------------------------------------------------------ NARMA Bulletin _____________________________________ Vol. 3, No. 8 May, 2014 ---------------------------------------------------------------- May Day Reads The Novel “The Fall of Damascus” has been published in print and e-book and is now in circulation. But it does not end there. Something beyond has come up and the story will continue to be told. There’s no stopping “The Fall of Damascus” as more could be read in “Damascus Will Fall”—a continuing journey into more intriguing days as subsequent events in the drama unfold. The following is an excerpt from the new book: A day after the visit of an unexpected visitor… “Did the visit … bother you?” “No … not at all. By the way, it seems the visit of drowsiness to you seems to have been delayed this time. You weren’t able to take a nap all day?” “Yes, a strange thing, indeed. Maybe, my mind is working extra hard and it induces the vigilance in me. Aah, the past runs back to me… and it’s sweeping me off my feet.” She didn’t speak but he knew she was expecting a further statement from him. So he went on. “You said the visit … didn’t cause a disturbance on you. But you’ve been less talkative today.” “You, too….” “Yes, I must admit… he brought some facets for realization.” “What do you mean?” “Did you regret coming back to me?” “How could you say that?” “I can’t see you clearly but I can sense a lot of supervening vibrations since yesterday.” “What?” “He didn’t make love to you … did he?” “Noo!” “I believe you. I can sense it. Even though we weren’t together for a long time.”
_____________________________________Vol. 3, No. 8 May, 2014----------------------------------------------------------------
May DayReads
The Novel “The Fall of Damascus”has been published in print and e-bookand is now in circulation. But it doesnot end there. Something beyond hascome up and the story will continue tobe told. There’s no stopping “The Fallof Damascus” as more could be read in“Damascus Will Fall”—a continuingjourney into more intriguing days assubsequent events in the drama unfold.
The following is an excerpt fromthe new book:
A day after the visit of an unexpectedvisitor…
“Did the visit … bother you?”“No … not at all. By the way, it seems the
visit of drowsiness to you seems to have beendelayed this time. You weren’t able to take anap all day?”
“Yes, a strange thing, indeed. Maybe, mymind is working extra hard and it induces thevigilance in me. Aah, the past runs back tome… and it’s sweeping me off my feet.”
She didn’t speak but he knew she wasexpecting a further statement from him.
So he went on. “You said the visit …didn’t cause a disturbance on you. But you’vebeen less talkative today.”
“You, too….”“Yes, I must admit… he brought some
facets for realization.”“What do you mean?”“Did you regret coming back to me?”“How could you say that?”“I can’t see you clearly but I can sense a lot
of supervening vibrations since yesterday.”“What?”“He didn’t make love to you … did he?”“Noo!”“I believe you. I can sense it. Even though
we weren’t together for a long time.”
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“You shouldn’t entertain backslidingthoughts.”
“I told you I have faith in you. And even ifyou did make love to each other, it wouldn’tmatter to me now. Nor would have it matteredthen.”
…“I know our taking of you was wrong.”…“And no amount of rightfulness I’d ever
done could have straightened the crookednessthat resulted from it.”
“It’s over now … and there’s no use forregrets. Time doesn’t allow retakes for ourprevious actions.”
“I would not hold you … if you decide togo with him. If you believe being with him isall that matters, then proceed. I will not take itagainst you.”
“Stop it …”
The NovelThe Middle East is the focus of the
incidents in the novel “The Fall ofDamascus.” The drama unfolding as theepisodes progress highlights the events inSyria, although the author has emphasizedthat this is not a war story; rather, it is some
kind of a love story taking the reader into anextended tour of various places, particularlyEurope. The main characters though are ofAsian descent. This book is a work of fiction and representsthe dilemma that Mideast transients have tocontend with in living life in that land. Thecharacters created herein are purely fictionaland any similarity or resemblance to actualpersons is purely coincidental. The placesdescribed, however, are real and the eventsthat transpire forming as backdrop of thestory may have actually happened. Inclusionof aspects thereof is imperative to give flavorto the story.
What the Book Tells UsThis book is a work of fiction and is another
author’s experimentation at DIY-POD (Do-it-yourself/Publish or print-on-demand) option.Self-publishing or independent publishing isnow a worldwide vogue and the ‘indie’ authorin some places, more particularly the UnitedStates, has gained prominence and avowedacceptance. This recourse, however, appearsto be sparingly availed of in the Philippines. Itis upon this context that the author introducesthis novel under such mode of publication. The author is motivated solely by a desire toprovide entertainment to the readers, and nooffence, if any, is intended to an individual orgroup, be it as to their beliefs or well-being.
Whom the Author Acknowledges The author acknowledges the invaluablehelp and assistance he obtained from varioussectors in the preparation of this book and hisother works previously published as well asthose still being prepared for publication. His appreciation goes to those who sharedwith him their full support and positive stanceas well as their kind indulgence as the authorgropes along the pathways to self-publication.
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Such regard likewise extends to themembers of his family, peers and friends whoin one way or another have taken part inmaking this venture a success. The author is furthermore indebted to hisreaders for their patronage of his works andstaying with him in the journey through pagesof the printed word.
Sampling the Book
As the pages of the book open, we aretreated with incidents which unravel in thefirst chapter of the book. Thus:
As soon as the gate of the villa swung open, agroup of fatigue-uniformed soldiers entered, havingforcibly done away with the lock and barging throughthe wires that buttressed the security of the entranceportion of the compound. They were about a dozenwhile another group, which was half of their number,remained outside the gate to watch the surroundingarea. The five of them who were able to proceed tothe door of the villa fronting the gate rammedthrough it and pushed themselves inside. Meanwhile,dusk was beginning to hover over the area.
