The Ink Well Writing Challenge | As Far as They Go

As Far as They Go

Outside the streets were empty. Not many people used to venture out past 6:00 p.m. Venezuelan lifestyle had become reminiscent of birds: get up early; return to your nest at sundown. Earlier that day, tuck carrying speakers circled cities in every city and town. The Government had still enough money in its pockets to waste on this kind of act. The economy had been ruined 10 years ago. For another decade, citizens had managed to survive. But at the beginning of the regime’s third decade, most of the people lived on foreign money sent by relatives.

Little by little the image of the well-fare state was replaced by reality. Things had started moving in the right direction. The state was no longer giving money away. But that also meant it wasn’t paying for other things: gas, education, services, health care.

Campaigns were still the same. They were attacked by every angle. The Russians and Chinese, once great allies were now condemned as imperialists—not like they weren’t imperialists when the whole thing began, but autocracies pretend to be fooled. Only the Cubans remained. But they were a parasitic State. Offering little to no help in any way possible.

The country was broke. Everyone knew it. But it was not official yet. There rumors about the IMF taking the reins of the disaster. However, official propaganda dismissed them.

Nonetheless, there had been an Assembly for over six months. Ministers, the President and other members of the ruling party were discussing a course of action. And this wasn’t relevant. The important issue was with who. At the end of the third decade, the Government finally swallowed its socialist pride and open a channel to negotiate with the United Nations—the international organism they had despised over all its live on the power.

Trucks had been circling the streets of every town. They carried a message for the population. It is necessary for every citizen to tune in at 8:00 p.m. for an announcement of utmost importance. That was all. People on the streets listened to it as they were about their own business. These messages usually didn’t get to everyone. But who cared about it anyway? Truck kept moving around. People kept an eye on the sky and their watches—if they had. Time was always on the essence. They would not like to be caught by night, lest they wanted to lose their stuff—or their lives.

Source

There wasn’t much to see on the channels these days. Censorship had ended with all hopes of good shows. The TV on during dinner was more of a ritual act—something inherited from his mother—bent in keeping the right balance of decibels to prevent neighbors from listening to what happened inside the house. But not so much as to know what was going on outside. The crumbling sidewalk and lunar field front street had become, during the years, the place of transactions, parties, fighting pit and many other things.

Now he was in the kitchen, getting all the dishes in the sink. The sound of a trumpet startled him. There was a broken plate with foam on the bottom of the sink. He inspected his hands and found no blood. Those were good news—at least. The music that had interrupted the chore was familiar. It came to be the eerie tune of ill-omen. The government was making an announcement. A big one for the setting being shown on screen.

Source

When this happened, problems followed. And so, it had been many years. He looked for the remote. All these broadcasts started with an overused discourse: that the government had problems, allies had became enemies, enemies had became allies, why don’t they let us do our thing, and the array of lies and propaganda that was expected from politicians who have reigned for so long. However, there was something different. He changed the channel to find out that all of them were taking by this signal. What’s more, the President was addressing every citizen telling them not to turn off their TVs and listen carefully. They had taken over all stations and signals.

He dried his hands, closed the water and sat down to listen to the broadcast. By this moment, all the unimportant address was over, and the President began explaining the emergency.

…I hope all of you are listening. This is indeed the must difficult time our Great Nation has endured. We have been cut away from the world. They have tried to invade us. Even tried to assassinate anyone who got on this position, but we have prevailed in every occasion…

—I wish the propaganda could be skipped on this one—he said.

…This war of attrition has finally taken its toll on our industry and the lifestyle of our people. I cannot deny how torn I am when I see children begging for food instead of being in one of our schools learning to become one of the members of…

—…of the party? Of a dead country? Or of the gang that runs the show?—

…We cannot fight against foreign policies anymore…

—What?! —he paused. —One of these idiots is finally admitting they have screwed up so much. I can’t believe it! —he moved to the edge of the chair with a smirk on his face.

…We have held an Assembly for the last six months planning the best course of action to solve this problem. But we cannot solve the economic crisis on our own…

In the screen, the President paused to drink some water.

—But say whatever you’re going to say at once you moron!— he was now standing in front of the TV with his heart bumping hard.

…Recent events have shown the ecological crisis of this world. The reduction of 90% of the Amazon Forest has been key to make this decision.

He moved his hands to his head. His body tensed. He snorted. —What does the f*cking Amazon Forest has to do with us?! — he yelled.

…After several discussion with the UN and their attempts to preserve the ecosystem in the planet. We have decided…

The President made another pause. On this side of the screen, he shrieked. He could listen to the neighbors cursing and throwing things to the ground.

…Venezuela will become a natural preservation reserve.

Puzzled, he sat down and lowered the volume of the TV. He couldn’t hear anything coming from the other houses, not even from the street. On the TV the President repeated that last sentence: We have decided that Venezuela will become a natural preservation reserve.

…We’d rather give our country in the benefit of humankind than for the interests of our enemies.

He remained silent.

Source

The broadcast continued. Some Ministers explained what was going to happen in the days to come. There was some good news. Passports would be available for everyone. Many countries had already reached out in order to receive immigrants. However, that was not all. Every family or person had to deal with the expenses of their migration. In some places, there were already protests for a second wave of Venezuelan immigrants hitting moving on. Some of these were backed up by some of those Venezuelans that had left the country to never come back.

This new migration would last a whole year. The Government would make sure everyone of its citizens was received elsewhere. Those who couldn’t pay would be considered refugees but wouldn’t have a choice about their destination.

He did not listen to any of this. In his mind, he was thinking about this decision.

—They would rather make losers out of all of us than admitting defeat—.

He looked back at the TV, but this time the broadcast was only going over which countries had open arms for them, flight schedules and other details.

—So, this is it. The bottom of the barrel, at last—.

Screams interrupted his thoughts. A mob was ranting, clattering pots, loading guns gathering among on the front street. He moved fast and turned off the lights of the kitchen.

As he had learned from his mother all those years ago, he walked carefully and peered through the blinds at the assembly. He couldn’t make up what they were planning, nor wanted to join them.