and significant look – YOU KNOW, I LIKE SOMETHING IN YOU. – for a moment, I was flattered by this words, but only until I thought about those who aren’t that likeable to Her.
– YOU HAVE A VALUABLE ASSET TO TALK MUCH – NOT REVEALING NOTHING. AND IF YOU REVEAL ANYTHING, YOU’RE PREVIOUS TALKING IS SUCH THAT YOU CAN BE INTERPRETED IN AT LEAST THIRTY VARIOUS NON-ACCURATE WAYS. I DO HAVE A JOB FOR YOU!
– I thought that people come here to get rest – of the life.
– SOMEONE MUST’VE LIED TO YOU.
– Do you think so?
– I’M SURE.
Without much enthusiasm, I decided to listen to that offer. As it turned out, I was a way too distrustful. Death offered me a job as a Spokesman at Her cabinet. I accepted without much thinking and with a great deal of pleasure. It was like a promotion in my career, ‘cause I worked something quite close to it in my previous life. I was a journalist. Actually, I was underpaid film critic, with all of my working time tied to a desk. Death, in opposite, promised a lot of field work, as much as the contacts and communication with the members of the high society of dead.
In time I learned that my job, in essence, is one of the most attractive ones, in spite of the difficulties at the beginning. The problems with the overpopulation which Death mentioned to me before, were the most actual issue on every level of this world, connected with a lot of scandals and such; on that behalf, the popularity of Death was, at the moment, dangerously low.
– Why is Death mowing so many people? – this was one of the questions at my very first press-conference, by one of the mob of disturbed journalists which looked like a gang of hooligans from the next block.
– PLEASE, GENTLEMAN! – I started – YOU KNOW YOURSELVES THAT DEATH MAKES THE DECISION ONLY IN A SMALL NUMBER OF CASES WITH A DIRECT SUPERVISING ON THE VERY PLACE WHERE THAT EVENT OF DYING OCCURS. IF YOUR QUESTION CONSIDERS THE PROBLEM OF THE STATISTICS’ REGULARITY ESSENCE ABOUT PASSING OVER TO OUR WORLD, THEN YOU MUST PLACE YOUR QUESTIONS TO AN UPPER LEVEL! TO GOD, FOR INSTANCE? – so, I did confuse them a little by mentioning their supreme and eternal leader, but only for a moment.
– Some experts claim that even 25% of the cases are of such a marginal character. How would you justify that? Is Death simply incompetent?
– IF DEATH WAS SIMPLY INCOMPETENT, YOU WOULD BE STILL ALIVE. – the auditorium burst in laughter, because here, to be alive was considered a deficiency in the world of dead.
-THE MARGINAL DEATHS, DOWN ON EARTH, ARE CALLED UNNATURAL, WHAT MEANS NOT OF A NATURAL CAUSES, OR OF AGE. THOSE DEATHS ARE FROM ACCIDENTS AND MURDERS. THE FIRST ONES ARE PROVOKED BY INSUFFICIENT TRAFFIC CONTROL OR THE OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS, AND THE OTHERS FROM THEIR INCREASING CRIME WAVE AND THE UNPREDICTABLE POLITICAL FLUCTUATIONS. NEITHER IS UNDER OUR JURISDICTION.
– What about the yesterday’s plane crash on the Pacific? The number of passengers was 270, all dead. – the question got me unprepared, because I didn’t know about that unfortunate plane until then.
– WHAT ABOUT IT? – I stalled.
– I don’t see any flexibility in making the decisions here?
– AND I DON’T SEE ANYTHING DISPUTABLE HERE. ACTUALLY, THIS IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT AT INCONVENIENT TIME.
– The number of deceased could’ve been regulated. Death couldn’t even try to save the plane?
– AND SEND IT WHERE? AT THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE? – in this wold of the dead, this wasn’t funny at all. The Bermuda Triangle was a colossal scandal of their past, but the consequences are still present. – THE PLANE MUST’VE CRASH BECAUSE THE BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS. OUR CABINET DOESN’T CONTROL THE WEATHER. THE PLANE UNFORTUNATELY GOT AT THE WRONG SPOT. THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF AIRPLANES FLYING OVER EARTH, SO SOME OF THEM MAY AT THE CERTAIN MOMENT MAY REACH SUCH A SPOT. AND SOME OF THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF PHYSICS ARE INVOLVED HERE ALSO. IF YOU AREN’T HAPPY WITH THOSE PRINCIPALS, YOU CAN FILE A COMPLAINT. YOU KNOW WERE TO TURN ON.
They were bothering me with the plane a little more, but it seemed that I was scaring them with my answers, so they left not long after this. It seems to me that I was appealing to the highest level too much often, but personally, I had no fears. Maybe because I was new here, so I wasn’t aware of the consequences; who knows.
After the press-conference, I briefly met with Death. She was more than satisfied with my work. She promised me that I’m gonna be a serious candidate for Her Ancestor in near future, considering the fact that She is planning retirement soon. So She can be sure that the lives of the people will be in safe hands. Frankly speaking, I’m not that sure, ‘cause I’ve always had that strong desire for meeting many and various people… So, don’t be surprised if we meet soon!

21.10.1995, Skopje

AuthorGoran M. Petrov
2018-08-21T17:24:02+00:00 October 1st, 1998|Categories: Prose, Blesok no. 05, Literature|0 Comments