THE ROBBERY DAY
Written by Basak Buyukcelen
Azra, a 17-year old Bosnian girl sits on a bed next to her 6-year old niece AIDA and tells her a fairytale.
“Once upon a time, there were guardian angels who were sent to earth every time a child was born, to accompany and protect the baby throughout its life. The guardian angel would be assigned to a child at birth and she would accompany the living soul until the day it completed its time on earth. And when the time comes, she would accompany the soul to heaven and line up to ask for a new assignment. When her turn came, she would go back to earth and guard another newborn baby.”
Aida listens carefully and holds her auntie’s hand. Azra continues:
“There came a time, when there was a huge struggle at the entrance of heaven between the guardian angels. The Master Guardian Angel heard the noises and went to the entrance to see what was going on.
When she came to the entrance, she was shocked to see so many guardian angels trying to enter heaven all at once and line up for their next assignment.
Every guardian angel had recorded videos of lives of the living souls they were protecting so that the Master Guardian Angel could review whenever she needed.
The Master Guardian Angel asked one of her angels to her presence and watched a video of the living soul. All she could see was horror, violence of conquest, exploitation of what the mankind called civilization, expansion of the territories and the so-called peaceful annexations accompanied by sounds of bombs and gunshots. The Master Guardian Angel ordered another guardian angel and watched the same video in her eyes. Then she called many other guardian angels and watched the same video over and over again.”
While Azra tells her fairytale, her mother Aldina, a 34-year-old Bosnian woman listens to the fairytale outside the door. She remembers her dark memories of war, the sounds of bombs and gunshots.
Aida listens carefully and asks her auntie Azra what happens next. Azra lies down on the bed next to her niece and continues telling her fairytale.
“The Master Guardian Angel was very sad to see the misery of her angels and gathered a commission to solve the situation on earth. After many hours of discussion, the Master Guardian Angel learnt that every time a baby was born, a microchip was placed in its brain so that it could be controlled from a distance. The microchip would pass along sound waves and repeat the same speech over and over. All these speeches expressed great love for people and concern for their welfare, their education and work. The speech would explain the mission of the living soul and inform them that there was too much democracy in their country and they need to export the extra democracy to other countries as if it’s some fruit or candy. The living souls could not enjoy themselves when they were constantly reminded of their days of suffering, not able to hear the sounds of leaves dancing with the wind, the beautiful sounds of waterfalls, the sounds of children’s laughter but instead keep hearing the speeches of exporting their democracy.”
Aida asks her auntie if it’s a bad thing to export the extra democracy they had. Azra answers, “It is, in the hands of wrong people and false purposes”.
Outside the door, Aldina smiles and crouches down. She keeps listening.
Azra realizes her mother is by the door, and she continues her fairytale. “The Master Guardian Angel was told that on earth, there were not many days for the living souls to celebrate and enjoy, because almost everyday was marked as the anniversary of the beginning of a war. So the master ordered to see the earthly calendar. When she looked at it, the darkest day struck her attention immediately: 28th of July. She wanted to see which of the Earth Kingdom was referring to that calendar and saw that it indicated “SARAJEVO”. 28th of June was the anniversary for both the First World War and Kosovo War.
She called the angels of Sarajevo to her presence and to her amazement she saw that many were all very sad and thoughtful. The Master Guardian Angel therefore asked to meet the Head Angle of Sarajevo.”
The scene changes into an empty white room. In the room stands the Head Angle of Sarajevo, a middle-aged woman wearing a white long dress and the Master Guardian Angel, also a middle-aged woman wearing a white long dress.
The Master Guardian Angel tells the Head Angle of Sarajevo that she created the angels for the happiness of mankind all over the globe and asked her why the angels were so sad and pensive in Sarajevo.
