Professor Leon DuraJoseph in the Occident - short story -

translated by Claudia TituITroubled by everything he was going through in the beautiful Occident , Joseph decided to go back to his Country. He had left the East to become a thorough man, an intellectual who could speak foreign languages and , why not , win a million dollars.He had graduated from the Faculty of Theology and , after a year of steadfast effort , he was admitted as a degree candidate in the study of theology. In this socio-cultural context , Joseph received an invitation to visit the Occident.Leaving the country in the 80s was an act of courage and chance, a great chance in fact! And Joseph came to have a lot of itJosephs sister had been supervised in her artistic activity by the secretary of the youth communist party in high-school .I , the one who is writing, knew about the innate talent of Josephs sister from him. She could sing and recite classical poems impressively and, besides, she was very beautiful. Precocious as she may have been, she was about to die slowly due to a stupid accident : she fell into a 30 m precipice . His father saved her , but not her talent thoughJoseph was to meet the same ycp secretary, who was now working as an agent in the secret services in the Country. His job as a ycp secretary had helped him considerably to be accepted in the services. And as this Comrade knew Josephs sister, he was shortly given the precise mission to get close to our young manfamily. His father had passed away. His mother was living with Joseph, the youngest son , in a village with hostile inhabitants and informers.When my friend Joseph received the invitation to visit the Occident , the only influential person who could actually help him get a passport was the ycp Comrade. You know, Sir, I have received an invitation from the Occident and I would like to ask you to help me!... I want to arrive there before Christmas.

In order to please everyone ,I will try to get you a passport for the Occident .Thirty days pass quickly there. Sir, you have a most generous heart .Thank you very much.

Joseph , you have forgotten to mention that you asked God to help you get to the West before Christmas , I ,the who is writing , interrupted him.Oh, yes! Sir, Joseph addressed the helping -Comrade while they were crossing the iron bridge across the river. And he went on :

You know, Sir, if I can get abroad before Christmas , I can join the priest who goes with the icon to bless the families in the Occident.

Listen , Joseph, said I , the one who is writing , did the helping-Comrade really believe you?

Yes, my angel- friend ,you should know that very well.Why are you asking me?

I am asking you because you forgot to mention what the helping-Comrade asked you in exchange Yes, of course! While we were crossing the bridge,the Comrade in question asked me friendly : Joseph ,when you get back , please tell us what you saw in the Westerners houses. Being in their own homes with the icon is a good opportunity for all of us Of course, Sir.My friend was lying to me. He had lied right from the start : no priest in the Occident went with the icon before Christmas or Saint Joans day in the emigrants houses.When it came to religion , the ignorance of those who worked in the secret services was absolute.

Finally, there came the enlightment ! After the helping-Comrade managed to produce a certificate from the Episcopal Chancellery, our degree candidate got a passport with a 30 day visa for the Occident . By means of little presents and the protection offered by the secret services, Joseph managed to buy plane tickets.

Joseph and I , the one who is writing , were at the airport. The announcement of the take-off was never made. My friend passed through the customs making promises on all sides. Moreover, the bag hanging on his shoulder was not checked .It is unbelievable , but true! The secret services wanted to help my friend Joseph out of difficulty .But why? Even today Joseph is asking himself this question .He had never worked for them , nor had he ever committed himself to anything. Still, the secret services in the Country wanted to give Joseph a helping handAfter a bumpy flight , Joseph arrived at the central airport in the Occident .When he got off the plane, another helping Gentleman ( this time a veritable Westerner) started a conversation as if between old friends. Mister Joseph , said the Occidental Gentleman, please tell us about the purpose of your journey here.

There is no purpose, Joseph answered puzzled.

Please tell us what you told your angel-friend . What were you asked to do by the helping Comrade while you were crossing the bridge across the river ? An hour had passed since the Occidental Gentleman started demanding that Joseph should say a lie. I , the one who is writing, did not find anything unusual in what had taken place on the iron bridge, so that I broke in and asked my friend to tell the Occidental Gentleman about the promise made in the Country. Since you insist, Joseph continued, I said I would go with the icon to bless the emigrants houses in the Occident andJoseph heard a sigh of disappointment , then he was allowed to go How strange, Joseph said to himself and made the sign of cross.

II

Modern technology helps men be aware of their own limits. Our young man was trying to find his before getting into direct contact with the Occidental technology. For a young Eastern European , the TV was still a mysterious territory. Joseph, as our young man was named, was fighting against the basic instinct triggered by the TV images on the nights he watched serials. Being given the political asylum recently, Joseph rediscovered his daily rhythm by watching Emma every night. The heroine could charm anybody . However , as we are to realize soon , Joseph was helped by the Eastern secret services to fall in love with an image. But who has not fallen in love with an image? Romeo fell in love with Juliet s pure image. Tristan embraced the image of the heart filled with emotions of the whole world.

