A Poem by Partaw Naderi Translated from Dari by Zia Afzali AaTaSh

Afghan Poet and Civil Right Activist Partaw Nadri

With Gabber and Christian and Jew …

I am kinsman of river
And have a relation with the mount
The wind is fable of my distress
And dust in my eyes
Illuminated
The concept of life

The umber flowers
Dislike the burning plateau
But this is my blood
That irrigates the burning Plateaus

I am afraid of my shadow
And stretch my feet according to the carpet
That is my Grandfather’s patrimony
And I say to no Jihadi Group “rifleman”
And I will never call any American
“Yankee!”

I am afraid of my shadow
And at the other side of courage’s high wall
I have sky umbel over my head
Despite of all this
I am not expecting our great northern neighbor
To complete building of 4^th Macrorayan

May the devil’s ear be deaf
I drink water from the porringer of ancestors
Not to drink it from variety of the porringer
I know the brothers who daily
Get up from the wrong side of the bed
Never drink water with left hand

May the devil’s ear be deaf
With Gabber and Christian and Jew…
I eat from one bowl
I am Muslim
And in equality of my reflections
Four elements of existence are blossomed.

The Man Who Steal the Statues*

1

Once there was a beautiful lady lived in Ostend City. Her incredible beauty was famous in all over Europe and she had hundreds of Suitors. Her name was Serena and she loved a man that he was a famous and skillful sculpture and his name was Tintin. Tintin loved Serena as much as he loved his profession.

Once Europe has inflamed in to a civil war and Tintin had to leave Serena behind to participate defending his homeland. At the time of leaving Serena’s weeping doesn’t come to an end and she cried all those years that Tintin was disappear.

The Civil War extended for several Years and Serena every day from sunrise to sunset was looking forward to get any message from Tintin’s fellows who were returning home due to war injuries. They were tired and frustrated and didn’t remember many things from first years of war.

Once Europeans declare the end of conflict and everyone returned home except Tintin. The Government Published the index of Ostend City War Causalities but there wasn’t name of Tintin too.

More years passed and Serena everyday tried to get the newest news about Civil war that ended decades ago. But every time she failed to get any news from her lover. All News was about Development of cities and economy, modernization, building skyscrapers and extending railways and highways.

Once a company wanted to rebuild the area which Tintins Home and Work-place was located in. there were hundreds of his work pieces and Statues. Serena tried a lot to convince them not to destroy his Work place but no one listen to her. Then once in a middle of a night she went to Tintin’s workplace and cried a lot. She touched all statues and talk to all statues and then she wished she turn to a statue.

After few days some authorities of building company came and take all statues away. Then the statues were distributed to all public places, Museums and Universities. The companies start destroying the area and build a high raise Condominiums there.

2

In a depressed Sunset, a tired man with a huge bulk, penetrating Gaze and unusual outfit came to the city of Ostend and ask for Tintin’s home. On that time Tintin’s name was eliminated from minds of people who started a new life. Many of residents of Ostend were new comers from other parts of the world and didn’t recognize any single thing from the past history of the city. The man hardly found an old man who was a stone supplier for Tintin’s Statues. He asked the old man about Tintin’s home. The old man answered: “it’s long enough I didn’t hear anything about him. His residence turned to high raise building and no one remembers anything from his works. No one appreciates that great sculpture. They took all good things from us. The only thing remained is people interest in money and nothing else.”

The Man asked about Serena and the old man replied: “for several years she was looking forward to get any news about Tintin. But she never got any. I remember she tried hard to prevent Construction Company not to build that Tower building over Tintin’s work-Place. But no one heard her. After that she was never seen and no one hear about her too. She disappeared for ever just like Tintin. On those years some people created a story that she turned in to a statue. And then after years her story eliminated from mind of people for ever. “

For few more days people saw that huge man who was looking at statues everywhere. He Touch them and smell them. People thought he is a crazy man with that huge body and unusual outfit. Then no one see him for months.

3

In a busy morning of midsummer people recognized that few statues were missing from a public Park of Ostend city. The next day few more statues were gone from side of a fountain located in a central filed where Civil war Causalities Remembrance Day was celebrated there for a Century. The next days people frightened by knowing that statues from Museums and schools were missing. Police widely become active to find the thief who steals statues from everywhere. People were asking Questions and media was alerting people. There were lots of stories growing among people about theft of statues. But no one knew the root of the real story.

The Man had returned to the city of Ostend. He had rented a villa in a village near Ostend city and had bought a pickup truck. He was stealing the statues at nights. Then take them to the villa and used to talk to them. Touch them and asking if this statue is belongs to Serena. Then when he didn’t hear any word from statues, he breaks them and throws the pieces in to a well nearby and goes for new statues.

Police could identify the thief of statues and soon they caught him in his villa out of city, while was destroying a statue. They put him in jail and broad cast his pictures through TV News and shows. Still no one knew what is behind this story.

A University Professor who was searching about Ostend city History, while was watching TV, saw the Image of the suspected man, suddenly he found out something unbelievable and came forward to declare it. Few Government and Police authorities escort him to come where the thief of Statues were imprisoned. Before reaching to entrance of the Man’s cell the Professor amazed all those who were present. He said: “this thief of Statues is No one but The Great sculpture of 19th Century Tintin who fought for Ostend for several years and disappeared during civil war a century ago. He is the creator of all those stolen statues.”

Then the Guards opened gate of the cell and Professor entered. Tintin was a sleep and through a blanket on himself. When the Professor removed the blanket and wanted to wake him up, amazingly he recognized that Tintin was turned to a stone Statue.

* Chicken Street is a famous Street in ” Share Naw” Kabul where many antique items are sold there and most of foreigners who visit Kabul, they visit this street also.

* Names and Characters may Appear Different in the novel than they appear in this short story.