PREGNANT PAUSE
CHARACTER
The Mastermind
The Advocate
The Hypocrite
The False Prophet
The Lady
The Voice
Initiate
A long dark hallway – richly ornamented with luxurious furnishings. At the end of the hallway is a big wooden door – carved in the most unique and distinctive carvings. Two men dressed in aristocratic demeanours can be seen walking towards the door. The Mastermind is wearing a set of slick black tuxedo. Initiate is wearing a white shirt with a necktie and a pair of dark-coloured trousers.
PROLOGUE
Initiate: Where are you taking me? I demand an answer.
The Mastermind: Be patient Mr. President. Be patient. You’ll have the answer soon enough. Besides, you’re the one who agreed to do this in the first place (puts on an evil smile).
Initiate: I am a man of great importance. A minute of mine is more precious than a million hours of commoners like you. Patience is out of my option!
The Mastermind: Great importance huh? (Laughs a little) Well, maybe you’re right – you’re more than just a pawn now, but never forget this; you’re at where you are now because of us.
Initiate: (Grunts) Don’t get arrogant! You’re just a supplement to my prominence.
The Mastermind: (Laughs out loud) Mr. President, Mr. President. You always manage to crack us up with your ignorance – but that very same blind ignorance is the reason why we have chosen you in the first place. That ignorance is going to keep us in power and all of our plans on track.
Initiate: Watch your tongue you little...
The Mastermind: (suddenly interrupts) Watch your tongue Mr. President. You may hold the power but we are the one who decide on everything. (Initiate silences) We were the one who decide that you are to be the president. We are the ones who decide how everyone should think and act! We are the ones who decide who prospers and who suffers! Never forget that!
A long uncomfortable silence.
The Mastermind: (talking to himself) Yes? Of course my Lord, of course. (A brief silence and suddenly laughs) Don’t worry my Lord; I’ll make sure he submits to you.
Initiate: Who the hell are you taking to?
The Mastermind: Our Lord of course. He has doubts about you but don’t worry, I’ve convinced him that you’ll be one of us after this ‘epiphanic’ meeting (smiles).
Initiate: What the hell are you talking about? Our Lord? One of you?
The Mastermind: Be at peace Mr. President. You’ll understand everything after this meeting- nothing to worry about (in a cynical tone).
Initiate: (Sighs heavily) I can’t believe I’ve made a deal with a lunatic.
The Mastermind: Lunatic? (Laughs) He thinks I’m a lunatic for talking to you my Lord (laughs again). Yes, I know (continues to laugh).
The two men reach the door.
The Mastermind: Okay, we are here.
Initiate: Just open the damn door.
The Mastermind: Like I’ve said before, be patient and relax Mr. President. Behind this door, you’ll be introduced to the realm of reality. You’ll understand how this world really works. You’ll understand the sacrifices we have done to make this world a better place. You’ll understand how we’ve helped a lot of people to attain the eternal paradise – and of course, very soon, you’ll be a part of it.
Initiate: (Starting to take it more seriously) So, this is a big thing huh?
The Mastermind: (Pleased to see Initiate’s change of attitude) Of course my president, of course. This is not just another meeting about petty little things like campaigning for presidency or financing or something like that; this meeting revolves around a much bigger aspect of life - this is about something that pre-dates even religions.
Initiate: What do you mean?
The Mastermind: (Smiles) You’ll know soon enough.
The Mastermind opens the door and they enter a dark room. After a brief pause, the Chorus enters the hallway.
PARADOS
Chorus: I bring upon you the man of our nation,
God protected,
Has he let power to consume him – in liquid abyss he drowns,
Has he let wealth to devour him – in agonizing greed he suffocates,
Has he let lust to embrace him – in lustrous shades he burns;
A saviour in the eyes of his people,
Glorious leader unshaken by death – all hopes, all false;
A corrupt – defiled with tarred pride,
Sing me the propaganda in reverse,
A requiem to the living – Lacrimosa a smile.
STROPHE
A deal sealed by ignorance – in ignorance,
In claiming ignorant power,
The mind ignored,
And pride restored – wealth and power replanted,
On the soil of imaginary reality.
ANTISTROPHE
A door with mystery,
Led to by a man of mystery,
A Pandora’s Box? Perhaps,
Blank yet infinite questions with,
Unreasonably reasonable answers,
On a white paper – black in colour.