Being aware of his innocence, Joseph perceived the political act by which he had succeeded to remain in the Occident as not offensive. Finding an apartment took him quite some time. Nobody was eager to rent an apartment to an Easterner .The stake was huge...The secret services in the East were very strong and they controlled the real social activity in the West. Naive as he was, Joseph considered himself a free man , but not for long. Having been labelled a terrorist, Josephs life started to become complicated. Despite all these, he liked the Western city more and more. From time to time, the granite paved streets ended in front of the huge gates of medieval castles . But why should he be upset if he accepted what he wanted? I , the one who is writing , remarked .

Joseph cast me a profound look and answered : Cher ami , if I hadnt gone to the Occident, my conscience would have tortured me .We both consented .

What a huge difference between you and the people living here, I said dropping the pen I was writing with. What a difference from the way you were before, spied by the services and informers .One could say now that these are only old-fashioned images.Such behaviour made me watch my character and feel as if I had a permanent dialogue with him. I had long sensed Josephs innermost secret : his faith in God .The voice of America stirred in him the desire to get to know the Occident. He had used to spend the warm summers in the Eastern Europe mowing the fresh grass covered in dew . He had the strong conviction, young as he was, that the Occident was necessary for him to express his religious feelings.Joseph came to sip from the Occidents fresh , but not life-giving water.When he realized that it had colour and taste, he tried to give in . It was too late anyway.That night , after he had settled in a new bachelor flat , Joseph and I finished off another Occidental wine. After all,we were living in world of images where Joseph could not know I was angry with him. However stupid and mean my irritation was, it was perfectly well-founded. Our isolation in the indifferent Occident affected our true friendship. And Joseph understood me very well.When the time was right, I would scold him: Joseph , my impression is that you are not making sufficient effort to understand the kind of situation you are in .

But why do you say I am wicked and vain? Joseph retorted shyly. Oh, cest une histoire bien bete. Your great chance is that you find yourself in a new flat. But even if you live in a furnished garret , supplied with a TV set and cable, what you really want is to feel close to your God. Your excessive sensitivity for refined things is just latentYour face has acquired a strange capacity to question the other by only looking at him with your bright eyes. Our friendship has not turned into something ugly , especially lately. I do not want to become a noble confession of what is going to happen in your life. Its not important, anyway. I am just a particular case, nothing more, Joseph answered , taking my hand and making me a sign to turn on the TV. The image-girl had appeared on the screen. But for Joseph ,Gods infinite image could not be replaced with a fleeting illusion. And so it was!...The Eastern secret services remained helpless before a young man , Joseph , who had a grain of faith.IIIAfter the TV happening , Joseph had to move house. Long before Christmas, our young man managed to rent two rooms in the basement of a villa built in the style of a former epoch . Very many people believed that such a place was anything but healthy for the tenant. And they could not be more right . Joseph seemed rather worried about this unknown situation . Thank God that everything was about to end quickly and without serious consequences for my friend . I have sacrificed my whole life for this house, said the landlady to the newcomer.

Opinions are firstly sustained by initiative and hard work ,not by idleness, said Joseph politely. I dont understand why everybody is blaming me! Do you imagine that I could have survived differently in this competitive Occident ? I am only an emigrant who appreciates your efforts , madam . When you are abroad , you need great passion for what you want to accomplish, otherwise you become useless for yourself and the others too. I am glad you are a good judge in our people , said the lady politely.

I am trying to be !... I hope the understanding is mutual , added Joseph, trying at the same time to end the conversation amiably. Do not forget, young man, that I used to be like you and I do understand you, said the landlady while climbing up the stairs.

I cannot imagine anything funnier than the moment Joseph went to bed. His sparkling eyes scrutinized the room to find the hole through which the cold air was coming into the basement. Just consider that my friend was only 24.The December frost should not have affected and scared him as much as it was going to happen.While looking at the wardrobe with the few clothes he kept, an unbelievable idea crossed my friends mind. What if I slept on the wardrobe ? he said to himself and grabbed its upper edge.

Once he got there, he took off his socks and lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. Seeing him like that, I tried to wake him up from his dreaming . There is somebody who thinks the world of you, Joseph. It is your mother.When you told her good-bye, you promised her you would be back, didnt you? I miss a loving soul, I feel lonely.This loneliness has killed all my friends. From an innocent and friendly person, I have turned into an isolated and misunderstood one, said Joseph sadly. You should not confess to me, what happens to you is unacceptable. It is as if you had been sold by your brothers to the Muslims crossing the desert of Judea. Joseph, you are living in the wasteland of injustice and the Eastern secret services games. You must bear your cross till the end. If you fall under its burden, I will raise you to the stature of the thorough man.

