Commentaries from Across a Veil: Post Epiphany 2017

From somewhere across a misty veil, something that was apparently once George Orwell sniggers, but not a happy snigger, more one of disdain and despair. Apparently he’s somehow just found out that US intelligence agencies have just released a report attributing Hillary Clinton’s second failed presidential campaign to the evil Russians.

Across from Orwell, something that was apparently once Joe McCarthy chuckles, a happy, satisfied, self-congratulatory chuckle and smirks, “that’s my girl, they can’t keep us down forever.” “Remember how many times William Jennings Bryan ran” he asks Orwell?

“Yes, and lost each time” Orwell replies.

McCarthy laughs again and chortles an iconic phrase in a rather droll context “but the times they are a changing!” “You know George, I always said we should have helped the Germans in WWII and destroyed every damned Communist Russian, and that damned Austrian had it down pat in that book of his about how constantly repeating something makes it true. Why, you said the same damn thing in that pesky book of yours, 1980 something”.

Orwell, a wearied expression on what would have been his face if he still had one, asks: “Did you really read either book Joe?” To which McCarthy replies: “Didn’t have to, everything I need to know just sort of comes to me when I need it, and I just keep repeating it until it sticks, like my gal Hillary”.

The mists cover everything and the vision seems to disappear, but McCarthy’s laugh lingers just a bit more, and as he fades one can hear him repeatedly singing a few ironic bars “and the times they are a changing!”

I wake from my reverie, unsure whether or not I imagined it all.

“Had to” I conclude. “No one could have come up with such an idiotic report and who’d’ve been fool enough to believe it anyway” I murmur.

A saturnine, ghostly voice seems to answer, repeating again and again, “… I told you so, didn’t I? I told you so!
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© Guillermo Calvo Mahé; Manizales, 2017; all rights reserved