The Chorus exits the hallway and the hallway darkens. The dark room brightens up – revealing a meeting room with The Advocate, The Lady, The Hypocrite and The False Prophet along with Initiate and The Mastermind.
EPISODE 1
The Mastermind: Gentlemen – and Lady, our awaited President is here.
The Advocate: (Sighs) Finally!
The Lady: (Seductively) Have a seat Mr. President. I’ve saved one for you; right here beside me (winks and laughs).
The Mastermind and Initiate take their seats.
The Mastermind: Now, the meeting is officially commenced. The agenda for today – the initiation of our Mr. President.
Initiate: Whoa, whoa. Initiation? Initiation into what?
Everyone except Initiate and the Advocate laughs.
The Advocate: You haven’t told him yet?
Initiate: Tell me what? What haven’t he tell me dammit?
The Mastermind: (Ignoring Initiate) Well, it’s not that I didn’t want to tell him but the Lord believes that it’s better for the four of you to tell him your parts yourselves.
The Advocate: Very well then. If that’s what the Lord wants, then I bear no objections.
Initiate: (Furiously) Can you tell me what the damn have I brought myself into?
The Advocate stands up and the room suddenly silences. The Advocate approaches Initiate’s seat.
The Hypocrite: (Cynically) Brace yourself Mr. President.
The Advocate: (Firmly) Now tell me, do you believe in God?
Initiate: Well, I may not be the most religious man but I do believe in God and I believe I have tried my best to fulfill my religious obligations to Him. Why does this even matter?
The Advocate: (Ignoring Initiate’s question) Why do you serve God?
Initiate: Because God is our creator and we are his servants? Why the hell am I answering these kinds of
questions anyways? (Getting frustrated)
The Advocate: So you’re saying that we should serve God just because he created us? Just because he
created us? Seriously? That’s the only reason why we should serve him? So, even if God is evil, we still
have to serve him?
Initiate: What do you mean by even if God is evil?
The Advocate: (Chuckles) Your mind is too polluted by religion Mr. President. Haven’t you ever use your
brain to think for once? – about life, about your religion, about your so called God Almighty? Being a
creator does not make someone or something a saint. Let’s take a look from this angle; if you are a
programmer and you created a software, in a way, that makes you a creator right? (Initiate silences) But
then, did you create that software because you love the software or because you want profits from
the software? – the money, the fame? (Initiate silences) Of course the fame and fortune. You’re not
answering so I believe you’re thinking that what I’m saying might probably be true. Well, it is. It’s
a hard fact but God really did not create us because He loves us but simply because He wants to exploit
profits from us – praises! – Praises that satisfy His selfish desires.
Initiate: That’s just ridiculous but even if God created us for His own satisfaction, that still does not make
Him evil.
The Advocate: Oh, really? You really believe that God is a goody-two-shoe who cares for his
creations? God loves us all? Open your eyes and look around you Mr. President. Tell me what do
you see? Diseases, deaths, wars, catastrophes – that’s what I see; and supposedly God can do anything.
Well, if God can do anything at his will and He loves us, why not stop all of those from happening? Why
can’t He just let us live happily? Why does he make evil exists?
Initiate: (suddenly interrupts) He wants to test our devotion towards Him!
The Advocate: To test us? To test our devotion? Our existence is merely a test to the All-Loving God? –
Not to forget, those who fail his test will face His eternal damnation. I mean, He can create anything at
His will, why not just create us with a ready-made devotion? Why bother test us if he is the All-knowing
God? He should have known already who would pass the test and who wouldn’t, wouldn’t He? – and if He has known this already, why even bother create the sinners who would eventually burn in Hell?
Initiate: (Grunts) You can’t blame God for something man caused.
The Advocate: (Interrupts) Man-made or not, God has the power to stop it doesn’t He?
A long uncomfortable silence.
The Mastermind: (Clears his throat) Well then, I think we should be introducing ourselves already. We are the secret society that governs the world – trying to make it a better place, a place better than what God has created for us.
Initiate: That’s very sane but why do I have anything to do with your psychotic plans?
Everyone laughs except Initiate.
The Mastermind: Have you forgotten already?
Initiate: Forget about what?
The Mastermind: (Chuckles) Oh, silly ignorant God-believer. You are now the president. Do you really believe that you are president because of your own efforts? – or do you think it’s because of God? (Everyone except Initiate laughs) Let us be clear once and for all, we made you President. In fact, every previous president before you who’ve won the presidency was all because of us.