Your encouragement is most welcome, my angel-friend, and although it comes a little bit too late, I accept it as an alternative , said Joseph putting on a vague air of satisfaction. Soon his ears started to freeze. His whole body was trembling with cold and Joseph suddenly jumped on the floor.

Such wild brutality to a young innocent man ! It is 15 degrees above zero outside and almost 10 inside. Its outrageous.I cant stand it any more! Joseph cried out bitterly. Nobody heard him or the right person was simply not willing to hear him.

Strong as he was , Joseph managed to spend the first night in the new house., either climbing onto the wardrobe or down on the sofa for some minutes. He could not understand where the cold air blown by an especially fixed ventilator was coming from. It was unbelievable. He started looking very carefully at the walls of the room. There was one thing to feel the cold air in the room and something else to feel it blown by a ventilator.Against his will, he tried to forget about that critical situation and closed his eyes for a moment. Then we had time to talk. Tomorrow you have to attend the practical course, said I , the one who is writing, to Joseph.

I went there today and I was surprised by the way I was treated on the very first day! Its true that they dont need a foreigner who has sufficient knowledge to embarrass their own students, but to open a window behind the candidate so that he would catch a cold was a crazy gesture. I was sweating while working hard on my dentary piece. I was about to be the first to finish when an unknown, but abominable person , opened the window behind the newcomer, me. Only then did I realize what it was like to bear the humid cold air in a northern region of Europe. The humidity seized my left shoulder and all its muscles.You havent asked yourself why that night , as the cold wind was blowing in my room , I leant my shoulder against the radiator every fifteen minutes trying to feel better. What if I am surprised that every fifteen minutes you used to drink the boiled water on the cooker , I interrupted Joseph smiling ironically.

Yes, of course, and its surprising at the same time that although all the four knobs of the cooker are on permanently, the cold air coming from their ventilator was by far stronger than the heat.I would also like to mention that my nice and gentle friend, Joseph, did not understand how any ventilator could be fixed in a room without the tenant being able to spot it. But it was possible.Suddenly, but with a good reason, Joseph left the room.It was dawn , the terrible night was overIn Josephs eyes one could see a new ray of hope : I will go to a bar to have a cup of hot tea.

He could not explain his restlessness, and I confess I could not explain it either. Joseph was given his tea in a lidded plastic glass with a straw like at Mc Donalds .When he first took a sip, his teeth started chattering : the so-called tea was in fact icy waterHe raised the lid and saw ice cubes in the glass. It was obvious that somebody was afraid of Josephs presencein the Occident. Still preserving a very respectful look, he put the glass on the table, trying carefully not to involve anybody in his pitiful situation .But hardly had some minutes passed when his whole body started shaking. What should I do? he asked himself. If I go to my room, I ll have to put up with the ventilator, if I go to the police station, I ll be taken for a person who cant adjust and labelled as an idler lost in the Occident.

Then I stopped him and said : Joseph, what you say is entirely true, but you have no choice : for the Westerners you represent a spy infiltrated in the Eastern secret services, while for the Easterners you are a runaway person they have to get rid of as soon as possible.The only thing left to you is your faith in God .You should go to a cinema where there are movies on all the time.You will get warm a littleBy the way : how is your left shoulder? Your question is rather mean !...I have to tell you that the cold might seize the first vertebrae of my spine. I might get No, you will not, I said in an attempt to encourage him.Then he decided to enter the first cinema in his way.

In the hall he sat alone, far from the others, and tried to get warm as much as possible.He was not interested in the images on the screen.He had been fighting with the ventilator and had not slept a wink.Of course Joseph was wrong when he imagined he could rest and get warm there.In fact, our young man had been taken in to go to the new lodging as well as to the other buildings .For the Westerners it was quite simple: they had to make Joseph fall ill. In such a state, he would have turned to the medical services of the city and then he could have been taken out of the allegedly spying net the uninformed Westerners believed him to belong. He could easily have fallen ill with something like cirrhosis, hepatitis, tuberculosis, or lung cancer!...This is exactly what happened in the cinema hall .While dozing off, Joseph still could not explain why the people stood up and quietly left the hall one by one. He looked around him and realized that there were only a few persons with thick coats on them.The metallic vents through whichthe heat was supposed to get into the room were in fact blowing cold air .This time it was serious. Feeling very anxious, Joseph left the room as frozen as he had entered it. He had enough strength to get homeThen the ritual started : he turned the cooker on, boiled the water, tried to get some sleep on the wardrobe, got down quickly to warm his shoulder near the radiator and drank boiled water.And all these happened for a month. A wretched month in exchange for innocence and truth .He held out against everything and did not fall ill. Moreover, he left the house treating his landlady as politely as ever.

