27-30may, a 4-part story abt a small town and its leader.
31may, farewell post, a story abt letting go.
P.S. i'm going for NAFA orientation tomorrow! :D
here goes...
Viscos used to be a haven for outlaws until Ahab, after his conversion by St Savin, succeeded n transforming it into the village that we know now, home to men and women of good will.
How did Ahab manage to achieve that transformation?
Ahab never tried to convince anyone in the village to be good, because he knew what people were like; they would confuse honesty with weakness, and his authority would immediately be placed in doubt.
What he did was to send for some carpenters from a neighbouring village, give them a piece of paper with a drawing on it, and order them to build something in the middle of the village square. Day and night throughout the next ten days, the inhabitants of the village heard the sound of hammers and watched men sawing up planks of wood, fitting them together and screwing one piece to another. At the end of the ten days, the giant jigsaw puzzle was erected in the middle of the square, covered with a cloth. Ahab called all the villagers together for the inauguration of the monument.
Solemnly, without any speeches, he removed the cloth; there stood a gallows, complete with rope, trap door, everything brand new and greased with beeswax to withstand the ravages of the weather for many years. Then taking advantage of the fact that everyone was there, Ahab read out a series of new laws that protected farmers, encouraged the raising of livestock and promised to reward anyone bringing new trade to Viscos. He added that, from the on, everyone would have to find honest work or leave the village. That was all he said; not once did he mention the "monument" he had just inaugurated. Ahab did not believe in making threats.
When the ceremony was over, people gathered together in various groups. Most of then believed that Ahab had been duped by the saint, that he had lost his nerve, and that he should be killed. During the days that followed, many plans were made with that objective in mind. But the plotters could not avoid the sight of the gallows in the middle of the square, and they thought: What is that doing there? Was it erected in order to deal with anyone who goes against the new laws? Who is on Ahab's side and who isn't? Are there spies in our midst?
The gallows looked at the villagers, and the villagers looked at the gallows. Gradually, the rebel's initial defiance gave way to fear; they all knew Ahab's reputation and they knew he never went back on a decision. Some of them left the village, others decided to try the new jobs that had been suggested, simply because they had nowhere else to go or because they were conscious of the shadow cast by the instrument of death in the middle of the village square. Before long, Viscos had been pacified and it became a large trading centre near the frontier, exporting the finest wool and producing top-quality wheat.
The gallows remained in place for ten years. The wood withstood the weather well, but the rope occasionally had to be replaced with a new one. The gallows was never used. Ahab never once mentioned it. The mere sight of the gallows was enough to turn courage into fear, trust into suspicion, bravado into whispers of submission. When ten years had passed and the law had finally been firmly established in Viscos, Ahab had the gallows dismantled and used the wood to build a cross instead.
How did Ahab manage to achieve that transformation?
Ahab never tried to convince anyone in the village to be good, because he knew what people were like; they would confuse honesty with weakness, and his authority would immediately be placed in doubt.
What he did was to send for some carpenters from a neighbouring village, give them a piece of paper with a drawing on it, and order them to build something in the middle of the village square. Day and night throughout the next ten days, the inhabitants of the village heard the sound of hammers and watched men sawing up planks of wood, fitting them together and screwing one piece to another. At the end of the ten days, the giant jigsaw puzzle was erected in the middle of the square, covered with a cloth. Ahab called all the villagers together for the inauguration of the monument.
Solemnly, without any speeches, he removed the cloth; there stood a gallows, complete with rope, trap door, everything brand new and greased with beeswax to withstand the ravages of the weather for many years. Then taking advantage of the fact that everyone was there, Ahab read out a series of new laws that protected farmers, encouraged the raising of livestock and promised to reward anyone bringing new trade to Viscos. He added that, from the on, everyone would have to find honest work or leave the village. That was all he said; not once did he mention the "monument" he had just inaugurated. Ahab did not believe in making threats.
When the ceremony was over, people gathered together in various groups. Most of then believed that Ahab had been duped by the saint, that he had lost his nerve, and that he should be killed. During the days that followed, many plans were made with that objective in mind. But the plotters could not avoid the sight of the gallows in the middle of the square, and they thought: What is that doing there? Was it erected in order to deal with anyone who goes against the new laws? Who is on Ahab's side and who isn't? Are there spies in our midst?
The gallows looked at the villagers, and the villagers looked at the gallows. Gradually, the rebel's initial defiance gave way to fear; they all knew Ahab's reputation and they knew he never went back on a decision. Some of them left the village, others decided to try the new jobs that had been suggested, simply because they had nowhere else to go or because they were conscious of the shadow cast by the instrument of death in the middle of the village square. Before long, Viscos had been pacified and it became a large trading centre near the frontier, exporting the finest wool and producing top-quality wheat.
The gallows remained in place for ten years. The wood withstood the weather well, but the rope occasionally had to be replaced with a new one. The gallows was never used. Ahab never once mentioned it. The mere sight of the gallows was enough to turn courage into fear, trust into suspicion, bravado into whispers of submission. When ten years had passed and the law had finally been firmly established in Viscos, Ahab had the gallows dismantled and used the wood to build a cross instead.
2 comments:
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