Night+of+the+Scorpion


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Night of the Scorpion ** I remember the night my mother  was stung by a scorpion. Ten hours  of steady rain had driven him  to crawl beneath a sack of rice.  Parting with his poison - flash  of diabolic tail in the dark room -  he risked the rain again.  The peasants came like swarms of flies  <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">and buzzed the name of God a hundred times <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">to paralyse the Evil One. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">With candles and with lanterns <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">throwing giant scorpion shadows <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">on the mud-baked walls <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">they searched for him: he was not found. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">They clicked their tongues. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">With every movement that the scorpion made <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">his poison moved in Mother’s blood, they said. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">May he sit still, they said. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">May the sins of your previous birth <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">be burned away tonight, they said. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">May your suffering decrease <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">the misfortunes of your next birth, they said. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">May the sum of evil <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">balanced in this unreal world <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> against the sum of good <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">become diminished by your pain. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">May the poison purify your flesh <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">of desire, and your spirit of ambition, <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">they said, and they sat around <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> on the floor with my mother in the centre,

the peace of understanding on each face. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours, <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">more insects, and the endless rain. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My mother twisted through and through, <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">groaning on a mat. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My father, sceptic, rationalist, <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">trying every curse and blessing, <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">powder, mixture, herb and hybrid. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">He even poured a little paraffin <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> upon the bitten toe and put a match to it. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I watched the flame feeding on my mother. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I watched the holy man perform his rites <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">to tame the poison with an incantation. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">After twenty hours <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> it lost its sting. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">

<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My mother only said <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Thank God the scorpion picked on me <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">and spared my children. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">

//**<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Nissim Ezekiel **//