Death is Eternal #362

Monday. August 21, 2023. 976 words.

The shortest Death is Eternal in a long, long time because of time. The lack of it, obviously.

Contents

1. Dandara

2. Stella Harvey

3. Bye!

4. Death is Eternal review #231: Night Fever by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Jacob Phillips

5. Death is Eternal review #232: Quarterback

6. The end

1. Dandara

From a distance, Dandara observed her husband, Zumbi. He exuded strength, not through his muscles alone, but through his commanding presence. He emerged as their leader not by chance but due to his unmatched suitability for the role. Every ear tuned in when he spoke, including even those from the white.

However, concealed within his strength lay a vulnerability intrinsic to all men. Zumbi’s rhetoric was grandiose, yet it rested upon a foundation of dependency on Dandara. Without her, he transformed into a mere lost soul.

Dandara never regarded it as equitable that she must remain in the shadows for her husband’s radiance to shine. Nevertheless, she held a perpetual comprehension that “fair” was an elusive term, bereft of significance. In her world, equity was absent; what endured was an unceasing struggle.

Acknowledging her absence from the limelight, she forged an alliance with the shadows. Within those very shadows, she had escaped the clutches of slavery, and from their embrace, she guided the mightiest man in Brazil.

During the preceding night, Dandara had imparted the answer in hushed tones, a response now resonating in Zumbi’s fervent exclamations directed at Gunga-Zumba—his uncle.

“Absolutely not! We mustn’t place trust in the white man’s promises. Their words, though solemnly spoken, bear no weight. Furthermore, while they might extend forgiveness to us, their benevolence will bypass our friends. Embracing their proposition would be tantamount to adopting the malevolence of the white oppressors we despise!”

Pride swelled within Dandara. Zumbi echoed her sentiments, even pausing where she had halted in her discourse the previous night.

Nonetheless, a pang of sadness gripped her. Despite her alliance with the shadows, a fraction of her yearned for recognition, a validation she rightfully deserved. Zumbi’s stature rested mainly on her contributions, a truth she grappled with. He would be but a fraction of his essence without her.

Amidst her sigh, Dandara recognized that slavery’s chains no longer bound her. Still, she was acutely aware that the shackles of women’s subjugation remained unbroken.

In the silence of her contemplation, she posed an unspoken query: “Can existence devoid of freedom truly be deemed life?”

The end

2. Stella Harvey

Credit: DALL-E 2 (green lake)

Jessica and I went to Whistler on Saturday (Aug. 19, 2023) to meet with Stella Harvey. As you all know, Stella was my mentor during The Writer’s Studio (TWS). My goal with the trip was two: 1. have a one-on-one with her, and 2. revisit the city after almost two years without going. I accomplished both.

And curiously, the one-on-one was the least important part of it.

That’s because I can meet with her to discuss writing whenever I want—Stella is a fantastic mentor, and even with the program over, I know her doors are always open to me and all my colleagues. But having an opportunity to spend the day hiking around Whistler and talking with her about life is not something I can do daily, unfortunately.

I won’t get into many details here, I’ll just say we walked roughly 15 km on Saturday, and I’d walk 15 more if it meant talking with her and her husband, Dave. Both lovely and superb people made us love the day we spent together.

Stella, if you are reading this, thank you very much for the day. It meant a lot to us! And hopefully, we’ll get a chance to do a longer hike next time.

3. Bye!

Here’s where we say our farewell to the free subscribers. If you want to read the rest of Death is Eternal, consider becoming a paying subscriber. If you already are a paying subscriber, first of all, thank you very, very much! And second, I’ll see you on the other side of the paywall.