At about 8 oclock the next day, I, the one who is writing, showed up in his new house.

Joseph , my conscience ordered me to greet you first and then see if you are in good health because your mother wants to know. Tell my mother that I thank her and I havent forgotten her. One day we will meet again. Joseph lauged heartily. The Holy Parents must have laughed like this , said he and went on : Send this message to the secret services that are after me. Then he smiled looking rather confused : he did not know whether to continue the dialogue with me or to go to bed.Yet , having made kind apologies to me , he fell asleep profoundly. He had received the peace he needed so much. IVAt about noon , Joseph managed to settle or so he said in the new house. To his surprise, he realized after a few minutes that he had to return to his former address to get back his radio- tape recorder.Irritated by that situation, in half an hour he decided to muster up his courage and trouble the landlady again.

After quick explanations , Joseph was invited inside and asked to have a cup of coffee by a sleepy old man. While he was entering a cozy room, an 8 or 9 year old child was standing at the door and our young man understood that the owners of the house were not the sameThe child was furiously banging his fists against the door as if he wanted to break it.

You are somehow mistaken . I know you from the Country said the old man frowning. Do you know me? asked Joseph gladly.

Yes, I do ! said the old man firmly.

I still think its a coincidence of name and country. Its impossible Tell me , please, said he again , are you not the one who resorted to a serious diagnosis in order not to join the army? Am I right or wrong? Joseph avoided answering the question, but he added : Anyway, you have a very original way of thinking and having a conversation. Its even funny

No, it is not original, just truthful. Details sometimes impress. But let us drink our coffeeHave a seat ,please, !The old man turned around to the child who unsuccessfully kept throwing a sock to the ceilingTaking advantage of that situation , Joseph said: You have a beautiful grandson. I wish him well. I dont remember seeing him when I lived here. Cher ami, now that my grandson is nine, nobody recognizes me any more. I would like to think you do not belong to this category, do you? But, please, do help yourself to the coffee!

Joseph could see on the old mans face that his conscience was torturing him for having to do something he would have preferred to put off. While our young man was raising the cup,the playful childs sock landed into itHalf of the coffee was spilled on the carpet. His grandfather answered very angrily to it: What kind of jokes are these? Answer me , young boy!..

The frightened child sneaked into the next room.The goggle-eyed old man made no concession to what the child had done. Joseph was to understand later such behaviour.Finally, our young man said:

Do not bother to bring me another cup of coffee. I will drink what is left. Joseph wanted to keep up to the initial atmosphere until the incident with the sock, but his attempt was going to cost him. Dear Sir, I respect your decision said the old man relieved. I was well aware that you do only what you want!...I myself used to do the same when I was your age. Now I have been growing decrepit! Anyway, will you drink your coffee? he insisted while pretending to stand up. As Joseph did not use to drink coffee, he drank the rest of it from two draughts. The conversation continued for a few minutes, then Joseph apologized and told the old man he was feeling tired. Having drunk his coffee, he was seized by a terrible sleepiness. He felt exhausted, without any strength left.That is why he did not ask for the tape- recorder any more, but hurried home .When he got in the street, Joseph seemed to be losing his balance. He felt a strong pressure on his liverThen I , the one who is writing, interfered and said: Joseph, you have been given poison meant not to bring about your death immediately , but to affect one vital organ seriously . Remember how you managed not to get enlisted .They want to use that fake diagnosis. An asylum seeker dying of hepatic cirrhosis is quite plausible, both for the Western and the Eastern secret services. Because Joseph could not realise what was happening to him, I had to whisper in both his ears. And of course I took the necessary measures!... I helped him get into a taxi and saw him to the door of his house, then I left him alone. My intention was to call on Joseph later.

And I must confess I was surprise to see him lying on the floorHe was pressing his hands against his stomach and foaming at the mouth. He had also vomited. He kept agonizing until the next morning when I, the one who is writing, put the pen down and told him:

The secret services are supposed to get rid of adversaries in this way. In your case, I have no idea which services , the Western or the Eastern. I really have no idea.Joseph gave me an awfully frightened look while still lying on the floor.He tried to get on his feet ,but he simply could notYou can imaginemy astonishment when I saw Joseph finally sitting on a chair like a weak man found in the Occidental desert.

You are not a child any more, but a man after Moses Law. You must understand your situation and act accordingly.

