Dark clouds
“Sandel, we must raise the price of gasoline, this lifestyle doesn't sustain itself. Haha,” Kirk, the advisor to the country's top leader, was telling him.
“I don't know I'm afraid there will be a social revolt with this decision, we must think it over very well.” Sandel would light his cigar and take a deep drag.
“One thing you need to know is that people are like cattle, you just have to know how to drive them where you want them to go. Haha.” Kirk patted Sandel on the back. “Remember Stalin's chicken, that's a perfect example of how to dominate the masses for your benefit.”
“You know you're right, Kirk. These people will do what I say, ha, ha.” He would get up and then walk to the window overlooking the large empty square.
The next day, via television he would address the citizens. “Compatriots, I am addressing you tonight to announce that due to the debts of the previous governments, gasoline will go up in price.” With much serenity, Sandel looked at another camera. “The sacrifice is hard, but we must do it for our beloved country.”
The broadcast ended, and Kirk applauded Sandel. “Very good, you did perfectly, now to get on with our life of luxury at the expense of the slaves, haha.”
“Kirk, thanks for the advice. The people are there to serve the government. Haha.” The two men would sit and continue smoking their luxurious cigars.
Sandel would turn around and look at the two cameramen and wave them away, as he uncorked a very expensive scotch to toast with his trusted man, alcoholized they let out loud laughs.
The next day, a very revealing video was making the rounds of the national media. The phones in the Turquesa office were ringing off the hook. A secretary would come in with her soul on edge and wake up the two men, “Mr. President, Mr. President, you have a call. It's your wife.”
Sandel would reach his hand to answer, “Hello love, what's wrong?” Inexhaustible serenity were the ruler's words.
“Sandel, what did you do? I am watching on the news the big scandal unleashed by a video, where you are making fun of the people,” his wife spoke to him in a very high tone. “This is turning into a powder keg. You must solve this dilemma soon.” The woman hung up the phone in fury.
Sandel and Kirk turned on the TV with endless anxiety. The news was trending, and the first protests were not long in coming, people began to take to the streets and demand Sandel's resignation. The president's brown eyes opened to the maximum of their sockets, not believing what was happening.
“Those imbecilic cameramen betrayed us and now we have to fix this problem.” Kirk lashed furiously at the honey-colored cedar desk. “Send for those cameramen we must make them pay for this betrayal.”
Sandel was calling his agents and sending for the men, meanwhile, the plaza was slowly filling up with people upset about the leaked video and the fuel hike. The chants of rejection were getting louder. Sandel walked over to the window and watched the large plaza fill up. “Kirk, we've made a mistake, I wish I could turn back time and avoid all this, but it's impossible.”
“Don't chicken out, Sandel. The people must be controlled with a firm hand.” Kirk would pick up the phone and with thunderous eagerness, make a call. “General, deploy the army immediately, the palace is in danger and so are its leaders.”
Kirk would hang up the phone with great satisfaction and a pearly smile would come across his tan face. After a moment, the people's chanting could be heard louder and more determined. Nevertheless, the uproar started, the army used force against the demonstrators and everything became chaotic.
Sandel smiled and said, “That's how you control stubborn people. Haha.”
After several hours, the people overpowered the military and took over the palace, entered the Turquoise office, and searched for the leader who thought he was stronger than the people. Sandel and Kirk watched as their corrupt state collapsed like dominoes.
The two men wanted to flee to the palace terrace but were intercepted by the crowd. They were caught and taken to the Turquoise office. Pleading eyes watched in surprise as the two cameramen smiled with satisfaction. They had taken justice into their own hands.
After all that commotion and that decision that was the cause of the fall of a government, The country was liberated, and people were celebrating everywhere. Sandel could not believe how everything ended so quickly, and after being at the top, He was imprisoned without any reduction in the sentence he was to serve for his multiple crimes.