Initiate: What do you mean?
The Mastermind: We control everything! – the media, the economy, everything! – including the election which you have won. Know this, only those who submit to us, to our Lord will attain worldly success.
Initiate: But when the hell did I ever make a deal with you?
The Mastermind: (Chuckles) It was our Lord. You may have not officially made a deal with us but He sees that you were willing to do anything to win the election and hence, He awarded you with the presidency.
Initiate: And I should believe all this because?
The Advocate: (Suddenly interrupts) Because if you don’t, we’ll be glad take away you position, wealth and maybe even your life.
The meeting room darkens and the Chorus reappears.
STASIMON 1
STROPHE
Chorus: I bring upon you the devil’s advocate,
Stirring new brews of doubts
In a holy cauldron of qualms - tainted,
Becometh the state of mind uncertain,
Becometh beliefs unclear – vaguely drifting,
By hollow stream and drags away.
ANTISTROPHE
A challenger of God,
He who believes but rejects – fulminating pride unveiling,
An exhibition of abhorrence,
A display of blasphemy,
Blaming God’s shadows – unreasonable,
Albeit given reasonable reasons.
The chorus exits and the meeting room brightens up again.
EPISODE 2
The Hypocrite: Stop scaring our poor president here. It’s not his fault that he’s created ignorant.
The False Prophet: And we can’t say it’s not our fault either.
The Hypocrite and The False Prophet laugh out loud.
Initiate: Damn you! Stop it with saying I’m ignorant! If I’m stupid, I wouldn’t be the President!
The Hypocrite: (Laughs) Chill Mr. President, chill. We’re just messing with you.
The False Prophet: But still, you’re serving a so-called God who is intangible – you can’t see him, you can’t hear him, you can’t touch him. So what makes you believe God exists? What makes Him real?
Initiate: God really do exist and He does not need to be tangible to exist. Just like oxygen – you can’t see it, you can’t smell it, you can’t touch it – but you know it’s there, you know it exists, you know it’s real.
The Hypocrite: Finally, a wise answer.
The False Prophet: For once.
The Mastermind: (Smiles wickedly) Well, this might be interesting after all.
The Hypocrite: Mr. President, being a man with religion; how do you view religions – I mean the major monotheistic religions; namely Islam, Christianity and Judaism?
Initiate: Being a believer of a monotheistic religion, I honestly do see corruptions in them – even my own. Islam is now a terroristic religion which has lose the sense of being tolerable and united, Christianity has always been notorious for its corrupted priests while Judaism is now a monopolistic religion which seems to be behind wars and treaties.
Both The Hypocrite and The False Prophet laugh.
The False Prophet: Well, he has just proven what a good job we have done.
The Hypocrite: Indeed he has (smiles wickedly).
Initiate: What are you trying to imply?
The Hypocrite and The False Prophet laugh again.
Initiate: Tell me Goddamit!
The Hypocrite: Mr. President, Mr. President. Haven’t you learnt anything?
Initiate puts on an inquisitive look.
The False Prophet: Do you really think that coincidentally, corruptions happen in all monotheistic religions and very little happen in polytheistic religions?
Initiate: So you’re saying that someone’s behind these corruptions?
The False Prophet: Bingo!
Initiate: And I believe you guys have something to do with it?
The False Prophet: Bingo again!
The Hypocrite: Mr. President, let me explain one thing. There’s one thing that the followers of these monotheistic religions do not realize; it is that their religions are originally the same. Christianity, Judaism, Islam; all these religions originally convey one same message.
Initiate: What the hell are you talking about?
The Hypocrite: (Laughs) This is the fact that no one knows and those who know don’t really want to accept.
The False Prophet: Think about it, these religions emerge at different times with different books – the Torah, the Bible and the Quran.
The Hypocrite: Why are there similarities in these scriptures? (Initiate silences)
The False Prophet: But there are also differences in them, right? (Chuckles) Well, that’s where we come in.
The Hypocrite: These books – the Torah, the Bible, the Quran are too dangerous for mankind.
Initiate: What do you mean? Dangerous?
The False Prophet: Your God has set up a so-called guideline in these scriptures and those who are sane enough would know that it is impossible for us, men to follow this guideline.
The Hypocrite: What is more ridiculous is that those who fail to follow this impractical guideline will have to face His eternal damnation.