You may be right, my angel- friend, but I feel so exhaustedI think I will

No, you should not get scared so easily.You will be poisoned two more times, but you will get over everything because you have God on your side.

It is obvious that for a year Joseph drank only boiled water and ate mush with Camembert cheese.When he stirred the mush, he looked at his fingers with aversion.They were dark.When he washed his face in the morning, he refused to look at himself in the mirror: his face was as yellow as a lemon. I can bear him out. Going to see a doctor was out of the questionOur young man did not know who was aiming the blows at himAfter a year , I , the one who is writing, grabbed Joseph by his arm and said: I was sure you would get better.

Ma foi, cher ami, ma foi and the mush.

I see. The Eastern secret services must have forgotten about Josephs faith.Joseph turned on the cooker to make himself some mush with cheese. You should not laugh. If the Eastern secret services had realized the therapeutic value of the mush, it would not have exploded in 1989.What a pity the mush went to wasteVThe whole day and evening following the events you are about to know make my friend, Joeph, extremely sad.His heart was filled with worries.He did not fully understand his critical condition. He would usually talk to himself about something bad that was going to happen . He would have liked to be a free man and not to belong to any community. He was capable and anxious to make himself respected even in the sweet OccidentBut unexpected and inevitable dangers increased his fear of the next day.He would have preferred to live in a world of dreams instead of a real but lonely one.Today, for example, my friend got on a tram to get to a certain address he knew very well .Climbing the steps of the tram, he sighed deeply. He had the same suspicions

Except for me , the one who is writing, nobody had crossed Josephs threshold for months .No relationship lasted more than one day. They either stopped answering the phone or ran away.

Indeed , they actually ran away from him .Lately Joseph had been roaming very upset around the city .If he walked down some street , the next day it was visibly changed . Was anybody trying to make Joseph wonder if he still had his memory (including the visual one) intact?

The most serious situation concerned his presentiments as to the quantity of drugsadministered by the secret services to my friend by special means .They had a main purpose: to scare Joseph and make him believe he was on the point of losing his memory.Today Joseph was on a tram travelling along a very familiar route. At a certain moment he was asked by a black young woman : Hows your friend? Those words startled him , but he answered: Hes fine I ve heard something. Is it true?

Why do you pretend you heard something? I have the feeling its all about you!...

What do you mean?asked Joseph sharply.

Mon cher, Ive heard you lost your memory. Am I right ?

Of course I lost it when I saw you.Ha !- ha ! laughed Joseph scornfully. Strange attitude! said the young woman turning her back to him.Now I , the one who is writing, will confine myselt to mention a certain fact the secret services resorted to along the route of that tram : they had the plates with the names of the streets replaced with different ones.Why? Could it have been only the Eastern secret services? In my opinion they were trying hard to make my friend believe he had lost his memory. All the difficulties he had undergone turned into a boomerang for the wicked. Eventually, my friend came to understand the scheme destined to him that day .And he told me off:

Why arent you writing anything? You should send a letter to the Minister of Justice !...

I will do that , Joseph , I promise you.To put it in a nutshell, everything was getting more and more confusing and suspicious for Joseph.He got off the tram at the first stop feeling very agitated. He had to walk to cover the 13 stops of the tram .He could not stand his plight any moreNobody was willing to listen to his suffering. Joseph decided to spend that night in front of the central department store in the city. He needed to be extremely conspicuous to draw the attention of the authorities . In that way, he was to make his complaints clear .

Finding a few cardboards, Joseph lay in front of the closed doors of the department store.The warm current blown from inside made my friend feel better.

I do not fully understand what you are trying to do now , said I , the one who is writing.

There must be a solution to end my agony. The secret services will show their presence one way or another !...

Joseph , you seem too nave and sentimental. Can you understand what they want to do to people like you? Yes, to turn a man into a monster said Joseph sadly.

I was looking at my friend as he was trying to fall asleep on the mosaic in front of the department store. He was lying in nobodys way... The pavement was wide and the passers-by of the big city did not pay any attention to him .It is hard to say anything else Something weighed heavy on my mindThis is the Westerner!...If a pet had been lying there, many people would have stopped to stroke or find it a shelter. But why would one do that for a man?... The Westerner is said to respect every mans freedom : does he want to sleep on the cement in winter ? Just let him do it!...After thinking for a while, I , the one who is writing, said to myself : The Soviets were right to pick up the degenerate people from the streets.The next morning , the doors of the department store opened but nobody ( not even a guard of the many who were there) disturbed Joseph from his sleep. I still have to bear out the presence of the secret services again.Towards daybreak , our friend was closely photographed by a short haired man with a black jacket hanging on his shoulders .Hardly had my friend suspected anything when he heard a woman saying hoarsely : Lets go, our friend has lost his memory. Is that true, Joseph? I suddenly interrupted him from his dreaming.

