Chapter 10
Alexander and Ella Gave a Party
Alexander had many dreams about freedom and happiness. He tried to express them in the poems he wrote, those so-called "desk-drawer poems". Usually, he talked about his poems in that manner because he didn't have enough confidence in himself. He felt that he was not well understood and he was afraid to expose himself. Ella was his only reader and she didn't betray him. She was always encouraging him. He saw the nothingness hidden behind the apparent honest human faces and he avoided them. His motivating dream was to become an actor and he achieved his goal. Ella has begun to write a novel called 'The New Prometheus'. The main character looked very much like her husband. Moreover, her dream would become real through the vision of her life. She tried to read many books in order to avoid facing on some moments of her reality. Someone taught her that she could become an achiever, despite all her problems. Secretly, she wondered to achieve the greatness of the works she had read. She has always had a passion for writing books. So, she set her goal to write her first book. She faced many challenges in striving to overcome her inability to write well. She had to re-write many pages over and over again. Nevertheless, she was persistent and she did not give up. Her writing skills continued to improve. When the book was finished, her self-confidence increased very much. She had previously dreamed to write a book. Writing books has become one of the goals that she would have to achieve in making her vision to be real.
While she was writing her first book, she tried to understand her husband better than before and she tried to provoke certain positive reactions. Finally, the book was printed at the press of Laura's printer. Jeff asked her to allow him to create a scenario based on her book, which "Can be awesome to play in ".
"I became a character in my own life due to you," said Alexander.
"Why do you say this?" Ella asked him, being seemingly astonished.
"So tell me what I don't know, my darling," said Alexander tenderly.
Ella began to laugh because Alexander seemed to be very confused.
"I can imagine you playing yourself!" She said.
"Try me! I need some explanations, first of all."
"Honestly, I wrote only about Prometheus in my book. It is you who wanted to be like him. I can accept you as you are. The society, in which Prometheus lives, is a new ideal society like Plato's Republic. The character is extrapolated to the ideal of his human nature. He has majestic features of personality. More exactly, it is about the ideal perfection and its physiological structure with a profundity and a beauty of understanding. He has dignity and an exemplary nature of conduct. This kind of perfection can be conceivable by the human understanding. It is an extrapolation from the human condition to the divine condition. Moreover, my book is an inner extrapolation of the mythological Prometheus from his own condition as a human being to his own divine condition."
"I understand that your novel is an utopia," said Alexander.
"Generally, men are impatient of any restrictions. They feel that the universe is withholding from them something they deserve. Once they are intoxicated by the quest, they will never stop to get what they want. They must learn that they can risk their own destruction. Above all, they feel their pursuit of this forbidden fire as a provoking attitude. The Promethean fever causes them to be dangerously out of touch with the reality through the misuse of imagination and creativity. The modern Prometheus has a lot of kindness and sacrificial values of becoming an ideal man, yet so, well dissociated from the material world. So, men have the tendency to follow this fire thief, Prometheus. They can do this for a while, until they understand their condition. And once their ideals fall into reality, they begin to understand their limits," said Ella.
"I feel like dying when I look at you."
"Why do you say this?"
"Because too much happiness can kill," said Alexander.
"Too much happiness is a mirror and we should all peer into it at least once," said Ella.
"What kills the happiness? "
"A series of simple little things, like saying 'yes' too many times, when you really should say 'no'," said Ella, smiling.
"I don't agree with you, Ella. We will talk about this later. By the way, our family grows and we must extend our house. I plan to build a new room for the child and a new bathroom. I will extending them out from the middle of the back. I would like to extend the deck a couple of feet beyond the corner of the house. My plans are to plant some trees in that corner of the landscaping. I need some experts to obtain the planning authorization for house extensions and building regulations applications. I think to build the house extension and to undertake the interior reconfiguration, but it can be pretty expensive for us. I hope that I can manage this. An architect will come up with some new ideas. What do you think about this?" He looked into her beautiful eyes and he understood her love.