Now Sandel had to serve a long sentence, the years would pass marking wrinkles on the face of the corrupt politician, who never thought he would end up in this way for unconscious decisions that affected an entire country. Kirk was not heard from much after he was arrested and then fled in a prison riot.
After several years, Sandel would tell a cellmate. “Long ago I was a powerful ruler, now I am only the reflection of a sad chimera.” A few tears were shed by the aging Sandel, staring into the lost sunset.
The end
Nubes negras
«Sandel, debemos subir el precio de la gasolina, este estilo de vida no se mantiene solo. Jaja», le decía Kirk, el asesor del máximo líder del país.
«No sé temo que se haga una revuelta social con esta decisión, debemos pensarlo muy bien». Sandel encendía su cigarro y daba una calada profunda.
«Algo que debes aprender es que la gente es como el ganado, solo hay que saberlo llevar por dónde queremos. Jaja». Kirk palmeaba en la espalda a Sandel. «¿Recuerdas la gallina de Stalin?, es un perfecto ejemplo de cómo se debe dominar a las masas en beneficio propio».
«Sabes que tienes razón, Kirk. Esta gente hará lo que yo diga, jaja». Se levantaba y luego se dirigía hacia la ventana que daba a la gran plaza vacía.
Al día siguiente, por medio de la televisión se dirigía a los ciudadanos. «Compatriotas, me dirijo a ustedes en esta noche para anunciarles que debido a las deudas de los anteriores gobiernos, la gasolina subirá de precio». Con mucha serenidad Sandel miraba a otra cámara. «El sacrificio es duro, pero debemos hacerlo por nuestro amado país».
La transmisión finalizaba y Kirk aplaudía a Sandel. «Muy bien, lo hiciste perfecto, ahora a seguir con nuestra vida de lujos a costa de los esclavos, jaja».
«Kirk, gracias por el consejo. El pueblo está para servir al gobierno. Jaja». Los dos hombres se sentaban y seguían fumando sus habanos lujosos.
Sandel daba la vuelta y miraba a los camarógrafos y les hacía señas de que se fueran, mientras destapaba un whisky muy caro para brindar con su hombre de confianza, alcoholizados soltaban carcajadas sonoras.
Al día siguiente, un vídeo muy revelador daba vueltas por los medios nacionales. Los teléfonos de la oficina Turquesa no paraban de sonar. Una secretaria entraba con el alma en vilo y despertaba a los dos hombres, «Señor presidente, señor presidente, tiene una llamada. Es su esposa».
Sandel estiraba la mano para contestar, «Hola amor, ¿qué ocurre?». Una serenidad inagotable eran las palabras del gobernante.
«Sandel, ¿qué hiciste? Estoy viendo en el noticiero el gran escándalo que se ha desatado por un vídeo, donde tú te burlas del pueblo», su esposa le hablaba en un tono muy alto. «Esto se está convirtiendo en un polvorín. Debes solucionar pronto este dilema». La mujer colgaba el teléfono con furia.
Sandel y Kirk encendían el televisor con una ansiedad inagotable. La noticia era tendencia y las primeras protestas no se hicieron esperar, la gente empezó a salir a las calles y a exigir la renuncia del Sandel. Los ojos castaños del presidente se abrieron al máximo de sus cuencas, sin creer lo que estaba sucediendo.
«Esos imbéciles camarógrafos nos traicionaron y ahora debemos solucionar este problema». Kirk azotaba con furia el escritorio de cedro color miel. «Manda a buscar a esos camarógrafos debemos hacerles pagar por esta traición».
Sandel llamaba a sus agentes y enviaba por los hombres, mientras tanto la plaza se iba llenando poco a poco de gente disgustada por el vídeo que se filtró y el alza al combustible. Los cánticos de rechazo se volvían una más fuertes. Sandel se acercaba a la ventana y vio la gran plaza llenarse. «Kirk, hemos cometido un error, desearía poder regresar el tiempo y evitar todo esto, pero es imposible».
