Translated Accounts (14 page)

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Authors: James Kelman

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It is not sarcasm. Old ways often are discarded, progress is backwards. It is not sarcasm. If religion is medieval, I do not say it. I am not a religious man. Who has the authority. Who are
authoritys. I have my questions. These questions may be put forward if it so is allowed, who will do so, who may question, who is to speak, so is allowed, then do so, tell it to me, say who is
arbiter if our lives so are determined, who is to determine them, if these questions are, or are not, who is arbiter, what religious man, what is that authority.

All theoretics. These questions are from books, old books new books. A book such as that does engross me. Or computing. These books also, any books. What I am to say if this is not true, it is
true. Some are new books speaking of old history. If these treaties were between countries, between states, inter one to another, of 80 years and 800 hundred, 8000, that duration, if it be so, what
may be denied, if one is to deny, what, if this is our land? can such a thing be denied. We are not gods seeking verification, what is our proof, show it to me, if birds do not sing and babies do
not cry, call to witness, please show it, otherwise we are beings on planet Earth, some humans, what may we do if evidence is demanded of us, we ourselves, that we exist?

I would not deny these books, speaking of old history. What can be denied. Books are not to be denied. Who has books, have books, who. Who has history. Some have no history.

It is factual information.

Old struggles, old campaigns, old propaganda. From other countries. I cannot remember more of them. Revolutionaries, famous figures, personality people I do not know, intelligentsia. Of other
countries. I do not remember, anyone, peoples.

I do not remember which countries did they come, I do not know. It is not sarcasm. Historical books, technological books. These were taken from me during the period of the disturbance. The bag
was at my feet. One book was not taken. I held this in my hand. I was reading it.

I was reading it. The others were stolen from me. I say so.

Who has my books. They may read them, gain pleasure. Perhaps the woman wearing religious clothes. She might steal them? Religious people do not steal. This is said. I am not sarcastic. Religious
people are good people. They will not rob from others, unto others, so, as they themselves, into temples, mosques. Perhaps they can read them, stealing my books they now can read them, seeing from
medieval times, the collars and veils are by our eyes, progress not progress, give your authority to me, I also am a father, father of your father, all fathers, I am father.

The revolution is the technology, this is said. People say it. I do not say it. Geometrical solutions, what is digital problems. I read for interest, instruction but also interest, only myself.
A book such as that will engross me. I came upon it in that town. I bought it. From a vendor. I do not know the vendor.

How can this not be possible to say. I do not know the vendor. There, I have said it.

Which one.

Yes, which one.

Magicians may fly. Also animals, yes, all pigs, planet Mars for martians, colleagues of mars.

I would not describe these border towns as treasure-trove towns, treasure-trove villages. Not book treasures. Other treasures perhaps but for book readers, for teachers, for students, an
embarrassment. The authoritys may be embarrassed. Here is a culture, it has no books. We shall die for this culture.

I cannot say the vendor who had these books. Other treasures are there. Drugs for sexual assistances and medications, weapons or livestock, fruit produce, vegetable produce, wines, alcohol,
brandy, jewellery, trinkets, yes local brandy, it is dangerous yes to health, and livestock, all may be purchased. I do not know about people. People can be purchased always, yes. An economy may
build. There is trade in people. Who is to be sentimental, I can be so, if it is possible, I think so, that it may be so, if it is children, our little sisters and brothers, if we may sell
them.

I am a guest to these districts but knowledge is available. None may not know. In recent years also are stories of upsurges in the interchange of articles, yes, all services and goods, so it is
said, luxury goods, hi-fi machinery, computer machinery, computing goods and telecoms, all phoneware, hardware software. We hear of it. We do not see it. I do not see it. Yet was one vendor having
one typewriter, no electrics, no paper, I do not think so. Among the people also, if it is near to the border books can appear. Who is to say, it is random. I have books and had them. If there is
laxity people make use of it, as they may wish, what is possible, they buy they sell, we buy we sell, we are human beings as are they. Who is surprised. I do not know why.