The Head of Sarajevo Angels replies: “They are so sad because the girls, mothers, young people of Sarajevo you gave custody to have died, and the guardian angels are now left alone. They are not only sad because they have no new mission but also because they carry so much grief with them. The ones left alone have started to roam over Sarajevo and meet their colleagues who are still at mission only to find them very tired and depressed. Although their designated living souls are still alive, the guardian angels are so unhappy and tired because they accompany the mothers who carry a huge weight on their shoulders. Their heart belongs to husbands, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, cousins and friends who were killed during the war. Their guardian angels accompany them through their journey of life; help them carry the pain of their loved ones, who will otherwise collapse. This is why the Angels of Sarajevo are so sad and tired.”
The master guardian Angel asks if there is any guardian angel who accompanies a living soul that has rediscovered the joy of life and happiness in Sarajevo. The Head Angel of Sarajevo mentions an angel who accompanies a young girl named Aida.
The scene changes back to the bedroom where Azra and Aida lie down. Aida smiles when she hears her name in the fairytale. She looks sleepy. Azra continues her telling her fairytale. “They call in Aida’s guardian angel and she reveals a secret she recently discovered.”
The scene changes back to the white empty room. This time, there is the Master Guardian Angel, the Head Angle of Sarajevo and another angel, Aida’s guardian angel. Aida’s guardian angel is much younger, in her mid-twenties and she wears a different white dress.
Aida’s angel speaks: “The cemeteries, monuments and squares dedicated to the heroes that died fighting for their freedom make the living souls so unhappy, because while they walk around Sarajevo and come across many of these monuments and cemeteries, they walk past them with their head down, knowing there’s nothing they can do to change the history of mankind, and they give up their hope for their stolen future”.
Aida’s guardian angel continues: “Aida one day passed by the monument built for children killed during the war and looked at her mother’s name craved on the cold marble, who died on 28th of July, the day Aida was born. She was only a child when she was raped and only a child when she gave birth to her daughter Aida.
The Master Guardian Angel gets very close to Aida’s guardian angel, holds her face gently in her hands and starts watching a video in her eyes.
In the video, Aida, passing by this monument, instead of pushing her head on the ground, looks up at the sky and sees the beauty of the blue endless sky. She hears the sounds of leaves waving with the wind, hears the sound of water falling in the monument. Aida enjoys the breeze and the feeling of being alive. She hears her mother’s voice calling her. The voice says “Don’t be sad for us, don’t grieve for us. Live for us. Only when you live, live happily, we will live amongst you.”
The Master Guardian Angel steps back from Aida’s guardian angel. “That’s how she rediscovered the joy of living” says Aida’s guardian angel.
The Master Guardian Angel asks how Aida managed to hear her mother’s voice but not the speech transmitted through her microchip. The guardian angel tells her master that because she was born on 28th of July, the darkest day on the calendar, and it was rather easy for her to temper with the lab and remove the microchip from her brain and destroy it.
The scene changes back to the bedroom. Aida sleeps. Azra looks at her and knowing her mother is listening, she keeps telling the rest of her fairytale. Outside, Aldina quietly cries and tries really hard not to make a sound.
“The master of guardian angel gathers all her angels and assigns them their new job. Their new mission is to remove the microchip from the brains of the living souls and allow them to hear and see the beauty of the world, the bright future that awaits them. ”
Aldina smiles and wipes out her tears. Azra continues.
“She also tells her angels to remove the darkest day of Sarajevo, 28th of June from the calendar and call it the Heart of Sarajevo Day, so the people of Sarajevo will not grieve for their past but will only celebrate their bright future. All guardian angels cheer with hope and happiness and fly back to earth.
The Master Guardian Angel sets up an investigation team of experienced angels to find the responsible ones of placing the microchips in the brains of the living souls. The investigation team soon discovers that the ones responsible are only the ones who profit from war and controlling the world.
The Master Guardian orders her team to place a microchip in the brains of the responsible ones and they will listen to speeches of peace and love and suffer for what they did for the rest of their lives. The guardian angels and their living souls lived happily ever after…”