«No te acobardes, Sandel. Al pueblo debe controlarse con mano dura». Kirk tomaba el teléfono y con un estruendoso afán, hacía una llamaba. «General, despliegue inmediatamente al ejército, el palacio está en peligro y sus dirigentes también».
Kirk colgaba el teléfono con gran satisfacción y una sonrisa perlada se dibujó en su rostro color canela. Luego de un momento, se oía los cánticos de la gente más fuertes y decididos. No obstante empezó el alboroto, el ejército usaba la fuerza en contra de los manifestantes y todo se volvió un caos.
Sandel sonreía y decía, «Así se controla a la gente testaruda. Jaja».
Después de varias horas, la gente venció a las fuerzas armadas y se tomaron el palacio, entraron a la oficina Turquesa y buscaban al líder que se creyó más fuerte que el pueblo. Sandel y Kirk vieron como su estado corrupto se derrumbaba como las fichas de un domino.
Los dos hombres quisieron huir hacia la terraza del palacio, pero fueron interceptados por la muchedumbre. Los atraparon y fueron llevados hasta la oficina Turquesa. Los ojos en súplica constante vieron con incredulidad a los camarógrafos quienes sonreían con satisfacción, habían hecho justicia por propia mano.
Después de todo ese alboroto y aquella decisión que fue la causante de la caída de un gobierno, el país fue liberado y la gente celebraba en cada rincón del país. Sandel no podía creer como todo terminó tan rápido y después de estar en la cima, ahora estaba encerrado tras las rejas y sin ninguna consideración en la pena que debía cumplir por sus múltiples crímenes.
Ahora Sandel debía cumplir con una larga condena, los años pasarían marcando arrugas en el rostro del político corrupto, que nunca pensó en que terminaría de esa forma por decisiones inconscientes que afectaban a todo un país. De Kirk no se supo mucho después que fue arrestado y luego huyó en una revuelta carcelaria.
Después de varios años, Sandel le decía a un compañero de celda. «Hacía mucho tiempo yo fui un poderoso gobernante, ahora solo soy el reflejo de una triste quimera». Algunas lágrimas soltaba el envejecido Sandel mirando fijamente al ocaso perdido.
Fin
Source 2
Edited by Rincón Poético
The text of this post was originally translated from Spanish to English with the translator DeepL
Original content
¡Thanks for you reading!
@rinconpoetico7
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
Thanks for the support.
A hugs to team!
I enjoyed your story, @rinconpoetico7! Those corrupt leaders got what they deserved. I wish this would happen to all corrupt leaders around world.
I wanted to share a tip with you on your translation. I see the word "would" appearing throughout the story. In English we don't usually use the word the way it is used here. Instead, to describe something that someone did or said, we use the past tense. The word "would" is used to talk about things in the future, often in the case of something that is possible, but not definite. (I will use the word in this context below so you can see.)
Here are a few examples:
We would usually write such a sentence in this form instead:
Another example:
In English we would normally write this sentence in this form:
There are actually many uses of the word "would" and I don't want to complicate this too much. But another example is to ask a question, such as "Would you please pass me the plate of chicken?"
I hope this is a helpful tip! Best wishes and keep writing!
I really appreciate your advice. I had doubts about the word, since the translator uses it even though it is in the past tense in Spanish. It was really helpful and I will start to be more careful with the 'would'.
A hug @jayna
Excellent start week!
Impressive story and well deserved fate for corrupt.... He reaped what he sowed. Would that this were made possible in some places in this world. It was a pleasure to read this story.
Thank you for stopping by and leaving your kind comment.
I'm very glad you liked the story.
I hope that the horrible governments that exist in the world can end so that people can live in peace and prosperity.
Excellent start week.
It is a great story and the desire of many peoples in the face of their corrupt leaders. I wish all corrupt politicians would end up like the one in this story 😁.