Of course not , he answered. Dont you know how vivid my memory is? Lets suppose that Im losing my memory nowDo you believe in a reconciliation between the East and West ? I trust honest people like you , I said to Joseph . Then I watched him going towards the mouth of the subway.He stared at me and said : Truth makes you free. Truth is on my side . He was rightVI

If it had not been for Joseph , I would have left the Occident long before. In fact , I was always around him. After what he had gone through in the last few days, my friend was silent and waiting. He did not that complain. He listened to the sharp thoughts that urged him to go back to his country. What annoyed him was the fact that he had no protection.To a person in his condition, the return to the native country was forbidden.

But I wont make it in the Occident if everybody hunts me .This is what really matters , Joseph used to tell me . He believed he was free . However , he was on the lookout day after day, which turned into nothing else but a sacrifice for my friend

I know what Im saying , said Joseph ,then he added : Although I am 25 , I am still fighting with myself and the others. You are right . Many times I have thought of you and of what you have to do to get rid of the secret services.As you well know, your decision to return to the Country will not become possible!...But how My angel- friend , Ive told you that some days ago somebody offered to help me to get there as soon as possible.He has some connections at the West office of the Romanian Air Line Does it sound like a good idea , Joseph?

You dont actually think I will accept his offer, do you? That would mean going to prison. I just want to go by train to the border between the West and the East.Then I will see if the Occident wants to get rid of a political asylum seeker. .

It seems they want neither to let you go back to the East nor live properly in the West .Both sides wish to see you in a wheelchair. Dear angel-friend , I d like to ask you something : how about getting on the train together?When hearing that, I , the one who is writing, rose quickly from my desk and asked him with a puzzled look on my face: Joseph, do you imagine I could do otherwise?

I can expect anything , said Joseph resignedly.

But not from an angel-friend

Anyone would have been amazed at how fast the train was .Like a good child, Joseph was told about the regions they were crossing .After a while, he threw in my arms and burst into tears: You cant imagine how lonely and helpless Im feeling.

He remained that way until we reached the place where he had to get off the train. It was close to the border between the West and the East .Joseph did not want to cross the border while being on the train , but on foot. Having got off, he blushed and looked around .The Occidental city was enmeshed in the hot month of July.The river that crossed it brought great delight in the hearts of the tourists.After the days spent in a modest railway carriage, Joseph found himself on a huge platform, surrounded by tens and tens of parallel iron rails.He sat down on a bench and looked around him again .That took him quite a while until it started getting dark.Then the tramps showed up .Joseph watched them rather curiously .Soon the Blonde tramp approached him and said: Your business is to stay with us , not on the bench.

Well, I couldnt have put it better myself , Joseph answered laughing.

Hey, boy, are you kidding me or something?

Mais cest un enfant, I , the one who is writing , replied.

See , you two belong together, the Blond tramp said scornfully and went to the others.My friend did not understand that , in extreme cases, even tramps were used by the secret services.Their intention was to catch Joseph in a group ( and one of tramps was just perfect) in order to have him under permanent control . Under physical and mental control , obviously by means of a small dose of drugs.

Not after a long time, a lame tramp appeared and went to Joseph to invite him to eat something. I see youre hungry , so why dont you come to us?...Dont worry, were good boys. I can see youre good boys, but I have to go. I appreciate the invitation anyway.

As you wish, young man, the tramp said grinding his remaining teeth .Then he left furiously.Joseph had enough money with him.The weather was warm, so he had two alternatives: either he slept in a hotel or under the clear sky. Finally he took the latter choice.He lay down on the fresh grass of the park across the railway station.

In the morning , I had to carry out the noble task of waking up a political asylum seeker in the park.

Wake up, Joseph. You must wash your face!...

Suddenly , he was seized by shame . Kind and generous as he was , he still had had to sleep on the bare ground... He found it very difficult, but his face brightened up when noticing a fountain .He told me:

Youre right! Ive just found my bathtub!...

He went cautiously in the middle of the little lake.He had taken his clothes off and , with the soap he had bought,he spread the foam on his pants, chest and face.A few metres away there was a police car and the two officers were watching the spectacle Joseph was offering , without making any gesture. I, the one who is writing, cannot but ask myself about such a reserved attitude,especially because Joseph was washing in a fountain built in an old style!...Well ,we must get over this incident.I and Joseph were at about ten metres from the border between the West and the East .But there were no custom-house officers in sight.Joseph could not believe itThe cold war! Where was the cold war??? Having his soul enmeshed in unbelievable images, Joseph set foot on the Eastern territory under the light of the custom-house lamps.I, the one who is writing, did not have enough timeto agree or not: we both walked on the Eastern land.After a half an hours walk, he turned to me and said :

This is very strange!... I dont understand anything.