Initiate: Wait, wait. What’s so ridiculous about this guideline?
The False Prophet: What’s so ridiculous you ask me? What’s so ridiculous? Let’s take one easy example; God is the one who created us with anger and hate, but then in his scriptures, he forbids us from being angry and vengeful towards others. Isn’t that ridiculous? We cannot be angry? Seriously? Why bother create anger as one of our basic instincts if it something forbidden? Why not just create us without anger?
Initiate: Well, maybe God wants us to...
The Hypocrite: (Suddenly interrupts) That’s why we have taken the measure to save all mankind by corrupting these scriptures!
Initiate: What the Hell? How can corrupting God’s scriptures become the salvation for mankind?
The Hypocrite: It’s because of God himself! He said that those who never know about his words are excused from being punished and so, we have taken the initiative to save everyone else from being punished by corrupting His scriptures! – so that no one knows about his words! Hence, no one will be punished by our cruel tyrant you call God!
Initiate: I don’t believe this! I don’t believe this! There’s no way you can corrupt His scriptures!
The False Prophet: (Laughs) Well, the methods in corrupting every scripture differ – especially the Quran. For the Bible, the high priests in the past were on our side so there’s not much trouble in clouding the Bible. For the Torah; well, I don’t really know much because it was so long ago but believe me, it’s corrupted. For the Quran, (laughs) we didn’t actually change any text but even without changing any text, Muslims still got corrupted! (laughs again)
Initiate: Wait! Wait! I got another enquiry. About Muslims being terrorists, about Jews being Zionists; you are the ones behind it right?
The Hypocrite: (Laughs) Clever boy. The Holocaust, the Soviet Union, the 9/11 incident and everything else - all were our plans all along. We created the Holocaust to give birth to Zionism and the 9/11 incident, well, isn’t it obvious? (Laughs again) For everything else, you do the research (smiles).
The False Prophet: You must be wondering, why did we plan and do all the catastrophes since everything else that we do is mostly for the betterment of mankind?
The Hypocrite: Well, sometimes sacrifices have to be made for mankind to live a better life. Forgive us.
The False Prophet: But these sacrifices have to be done to make way for the salvation of mankind from our tyrant creator, to make way for the era of a new God – He who sees all!
The meeting room darkens and the Chorus enters the meeting room.
STASIMON 2
STROPH 1
Chorus: I bring upon you the False Prophet,
Bringing dogma to a new dawn – distorted,
The art of man – corrupted,
Clouding God’s words – an indigenous laceration,
A quasi putrefaction of truth.
ANTISTROPHE 1
Demiurge be the God,
With image stained and tainted,
Reflected by false pages - beautified,
Of lies enshrouded – bearing disbelief,
Divine stigma becometh the God,
And believers turn away,
The pit of malice ascending.
STROPHE 2
I bring upon you the Hypocrite,
Wearing white deceit,
To indoctrinate deceit – pitch black,
The colour of mind malady – a syndrome,
A disease in the form of rhapsody,
He who preaches new ligaments of creed,
Amputating tendons considered as obsolete,
Self-driven, never guilt-stricken.
ANTISTROPHE 2
Arcane be his sanctum,
Manufacturing faux conflicts and clashes,
Orchestrating symphonies of divided aeon – a brood-mother,
Of progenies spawning in discrimination,
Blood spills and smiling faces – an ersatz vengeance, a triumph.
The chorus exits and the meeting room brightens up again.
EPISODE 3
The Mastermind: (talking to himself) He’s making progress my Lord. (Laughs) Of course my Lord, of course. I’ll make sure of that (smiles).
Initiate: (Cynically) Who the hell are you talking to?
The Mastermind: Haven’t I told you already? I’m talking to our..
Initiate: (Suddenly interrupts) and please don’t say our Lord. You’re talking to yourself!
The Mastermind: Well, well, well. Weren’t you the one who said God does not need to be tangible to exist? Just because you can’t see or speak to our Lord, doesn’t mean He doesn’t exist (smiles wickedly).
Initiate silences.
The Lady: (Breaks the silence) Come on now, I haven’t said much since this meeting commenced. (Seductively) I think it’s my turn to talk to my president (smiles).
The Advocate: Whatever.
The Lady: (Sticks her tongue out) Meanie! Anyway, Mr. President, do you consider yourself as someone who abides by your religious obligations?