"How will you get the necessary money to put this project into practice, Alexander?"
"I have some money left from the loan I made. We will live in the house of my mother during all this time."
"Saturday is your birthday. Find out how many people you can invite. I want to know how much food to buy."
In the beginning, while people are coming in, the party is at a low building up momentum. The combined energy hits a tipping point, where the vibration takes over the whole atmosphere. For Alexander's birthday party, Ella was all fired up to make sure that the event turns out nice. The night before the party, Ella and Alexander spent some time decorating the house. She spent many hours preparing everything from scratch. In many cases, a party born out of the need to be together with the friends. Ella needed to ask herself why she wanted to make it to be so perfect. On Saturday night, her party at home was perfect because she chose the right place at the right time. Perhaps more pertinently, her party, like any other successful event, became unique when she could identify a gap in the market. Ella and Alexander started their party bringing over their guests like Michael and Nora, Jeff and Lisa, Victor and Marie, John and Samantha and, of course, Laura, who came alone because she had recently divorced. She realized that the conflicts were so unhealthy for both of them than she had to end up by letting him go.
"I've never been the one who ask people about what they want. I concentrate on what makes me happy and makes other people happy, too. When I really want to do something, I work hard, " said Ella.
"It's a wonderful party," said Samantha.
"Why did you get divorced, Laura?" Marie asked her.
"My husband used to beat me. He slept many times with his best friend's wife. He called me using a list of horrific names, he threatened me and I decided to end our marriage. My son shouldn't grow up thinking that all these are normal, "said Laura.
"This attitude can lead to a long and bitter child custody battle, which is never ending. I think the co-parenting counseling is the best idea. It is actually a requirement to establish the custody. The family law judge has the power to issue these problems. The parents must learn to communicate each other, the boundaries are set and the visit time is established," said Klaus.
"My son is twelve years old and he wants to live with me. Anyway, this subject must have an end," said Laura.
"My mother had left everything behind, including me and my brother. My parents got divorced a few years later and my dad has gotten the custody. It has been a constant contact between us, but I have never saw her again since that moment," said Lisa.
"I am entitled to receive the alimony for a percentage of all we gained together in all these years of marriage. All I want is to have the alimony required, " said Laura.
"The parents must become more peaceful. It is important to remember that kids have feelings, even many kids do not have words to express their feelings, "said Samantha.
"We are divorced, but we are mature enough to handle this situation,"said Laura.
A dinner party for close friends is always nice and it is appreciated by them. Ella got some sophisticated menus to celebrate in style. Ella started to organize the party with her husband, but she didn't want to start bragging about the birthday. She wanted to do everything quietly. Therefore, she bought the surprises.
"Victor encourages Jeff to follow his own urge to stretch the limits of his new scenario," John told to Alexander.
"Victor's ideas are well adopted. Am I right, Jeff?" said Alexander.
"We harm others around us, through our imagination, to innocently pursue our ideals. I use the censorship to correct Ella's work. It is very important because it can limit the things that are allowed to be shown and said. I like to replace some Ella's ideas with Victor's ideas. Moreover, Ella's ideas appear to be changed in self as the real Prometheus is back, "said Jeff.
"Do you want a real Prometheus? Ella created a very good character, a symbolistic one," said Michael.
"I respect Victor's judgment and I follow any advice he gives me without stretching the limits of my new scenario, "said Jeff.
"Jeff's consciousness is quickly snatched back when he is encouraged by others to live as he did. He likes to make the rules. Jeff likes Victor because he always has new ideas and he is a very wise man," John told to Alexander.
"Indeed, Jeff likes to make the rules. I can accept this, but Michael can't accept them," said Alexander.
"This new Prometheus needed to destroy an invisible creature," said Ella.
"The monster was in his head, Ella, but there is no chance for the man with his dream. He must accept the things just as they are," said Jeff.