You will when they put you in jail.You were allowed to cross the border only to be accused of illegal trespassing afterwards.

My angel-friend, how is it that you re telling me this after we broke the law? I am not sure whether my remark could have stopped you , Joseph!...You want to know who bears a grudge against you and why , but I assure you that you will not find out.

Everything was going on smoothly. Our march continued till late the next evening. My friend had still some supplies with him.Finally, Joseph turned to me very confused and said:Will you ever forgive me?

Of course, as you long forgave those who are chasing you, I forgive the ones who are after me.

Well, isnt it something? said Joseph pushing me to sleep together in a hen coop.

When we woke up in the morning, my friend had feathers in his hair and I could not make the difference between Joseph and the poultry on the roosts around him.We had both entered through the coop window left ajar.It was not an ordinary coop : it was made of cement .The owner had locked the door, but the window was half open. So that we hurried out of the place we had got in

Now while I am writing , my friend is buying some food. I am alone, but a police car passed at a high speed. They must have taken Joseph. Indeed, this is what happened ... Joseph was cuffed and forced to get into the police van.

Eventually, I approached my friend cautiously and whispered to him :

Joseph, do not worry, they will put you in prison for a few days just to let you sleep in a bed.You have had enough of the four nights march on the Eastern land.

Joseph was silent and cast an astonished look at the iron door that opened in front of him.He was pushed inside and ended lying on a spongy mattress.He gazed at the ceiling ,then he rose. While sitting ,he realized he was alone.He fell into a deep sleep.

After he had slept a whole day and night without interruption, I woke Joseph up in a soft voice: Do you like your staying here?

Of course I like it! answered Joseph rubbing his eyes.

You should not be so trustful! They will bring two criminals here today. That very moment the door was wide opened and and two lanky fellows, one bigger than the other, were shoved inside.To Josephs surprise who expected to be raped - the two men sat quietly on the mattress.They seemed exhaustedBoth Joseph and his new companions slept incessantly the whole three days spent in the cell.They got up from time to time only to use the bucket, nothing else.The third day my friend was taken in a black van to the edge of a thick forest where one could hardly walk through its trees.After making him a sign , the two frontier police officers left the place.While I am writing, Joseph is struggling to cross the forest to reach the Great River, the frontier.

Towards evening , we met near the bridge that crossed the frontier and the Great River.I called my friend and asked him to tell me how he had got to the River.

Joseph, how did you manage to reach the River?

It was like this: even now I can see the little streams I was following on my way here. I knew that a little stream flows into a bigger one, and this one in its turn flows into an

even bigger one and so on And from one stream to another I arrived at the biggest River.Interesting, isnt it? Perhaps that is why I agreed to join you, I said to Joseph while he was quickening his steps to walk again on the Western land.

We were so happy that we drank up a little bottle of wine.And where do you think we slept? On the grassy bank of the great River.

VII

After about a week , Joseph was again in the first city. Being back there lay heavy on my friend like a painful feeling of shame. Due to the same reasons, he kept on living with the same uncertainties he had had from the very beginning of his arrival in the Occident.But he did not give up calling me, the one who is writing, every day. New original ideas crossed my friends mind.He would have liked, for example, to turn into a bird to win his freedom by flying high in the sky.At other times, he would have preferred to be a woman.He used to tell me: Cher ami, if I had been a woman, the secret services would have tortured me less

I had long seen his deep secret : he was innocent and , young as he was, his isolation and unexplained sufferance made him angry.

Soon he longed to wander through the great city , but something strange made him remain in his own flat .Almost every day he tasted something sweet in the water.He would tell me with melancholic enthusiasm about the water he had used to drink when he was a child.He imagined he was on a hill and sipped water from the jug carried by his mother when she went to work in the field.But that was something elseNow he confined himself to using drug sweetened water You can imagine how indignant was I , the one who is writing , but there was nothing to be done for my friend.

Joseph started fighting with the coloursYes, you have heard me correctly : he fought with the colours! The presence of drugs in the water proved the mean course of events.Without knowing it, my friend used to swallow an amount of substances with effects he could not even suspect.One day I tried to apologize for not having visited him for a while.Josep looked pale and scared.He came close to me and said :

Believe me or not , but for five

days I cant leave home!

I kept silent , but Josephs words sounded as if said from a broken heart.

Of course you can not if you are anaemic!...

