ooc: continuation of short stories revolving around the lives of three characters
ic:
“Fascist!”
“Commie!”
Shouting was heard and echoed through the old walls of the University of Lumiar’s cafeteria. In a crowded table, the trays had long been empty of food, with only empty plates and glasses remaining. Only bottles of beer, countless bottles of beer, could be seen on the table. There, dozens of young men and women sat or stood, watching a political debate. A loud political debate. One older student commented:
“Gosh, this is becoming so common. Yet last year it would be a scandal.”
The Revolution had made its lasting impact in the University of Lumiar, and not only. With ideas being discussed freely, a misinformed person would often change from communist to liberal, to conservative to social-democrat. It was the fun part of the new Lusitania, and Pedro, now studying international relations, loved it. He watched the discussion between a well-known Marxist, a student of literature, as usual, and a liberal, student of law.
“It is obvious that there is absolutely no difference between life during the Integralist regime and the communist totalitarian dictatorship in the South! It is all the same, except the dictators, the names and the colours change. But it is all the same – political police, concentration camps, no freedom. All the same!”
The Marxist student replied with anger
“It is all so much easy to you, isn’t it? You’re middle-class, well-off, daddy pays your studies. Well, I am working class, and proud of it! And I can tell you, with all my heart, that this capitalist Lusitania is not free! The Kingdom, besides being an archaic remnant of feudalism and integralism, is not a free society. Are you telling me that a poor has freedom? Freedom to do what? To work with indignity? To be exploited, like he was a thing? No. And there’s no freedom in that…”
The law student, replied equally angry
“Freedom? Freedom? Are you telling me that, speaking your opinion and then being taken to a camp is freedom? Your lands being stolen… is that freedom? No free elections… freedom? I’ll tell you – I am middle class, but my parents struggled a lot, and a lot really to reach their ‘well-off’ status. And that’s what counts – hard work. They won’t have the same salary as a lazy guy who never struggled for nothing. And I’ll tell you – I would rather be at the bottom of society either because I didn’t work or by bad luck, that be at the bottom of society because the State decided so! And everybody knows you’re not ‘working class’. Your father is a clerk, you’re just a leftist pseudo-intellectual!”
And the fight broke out. Trays, chairs, tables were all used. Some blood was seen. Pedro took great care and backed off a little bit. Soon the security arrived. Little could they do, they were powerless. Radical leftists against liberals. If it were another day, maybe communists against conservatives or social-democrats. Anyway, the communists or the socialists always got into some kind of confusion with the more moderate groups. And sometimes, some integralists arrived, and that’s when the fight would get ugly.
But Pedro liked that world. He left the cafeteria, mildly amused, escorted by two friends from his class. His life was now completely different. With the change of political regime, people’s attitudes changed as well. Many people kept a conservative façade that was now dropped to a more moderate view. Church attendance dropped steadily. Different lifestyles became acceptable. It was a whole new vision of society. Of course, many people, especially older people, were cautious. Many of them witnessed the Upheaval of 1968, a similar time of political and social change, especially in the youth, which led to Integralism ultimately. But, people who had no memory of 1968, and even people who lived it, responded positively to the change to a moderate and democratic Lusitania. Despite the risk of the civil war rekindling, many trusted the Royal Army and the two leading men of Lusitanian democracy – Francisco Sá-Carneiro, who headed the Union, and Afonso Costa, provisional Prime-Minister. The King had retreated into privacy, to prepare himself to the declaration of the Republic. The skies seemed bluer, there was no fear, no DGS nor Legion that could hurt anyone. Unstable, but wonderful times.
ic:
The Boy's New Life
“Fascist!”
“Commie!”
Shouting was heard and echoed through the old walls of the University of Lumiar’s cafeteria. In a crowded table, the trays had long been empty of food, with only empty plates and glasses remaining. Only bottles of beer, countless bottles of beer, could be seen on the table. There, dozens of young men and women sat or stood, watching a political debate. A loud political debate. One older student commented:
“Gosh, this is becoming so common. Yet last year it would be a scandal.”
The Revolution had made its lasting impact in the University of Lumiar, and not only. With ideas being discussed freely, a misinformed person would often change from communist to liberal, to conservative to social-democrat. It was the fun part of the new Lusitania, and Pedro, now studying international relations, loved it. He watched the discussion between a well-known Marxist, a student of literature, as usual, and a liberal, student of law.
“It is obvious that there is absolutely no difference between life during the Integralist regime and the communist totalitarian dictatorship in the South! It is all the same, except the dictators, the names and the colours change. But it is all the same – political police, concentration camps, no freedom. All the same!”
The Marxist student replied with anger
“It is all so much easy to you, isn’t it? You’re middle-class, well-off, daddy pays your studies. Well, I am working class, and proud of it! And I can tell you, with all my heart, that this capitalist Lusitania is not free! The Kingdom, besides being an archaic remnant of feudalism and integralism, is not a free society. Are you telling me that a poor has freedom? Freedom to do what? To work with indignity? To be exploited, like he was a thing? No. And there’s no freedom in that…”
The law student, replied equally angry
“Freedom? Freedom? Are you telling me that, speaking your opinion and then being taken to a camp is freedom? Your lands being stolen… is that freedom? No free elections… freedom? I’ll tell you – I am middle class, but my parents struggled a lot, and a lot really to reach their ‘well-off’ status. And that’s what counts – hard work. They won’t have the same salary as a lazy guy who never struggled for nothing. And I’ll tell you – I would rather be at the bottom of society either because I didn’t work or by bad luck, that be at the bottom of society because the State decided so! And everybody knows you’re not ‘working class’. Your father is a clerk, you’re just a leftist pseudo-intellectual!”
And the fight broke out. Trays, chairs, tables were all used. Some blood was seen. Pedro took great care and backed off a little bit. Soon the security arrived. Little could they do, they were powerless. Radical leftists against liberals. If it were another day, maybe communists against conservatives or social-democrats. Anyway, the communists or the socialists always got into some kind of confusion with the more moderate groups. And sometimes, some integralists arrived, and that’s when the fight would get ugly.
But Pedro liked that world. He left the cafeteria, mildly amused, escorted by two friends from his class. His life was now completely different. With the change of political regime, people’s attitudes changed as well. Many people kept a conservative façade that was now dropped to a more moderate view. Church attendance dropped steadily. Different lifestyles became acceptable. It was a whole new vision of society. Of course, many people, especially older people, were cautious. Many of them witnessed the Upheaval of 1968, a similar time of political and social change, especially in the youth, which led to Integralism ultimately. But, people who had no memory of 1968, and even people who lived it, responded positively to the change to a moderate and democratic Lusitania. Despite the risk of the civil war rekindling, many trusted the Royal Army and the two leading men of Lusitanian democracy – Francisco Sá-Carneiro, who headed the Union, and Afonso Costa, provisional Prime-Minister. The King had retreated into privacy, to prepare himself to the declaration of the Republic. The skies seemed bluer, there was no fear, no DGS nor Legion that could hurt anyone. Unstable, but wonderful times.