"Maybe you're right, Jeff, but his machismo of thinking was rooted in his fantasy of limitlessness," said Ella.
"My dear Ella, sometimes our dreams are our own enemies," said Jeff.
"I think that it is a professional competition between Jeff and Alexander and this is the reason why Jeff needs to change your opinion about Prometheus, Ella. He knows very well that your book describes your husband features relating to Prometheus. I think that you must let him to do his job such as he consider to do it," said Marie.
"Sometimes, we are not honest when we become each other's competitors. We must be our own competitors every day," said Victor, thinking that his success is always measured by the nature of his vision.
"We pretend that we try to correct the mistakes of our friends, but in fact, we hurt them," said John, smiling and wanting to reveal the tension between Jeff and Alexander and the contradictions created.
"This myth of Prometheus is a perfect tragedy in itself. We have to learn from our past," said Laura. She was scared. She didn't know it, but her eyes showed it.
"Prometheus can be viewed as a hero and as a thief, at the same time. This is why the tragedy occurred," said Victor. He began to get bored and started picking out faults of people around in his head.
"He was a visionary, a genius and a suffering champion of the mankind," said Lisa. She always would find an excuse to talk with you or spend time with you. She was conscious of her look, when you are around her. She was always willing to give her best shot.
"Yes, Lisa, Prometheus was condemned to suffer as a human being," said Samantha, trying to withstand all her bitter ruminations on Lisa's real indifference toward human sacrifice.
"Prometheus was more than a human being. This is the reason why his suffering was so intense. He became a model for the man. Prometheus taught the man to give it a new deep sense in overcoming his mortality," said Nora. She understood Samantha's reaction, but she thought teaching would be a good way to change Lisa's mentality.
"The inner strength of Prometheus was beyond the decision of Zeus," said Alexander.
"You're right," said Samantha."But Ella's book is a process of inversion of the power meaning."
"Ella wrote in her book that this new Prometheus was a victim. When the leaders proclaimed themselves deities, he fought against their tyranny," said Victor.
"Her character was a simple mortal man wanting to live forever. He brought the sacred light for the people, more exactly, the freedom of the knowledge. Thus, he died as a hero," said Marie. Marie had a very good analytical mind and a critical thinking, She had a keen eye for detail. She understood that Lisa tried to improve her own condition. Usually, Marie understands other people better then they understand themselves.
"In fact, he was a simple man and his fatal destiny was highly tensioned,"' said Jeff. Generally, he seems to listen to what people have to say, but he never expresses his profound ideas, so you don't know what he really thinks or whether he agrees with you. He seems to be cooperative, but then, he tries to do it his own way, even if he's agreed otherwise.
"The name of Prometheus means 'fore thinker'," said Nora.
"Really? Indeed, he was a great thinker," said Lisa.
"He had the gift of prophecy and he tried to help Kronos against Zeus. Kronos disliked his plans and he defected to the Olympians. Finally, he helped Zeus to beat Kronos," said Samantha.
"Maybe Prometheus is a fallen angel," said Michael.
"A part of Enoch's biblical story is very similar with the Greek story of Prometheus," said Samantha.
"This fallen angel, as you said, brought some essential knowledge to the people," said Alexander.
"Adam and Eve ate the apple of knowledge and they were expelled from the God's Garden of Eden. They lost their paradise. Prometheus lost the mercy of gods, after he had stolen the fire. In other words, they had the same attitude in front of the divine force," said Nora.
"It was a prophecy about the liberation of Prometheus," said John.
"Prometheus knew about his release from the chains. He said that Herakles shall deliver him from all those pains," said Michael, having a glass of wine in his right hand.
"I invite you all to dinner, " said Ella.
Ella placed various dishes on the table such as garlic roasted chicken with rosemary and lemon, served with steamed vegetables and with mashed potatoes, crab salad and basil soup. The marinated roast lamb had rosemary sauce and it was served with steamed vegetables. For the dessert, she chose to prepare some coconut tarts. She made many chocolate brownies with vanilla ice-cream. In the end, she served iced coffee with ice-cream. All the dishes were prepared by herself.