Its not about anaemia, my angel- friend, but the colours!...

What colours? Which colours? I asked puzzled.

Just open the front door and you will see a lot of differently coloured carpets near the threshold. I am terrified and unable to explain what is happening on the hall of this building , I said turning my head to Joseph.

My angel-friend, I am really grateful to you in such moments, but I must tell you that you are as helpless as I am when it comes to the secret services. I dont understand why I came back!...Suddenly Joseph stopped , pointed at his eyes and said: You see, my angel-friend, every time I look at the coloured carpets, my entire body petrifies and I simply cant move, do anything, get out of the house

Joseph, do not tell me anything , do not even pronounce my name! I do not deserve it. I am really unable to help you. Try to lie in your bed ,maybe you will fall asleep

Joseph pulled one drawer of his desk , took a few sheets of paper written in a hurry and gave them to me.

I am absolutely sure that youll believe what I wrote there!... Then he sat down silently on his bed.

What is it all about? I said. Tell me briefly.

Very well, my angel-friend, very well!...

Listen to me : for somebody who comes from the East, the worst thing to put up with is mind reading.

Mind reading? I asked surprisedly. Exactly! Do you imagine, my angel-friend, Joseph said like an exhausted man, that somebody could make you really believe the fact that what you think is heard by the

others?

Am I a villain? Joseph ended abruptly.Then he added: Dont ever come to visit me again, my angel-friend.

That day I left Joseph thinking about what had happened on the underground. Joseph was in one of the carriages of the train that was taking him close to his home.The place was crowded.

Joseph had hardly made a gesture when he pulled his hand back .He had accidentally touched a black young lady.And since the drugs were making their effect, Joseph had the impression that everything he thought about the girl and all the others he was in visual or tactile contact with was heardHe had to stop thinking .He needed to stop using this function of his brain if he wanted to find his peace.As painful as it may sound, it is true.Joseph tortured himself and his soul , which is the sublime and most mysterious feature of a human being.How can you possibly hinder your thoughts?! Everybody thinks about the others by a freedom imposed by the central functions of the brain.This freedom can be brought to a stop only by artificial means.Joseph tormented and blamed himself without being able to explain the phenomenonAfter I finished reading, I threw away the sheets of paper and I remained motionless for some minutes,trying hard to make the sign of the cross.

Excuse me, a blue-eyed curly gentleman addressed me. I have heard that you must be a friend of Josephs. Am I right ?

Yes, I answered cautiously.

This man does not live in the same placehere is the new address!...He gave me a visiting card. Excuse me ? I interrupted him.

You have heard me!... Then he left me alone on the pavement.

It is true, I had not visited Joseph for threee weeks.Now when I am looking for him desperately,he is put up in the house of the funny people, the lunatics.I could not believe my eyes when I saw himJoseph had grown terribly thin .

You shouldnt believe the stupid things they say, my friend whispered to me. I am sorry, I may have been mistaken to leave you.

Its all right, my angel-friend ,but , please, get me out of here as soon as possible. They want to prescribe me a treatment based on barbiturates.Get me out of here! Get me out of here!

But ,Joseph , are you able to walk? How much do you weigh?

I used to weigh 83 kilos, but now I weigh only 47.The drugs I was administered and the colours in front of my flat made me my own prisoner.I stayed in my room for more than two weeks without eating anything. What about the water? What did you drink? I asked him scared.

I drank it as long as I could get out of bed!... And then? Then I drank my own urine.

But that is awful!...

I used a plate for that. I raised it to my mouth and drank it until one day when I collapsed.

But what you are saying is absolutely terrifying.

Terrifying or not, just get me out of here, please!...

Comment?You must stay here till you are able to walk.Then we will have to run and jump over the iron fence .We will be together this way.

Nonsense! said Joseph terribly annoyed, while trying to get up from the wheel chair. Nonsense! And then he fell powerless in my arms, in the arms of the one who is writing .Our planned escape took place two months after our last meting. In the meantime, Joseph was looking forward to seeing me againFinally Joseph could walk , but with much difficulty. At times he used to lean upon me. One single event made him feel as free as a butterfly : the revolution. The revolution had taken place.

After some weeks we were together on a plane which took off fast, leaving behind the big Occidental city.Before he sat down on his chair, Joseph had made the sign of cross bending to the floor , then he told me, the one who is writing:

I still have the taste of drug in my mouth.Is it drug or medicine?! I dont know.

And I answered:

Dear Joseph, I think that you will be left with the taste of drug or medicine for the rest of your life.

It doesnt matter, said Joseph laughing heartily, then he added :

I have come off with the taste and the secret services with the smellThe smell of the Occident.