CALL Network | Text | UN: alnnahs

[alkhimia2i]

[Being holed up in a safehouse as she is, Ana is a little short on stimulating conversation. As much as she might want to resist engaging in this strange magical cellphone, she doesn't hold out for too long. After all, from what she can tell, these people have no idea who she is.

What she posts comes in two pieces, the first a series of lines in Arabic text followed by a helpful translation in English. The second piece is commentary.]

ﺃﺩﻣﻨﺖ ﺍﺣﺰﺍﻧﻲ
ﻓﺼﺮﺕ ﺍﺧﺎﻑ ﺍﻥ ﻻ ﺍﺣﺰﻧﺎ
ﻭﻃﻌﻨﺖ ﺁﻻﻓﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺍﺕ
ﺣﺘﻰ ﺻﺎﺭ ﻳﻮﺟﻌﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﻥ ﻻ ﺍﻃﻌﻨﺎ
ﻭﻟﻌﻨﺖ ﻓﻲ ﻛﻞ ﺍﻟﻠﻐﺎﺕ
ﺣﺘﻰ ﺻﺎﺭ ﻳﻘﻠﻘﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﻥ ﻻ ﺍﻟﻌﻨﺎ
ﻭﻟﻘﺪ ﺗﺸﺎﺑﻬﺖ ﻛﻞ ﺍﻟﺒﻼﺩ
ﻓﻼ ﺍﺭﻯ ﻧﻔﺴﻲ ﻫﻨﺎﻙ، ﻭﻻ ﺍﺭﻯ ﻧﻔﺴﻲ ﻫﻨﺎ

I was addicted to my sorrows,
Until I became scared of not being sorrowful.
And I was stabbed thousands of times,
Until it felt painful not to be stabbed.
And I was cursed in all the languages,
Until I became nervous of not being cursed.
And all the countries seemed the same,
in that I neither see myself there, nor do I see myself here.


I came across this while reading, so I thought I might share it. No particular reason, except than I found it to be moving. I wouldn't mind hearing your opinions.

Comments

[jinglejangle]

That's a damned shame.

Are you trying to turn this on me now? Try to make me out to be some sorta smart guy spouting nonsense just to hear himself talk?

Or see himself type, as it is right now.

[alkhimia2i]

Is that what I'm doing?

And I thought I was being generous by letting you pick a less boring topic.

[jinglejangle]

Might be.

Well if you want a less boring topic, you might be better off asking someone else. There's two things in this world I'm an expert on, and I don't fancy someone who thinks poetry is a great conversation would be too keen to talk about guns.

[alkhimia2i]

Two things? And they're both guns?

I guess if I have to suffer through that conversation, I will take that bullet for the team.

[jinglejangle]

Don't go putting words in my mouth. I'm a one pistol at a time sort of man.

Most of the time, anyways.

[imagine some finger pistols here]

Sides, there's no teams here. It's just you and me.

Well, and the Doc, but she just kinda likes to keep a watch over things.

[nice and subtle, mccree.]

[alkhimia2i]

[Is he...? He is. That was most certainly McCree tossing an innuendo her way. Part of her wants to laugh. The other part wants to gently remove his CALL device from his hands. She never had a son by any official means, but if she had--he would be the closest thing to that.

She's a little embarrassed for him. And a little ashamed of how inherently dishonest this conversation is.]

That sounds terribly unwieldy.

[And that's really all she has to say on that.]

It's only an expression--and even if it wasn't, there's a large number of other users with access to this network, you know. Not just you and me.

But it's nice to hear that your friend has your back. She mentioned that the two of you know each other personally.

[She sees what you did there, McCree. She's not that easy to slip up.]

[jinglejangle]

Maybe if y'ain't used to it.

[If he was a man with shame, this would be the start where he reconsiders what he's saying. But Jesse McCree is not a man who knows when to stop.]

But how many of them don't want to talk about poetry, neither? Maybe we're doing everyone a service by stopping this shit.

The Doc and I go way back, but I ain't sure how common that is in a place like this.

[alkhimia2i]

[She's not touching that one... Maybe if she ignores it, he'll stop.]

If they didn't want to talk about poetry, I imagine they didn't respond.

[You know, like normal people, McCree.]

I wouldn't know how common it is to find someone familiar around here. Are there others that you recognize? Or is it only your Doctor friend?

[jinglejangle]

[It's enough to get him to stop...

For now.]

So the lack of people crawling out of the woodwork means I'm right, right?


Haven't had access to none of this shit for very long, so I couldn't say. Maybe not all of these strangers are strangers, but nobody else is coming to say hello. You don't got any friends here either, then?

[alkhimia2i]

Would it make you feel better if you were right?

[She's going to just keep humoring him at this rate.]

Hmm. Who knows? If I have any friends around, they haven't found me yet. Perhaps that will change in the future.

[jinglejangle]

Don't most folks like this?

[By this point McCree has realized he's just being humored, but...Eh. No harm, no foul.]

Well on account of you being so mysterious you probably won't find any anytime soon. Though I'm sure someone'll come crawling outta the woodwork when you least expect it.

[alkhimia2i]

Am I being mysterious? I wasn't trying to be.

Or are you still sore about the poetry? I've never known someone to find art so nefarious.

[jinglejangle]

The fact you keep talking all roundabout kinda means yeah, you're at the very least suspicious.

[At least if you're paranoid.]

It's a waste of time that people with more money and sense think is more important than anything else, like honest work.

[alkhimia2i]

Couldn't I also be interested in honest work? One does not mean discarding the other.

[jinglejangle]

You'd be one of the first I met who values both.

[yes he is being Stubborn]

[alkhimia2i]

Well. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, then.

[His stubbornness deserves a little sass.]

[jinglejangle]

Are we really acquaintances if only one of us knows the other's name?

[that's what you get for being sassy]

[alkhimia2i]

Touché. Where are my manners?

You can call me Shrike.

[She's already told one person that name, she might as well stick with it...]

[jinglejangle]

Like the bird?

Is this some sort of fancy callsign?

[alkhimia2i]

Yes, like the bird.

I guess you could say that.

[caduceusoncall]

Oh no, you aren't still using that awful old revolver are you? I'd prefer you didn't go around waving ANY guns but that one is a danger to you AND others.

One day that ancient relic is going to misfire while you're showing off with that silly spinning trick and you're going to shoot yourself in the foot.

[jinglejangle]

Don't be mean, Peacemaker is a fine gun that's lasted me for years now. I'm probably gonna break before it does.

[caduceusoncall]

If you insist. If you come hobbling to me to fix that inevitable bullet-riddled foot, you won't get the free treatment. It's a 200$ fee for foolishness you know.

[jinglejangle]

That seems mighty steep. Y'sure there ain't some sort of discounts for friends?

[caduceusoncall]

Just for you, I'll knock the price down to $199.