There was much vegetable produce, fruit, flesh meats, some decaying, giving off odours, ripened, other foods, pastries. People eat. Always. And for leavetakings, always. I did not buy. I had
eaten before coming inside this place. Good food. It was a restaurant, I ate in it soup, and fish also was there. I was alone. Colleagues did not buy this food. No colleagues were there. Where
these fish came from. I asked the waiter. He did not know. Waiters do not hold such information, I am sorry sir. Good fish, oil fish, I still could taste it, smell it, and here by the bus-terminal
I was not hungry. Perhaps for the journey I could purchase some fruit, I thought perhaps, yes but did not, I did not go to buy, thinking someone might sit on my seat. If I might be allowed to
return, if I had stepped onto the road below, military were there, who can say what they may do, risking to my health. Militarys are such hazards, securitys also more.

It is not sarcasm.

Now, thus, I was on the upper deck of this bus. One man next to me, man and his suitcase. His eyes were closed, resting, coming from home, working to someplace. In front of me one woman,
religious woman, she did not move, perhaps she too was sleeping. Next to her was the younger fellow, his bag there on his seat.

I was tired then, now also I am tired. Exhaustion. Every thing. It is energy. For life, living, for energy, oxygen and water, we breathe, how do we breathe, breaths for living, where do they
come from, we get our breaths, steal our breaths. I do not talk of the mountains, there is no water in the mountains, no water for people.

Pipes, enclosure. Who does not talk of the mountains.

The people were on the street below. What I am to say.

Yes, I was reading that book then and from the side of my eye saw down to the street, near these barrows with fruit and vegetable produce. The one was there by the old man and woman, elderly.
Certainly it was a farewell, there was that finality. Many farewells, embraces. He was their grandson, if grandson, I think that he was. Each passed something to him, money, trinkets or jewellery,
silver and gold objects, I do not know knives, cutlery, family treasures, I do not know. These would be there and found on his body, money of course, savings of money of course, elderly relatives
to the young fellow, dreams and hopes, what they will do, and so they give all to him, it is an exchange, offerings to god and all other spiritual beings, safe-passage for our children, protection
of our young and future.

These old people do it. The young offers hope for the future. All family hopes can be based on him if he is a young man, more than young woman, yes, I am saying, it is older people and what they
do think, of that future, it is not myself, it is themselves who think it, yes, what does the future not hold, but pumpkins.

It is not sarcastic. Pumpkins are everywhere. In our culture, our country, whose country, who says “our”, yes, pumpkins are everywhere.

They are everywhere. On sale, yes, everywhere.

Pumpkins may be soft and ripened, vegetating, rotted. Thus then was one military who fired the bullets to kill him. If he had insignia, perhaps so, shot by pumpkins, perhaps he will have been
honoured, State authoritys to say it of him, death with full honour attached. No rotted pumpkins to be there then, slashing onto that insignia, if he had insignia, this security.

It is not sarcastic, sarcasm.

Returning now to myself, on the upper bus section, flight deck for our people, yes, to all galaxies where is found planet Mars, all good martian colleagues, it is not sarcastic.

I continued to read the book. What anger may be. If anger will move matters, events progessing through anger, if that they do, some think it, yes, I am not one who thinks it, books do not live,
they are passive, coming to life as visceral, read by people, human beings, it is ourselves, we so.

But what.

reading books. Computing languages, algorithmic tasks, let us resolve, possible not possible, what we may achieve, all of we human beings, that we are, our moments, pavlov moments, it is not
sarcastic.

All were aboard and the driver also

All were aboard. I thought it, hearing the engine turning and so the driver also was there but no sooner than the disturbance. Relatives remained on the street below and their relatives on the
bus. Loud voices, I looked, yes, brave military, shouting military, all voices people voices shouting shouting. Now men were pushing out from the bus, pushed out from the bus. Military had boarded,
pushing pulling, what tasks are performed by militarys, these are major operations, major operatives engage, all military and their insignia, large insignia brave insignia, finer military and their
finer decorations all decorations, all personnel for gallant death with honours. These were honourable men courageous men men at the bus inside outside upper level lower level and on the street,
brave men major men major operations, pumpkin operations, I am not angry.