Initiate: Well, I really am not such a religious person. I may have...
The Lady: (Not really paying attention to Initiate) Yes, yes, wow, very interesting – but wouldn’t you prefer a world without rules or restraints? A world where you are the sole master to your own actions, a world where you are the God to yourself (her face lightens up).
Initiate: A world without rules or restraints? (Laughs)
The Lady: Wouldn’t you like it? I mean a world where you won’t be required to fulfil any religious obligations - you won’t feel guilty even if you’re doing something wrong since everything’s right (smiles).
Initiate: I know what you meant but it’s impossible.
The Lady: Impossible? Well, to you it might sound impossible but not to us, not to our Lord - He sees all. He has seen the future and believe me, it really is possible. (Without Initiate even has the chance to talk) Let’s look at it this way; God has created us to test our devotion towards him – well, that’s according to you anyways. Then, after millions of years testing millions and billions of human beings, He is going to destroy us all in one single day. Your all-loving God who is supposedly the most merciful is going to destroy His creations in just one day! Is our existence so worthless that He wants to destroy us all in just one day? Are we that worthless to Him? (Tears up) Sorry, I’m being a little bit emotional.
Initiate: Well, I don’t know about that but still, there’s nothing we can do about it – the Judgment Day is inevitable.
The Lady: (Emotionally) Who says it’s inevitable? Who says we can’t stop God from destroying us? We can prevent that horrible day from coming by giving our Lord his rightful place as the real God! We can prevent that day from happening by making the New World Order a reality!
Initiate: (Inquisitively) The New World Order?
The Lady: (Suddenly her mood brightens up) That’s the world I talked to you about – a world without rules or restraints, a world without our tyrant creator as God, a world governed by the real God – the one who sees all!
Initiate: (Talking to himself) A New World Order huh? Is it really possible?
The meeting room darkens again – leaving only The Lady to be visible. The Chorus enters.
STASIMON 3
STROPHE
Chorus: I bring upon you the Lady in Red,
An enchantress; docile but unruly,
Tempting through scarlet satisfaction,
A representation of cunning pleasure – transitory,
Static; contentment – illusory.
ANTISTROPHE
Martyr of the unfair world – unlock,
And open the door to self divinity,
Realize that we are our own God – liberated,
Becometh wealth our body,
Becometh power our soul.
The chorus exits and the meeting room brightens up again.
EXODOS
Initiate: So, this Lord of yours, where is He now?
The Mastermind: Where is our Lord you ask me? He’s with us of course.
Initiate: (Furiously) Dammit, can’t you understand? I’m asking you, where is your Lord at this very moment?
The Mastermind: I’ve told you right? He’s with us. (Laughs)
Initiate: Damn you! I’m not playing!
The Mastermind: (Smiles wickedly) Why the sudden interest Mr. President? (Cynically) I thought you don’t believe in what we’re saying.
Initiate: Just because I may be interested to know doesn’t mean that I believe in what you’re saying!
The Voice: (Suddenly becomes audible) But I see your heart is saying otherwise – you do believe!
Initiate: (Frightened) Who the hell’s saying that?
The Voice: I’m the one who sees all. I am your God!
The Mastermind, The Advocate, The Hypocrite, The False Prophet and The Lady laugh out loud and leave the meeting room. Initiate is left alone in the room in a prostrating position.
KOMMOS
Initiate: Oh, ethereal entity of divinity,
You come forth – bearing serpentine offerings,
A serrated serotonin – disguised in the semblance of self-selection,
An elusive spectral illusory.
STROPHE
Chorus: The promised future aeon – challenged,
In replacing the throne of divinity – a divine conspiracy,
Indoctrinated minds – the gateways to the dawn of dogma,
The gateways to self trinity – unlocked, unchained, undressed,
You are your own sole creator.
Initiate: I am a fallen man – a servant of the all-seeing!
ANTISTROPHE
Chorus: The deceptive essence of appearance,
A wicked kindness, a malevolent benevolence,
A bright darkness, an illuminated obscurity,
Salvation-coated deviancy – a battle to prevail,
To begin an ending or end a beginning.
The curtain closes.
In art: u'v created another splendid masterpiece
ReplyDeleteIn Islam: it's very dangerous. Dhalla wa adhallu.
Something like that
hello?
ReplyDeletei don't delete comments k
i loved this original piece by Acap ;D
ReplyDeletethnx man :D
ReplyDelete