"All these dishes look so adorable and just perfect for Alexander's birthday," said Lisa.
"I worked hard to prepare them. It is a very painstaking work," said Ella.
"Generally, I'm crazy about coconut. Now I'm crazy about those sweet tarts," said Samantha.
"What a beautiful artwork, Ella! " John exclaimed, being visibly surprised.
"Which one?" asked Ella.
"That painting hanging on the wall in the left corner."
"'It's a copy of the original painting. It belongs to Vladimir Kush. It's a surrealist painting inspired by the work of Salvador Dali. Vladimir is one of the most talented surrealists," said Ella.
"I can tell you that Surrealism emphasized the unconscious in creativeness," said John.
"I don't like him. My favourite painter is Raymond Douillet. She's a modern artist. Her work is simply amazing," said Marie.
"Did you see Matti Kujasalo's paintings?" Laura asked Samantha.
"She painted only darker colors. I don't like her," said Samantha.
"Her paintings have a special lyrical tone," continued Laura.
"Matti Kujasalo's works are easy to read," said Michael.
"The inexplicable sensitive pleasure is always a mystery," said Jeff.
"Nothing is more complicated and mysterious than Oda Jaune's paintings. She straddles the space between surrealism and expressionism with a profoundly disturbing fragility," said Alexander.
"She said that she can save the viewer's fear. Do you want a coconut tart, Michael?" asked Samantha.
"Thank you, Sam. They are delicious."
"Victor, wasn't the Surrealism similar to the Dadaism?"
"Surrealism inherited its anti-rationalist sensibility from Dada, Nora, but it was lighter in spirit than that movement."
"Why, Victor?" asked Lisa smiling.
"Because the surrealist movement expressed the imagination in a method that was free from control, convention and reason. The literature reflects better than any painting what I want to say, Lisa."
"The literature reflects better than paintings the changes made in a society," said Nora.
"Moreover, it is a mirror of the society. We know how the society operated in the past due to the literature of the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and the Romantics. It reflects better than anything else the changes between the periods," said John.
"The most important historical society change was the change of the Russian society and that happened when the Bolsheviks got to power. I don't remember any painting dating from that period," said Samantha.
"It was a very hard period with radical changes. I suppose that they didn't have any time to paint. I read that the state took over the farms formerly owned by the nobility. Those farms became collectives. The private farmers were forced to join collectives. The government took over the private companies. The cities looked like slums," said Victor.
"Only powerful people can resist the changes," said Michael
"Because powerful people have an economic advantage over powerless people," said Jeff.
"They don't want to share their power. This is very important." said Nora.
"I changed myself when I learned the importance of giving back to someone else," said Samantha.
"Yes, giving back to someone else is very important. More important is to learn what to do in order to avoid hurting the people around you, "said Nora.
"I always care about the pain in front of me. I have wanted to help others very much before I realized that there are some certain things that I shouldn't even care," said Laura.
"I'm unable to comprehend why people make decisions that rationally are pure foolishness and why they do not approach the right persons to make the things working. Don't let yourself to suffer for someone who doesn't deserve it," said Marie.
"And eventually find someone else who will love you and give you the love you deserve," said Samantha.
"When I lose a friend or a lover, I make a new one," said Lisa.
"Don't let yourself get stuck to a crummy one," said John smiling.
"That's what makes life interesting, isn't it?" said Michael, smiling too.
"Try to find a new meaning for the same love. It always helps, I'm sure," said Victor
"It's funny that some people make decisions when they cannot take the consequences," continued Jeff, smiling too.
"Why are you laughing?" asked Laura.
"Happiness and sadness are two veils of the same feeling of love. It is between men and women now, Laura," said Alexander.
"I know." continued Laura, smiling reproachfully.
"Let's dance," said Ella.