Angry is sarcastic?

What is sarcastic.

Soft and ripened, vegetating, rotted. If what is under our skin, what might it be, if not blood, bone and gristle, sinew and muscle, what might it not be, arteries, beating hearts and souls,
spirits of peoples.

Yes.

Families bid farewell. Under the nose of the military they bid farewell. A family bids farewell, it is a sacred operation. Sacred things. Give religion to me, not vegetating, already rotted,
what it now is, what persuasions are we, if we have persuasions, what might they be

Now all were aboard low and upper levels of the bus we travellers and from outside faces raised, staring upward to us. I saw them, open faces, happy not happy, they bid farewell, when shall they
see their loved ones. Never. Never shall they see them.

I tell the truth.

I so was witnessing.

I had the book but was not reading it now to exclude all else which was not possible. I so witnessed. Two travellers were ejected.

Only two. I so witnessed. I did not see from the other window. I could not, two eyes only in this head, remaining in one seat, myself.

Yes the younger fellow was of that two, he it was as second fellow pushed from the bus. The first fellow was the other. Each of these two pushed individually by militarys, five. Five military
men major operatives all insignia for brave gallantry, these for the younger fellow, taking him from the bus, pushing, knocking, I do not know but for this one, grandson of the old people. Pushed
out by five. Yes, what strength was there, youth is strength, yes. Five such military men. Why not six, seven men, eight men, warriors from Japan, wrestlers. It is not sarcastic. Youth is strength.
Eight Sumo wrestler-warriors will push this younger fellow. A regiment is necessary. Bring these to our territory, peacekeepers so may do, bring them and bring them, all must arrive.

Other personnel, also securitys, many, they were there. I am saying it. Many were shouting as seeking information. They looked also to us, upward shouted also to us. I did not hear them. My ears
were not suited to loudness, all shouting.

Vendors had moved

moving backward, from these lines of vision as also relatives and others of the travellers, not to be in sight of these personnel.

And now these two fellows were in view fully, isolated by these vendor barrows, it was these two, the younger one and the other who was pushed firstly from the bus. He was thirty years, our
colleague. He it was sought by security, now taken by the militarys. I saw it I knew it. I looked, I saw, yes. This was a colleague. I did not recognise him but I knew it, knew it, who may tell
this to myself, please, please do so do not do so

Yes, they shouted at him, pushed him felling him and up he rose, up to his feet, yes, onto his feet, standing, they shouted at him again shouted, knocked him down again, he rose up knocked down
rose up, felled, rising upwards, yes, rising, yes, still he did, rising, felled, yes, having made the decision, thank you.

What decision what is decision.

All know what decision. He had made goodbye to his people. His people were not below, as that when they knocked him down and he rose up, he stood, waited, simply he waited, and all knew. He did
not seek death, his head was bowed, it was to come. All we.

How not to use bayonets bay on-ets for goodbye babeee. Bay on-ets may be used on younger fellows as on babies, sacks of grain as it may be done for children when all are surrounded and by heavy
numbers face bravely our infants, why not if these are the foreign fabulists who may write it, academic experts who are into our country as servants and clowns to our master authoritys, all monies
and riches from our colleges to these foreign professors, specialty experts who may say we do exist, or not so, who is to buy my words, all newspaper media, other servants all servants, such
politicians and other personnel, allied at foreign office. Why not use such. Sacks of grain also are human beings. Yes. Come to our country, all pumpkin vendors and elderly people if surrounded by
military personnel, younger people.

It is not sarcastic. Time is not ours.

People may oppose humiliation. If time is not ours. They will oppose humiliation but we have no time for that opposition, all such forms of it, if there are others.

We have none.

Kill and not kill.

Our bus will depart the terminal, when our bus is departing the terminal, do not ask questions, military judgments summary judgments, what is it, exercise that judgment, power is summary,
execution also is summary

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