Marked

Here at the college students continue with their midnight birthday celebrations. Not the happiest of traditions (nor the healthiest), but at least they now make a point of doing their baking before 22:30, which means that the number of fire alarms has really gone down.

In any case, tonight's celebrant, Amira, has a sister staying at my place for the weekend, and she herself happened to be here when the clock struck twelve... Students then came in, threw a coat over her head, and carried her out.

My mind flashed back to the argentinean dictatorship, instantly. I never experienced it myself, but from the Nunca Jamás reports i know that's the way the military did it, too: something to cover your eyes, and you didn't know where you were being taken.

I know nothing will happen to Amira, and that her friends probably had a very nice surprise waiting for her somewhere, but still, there was an instant when i wanted to yell at them, to ask roaringly how they dare play with actions that call back such horrors.

But then i thought, there's no action in our collective repertoire that isn't evocative of some tragedy or violation. Amira was smiling when they covered her face, she wanted to be floated away in her friends' arms. I should be smiling, too. They've managed to recast past actions in a new light. There's still hope of redemption for us all.