The place was located in the outskirts of AleppoCity. It was an exclusive village comprising ofstructures with divergent but exquisite designssuggesting that the occupants thereof did not belongto the lower strata of society. Large villas lined thestreets and were unmistakably drawing theimpression that they housed no less that the city’selite.
In the last remaining days of June, 2012, there hadbeen a marked alteration of the atmosphere thatengulfed the village, characterized by eerinessresulting from abandonment of the plush residencesthat used to be kept alive by the residents.
Of the five soldiers who made a search in thevilla’s ground floor, three went up later to the secondfloor and ransacked the rooms as the two whoremained at the foot of the stairway stayed on fullalert, their hands holding their respective riflestightly—indicating that they were ready to fire onslightest provocation.
“Nooo…!” As voices of men boomed, so did thebursts from guns.
The two soldiers who stayed on the first floorimmediately run up the stairs but were met by one oftheir comrades who apparently came from anotherroom where no gunshot was heard. He was holding adark-skinned unarmed young man, apparently in hisearly twenties, by the collar of his shirt as the latter’stwo hands were placed on his head. He was sportinga long hair. When their eyes turned to the other room,the bodies of their two comrades sprawled just a stepbeyond the door and into the room met their sight. Afew steps further two bodies were also seen lying: aCaucasian on top of a brown man. All four werebloodied.
Before the three soldiers could do something torescue their fallen comrades, a huge explosionoccurred just outside the gate of the villa, promptingthem to leave the sprawled bodies and instead jointhe rest of the soldiers in the compound.
It was a single explosion, though intense.“What was that?” one of the three soldiers from
the interior of the villa asked those near the gate.
(Utterances: An excerpt)
“You don’t understand the workings of a man’sheart… Perhaps, your emotions have been insulatedby an outlook that’s dominated by your impersonalendeavors.”
*** “I do so as it affects my personal concerns,
particularly on something that I cherish most.”***
“It’s not a matter of being a rebel. It’s just puttingthings in their proper perspectives.”
~~~~~ “I’m back to square one.”“Of course you are. Imagine what you’ve been
through.”“By the way, any news…?”“I’ve never heard about him since we last met. He
may have transferred unit or base.”“Is it possible in Syria?”“Everything is so unpredictable out there.”
***
“Uhm… Reminds me of 9/11.” “Vividly reported, isn’t it?” “What do you think?”“This is a replica of the fate …”
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“If your suspicion assumes merit, think then ofwho could be commonly against you.”
“…and the girl, of course.”“Then, narrow down your choices.” “There might be a deeper cause you aren’t aware
of, one that you have not fathomed. And it’s possiblethat both incidents could just be a warning.”
“Some men just can’t differentiate between bigand small, can’t identify what’s serious or slight,especially when driven by an uncontrollable passionor insatiable desire.”
“You’re right...”“Now, more than ever, you need to be extra
careful.”“And not only that, I should embark on my search.
Immediately.”“Where should you start?”“Outside… There are just so many people I have
to find. And I may be running out of time.”“Good luck.”“Thanks. You’ve always been very
accommodating.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Rome, he went to various places. On day one,he was clueless. On day two, he was confused. Onday three, he began to entertain doubts. On day four,he went to Vatican. There he came up with arealization. He had to leave Rome as what he waslooking for wasn’t there. On day five, he traveled toMilan.
It was a repetition of the rigmarole which he haddiscovered in Milan, except that his side trip broughthim to Florence. It was merely a similarity in Floyd’sname that was significant about the place. Other thanthat, the city offered him no hint on how he couldsucceed in his search. The last possible place wherethe Floralman could have gone might turn out to beVenice. The city was ideal for people in predicamentand for those who would have their inequities washedaway. Those on the way down could well findparallelism in the city’s sinking thoroughfares, orhere, they could stand on a jump-off point to othervenues of lesser consequence.
***
He looked around and was amazed at the contrasthe had observed. While on the outside the chapelcould create an impression of simplicity, its interiorboasted of exquisite arrangement. The pews, thoughfew, were elegant in their shiny brown color. Thefloor was made up of tiles while the altar wasconstructed using luxurious marble. Framesrepresenting fourteen stations of the cross which boredelicately contrived work of hand weresymmetrically hung on both the right and left walls—seven on each. The center of the altar was dominatedby a huge crucifix, at the side of which a niche,where the ciborium was kept, appeared somewhatconcealed. A thin veil was covering the glass panewhich protected it. A single door in the right cornerled to the sacristy. Not far from it on the same sidethe confessional was situated. At the left portionthereof, there were some icons which stoodrepresenting a number of saints.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More utterances:
“The good things in life come naturally and we arebut instruments in their delivery.”
***
“A promise needs to be fulfilled.”
***
“It’s like a river that has poured its burden into theocean.”
***
“When you follow the way of your faith, youdon’t need anything with you.”
***
“I have no more enemies now. I’ve forgiven themall”
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As the Words say:
See, Damascus will cease to be acity, and will become a heap of
ruins. (Isaiah 17:1, NRSV)
***
I asked, “What am I to do, Lord?” The Lordsaid to me, “Get up and go to Damascus;there you will be told everything that hasbeen assigned to you to do.” (Acts 22:10,
NRSV)
***
Thus says the Lord:For three transgressions of Damascus,
and for four, I will not revoke thepunishment;
because they have threshed Gileadwith threshing-sledges of iron.
So I will send a fire on the house of Hazael,and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-
hadad.I will break the gate-bars of Damascus,and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley
of Aven,and the one who holds the sceptre from Beth-
eden;and the people of Aram shall go into exile
to Kir,says the Lord. (Amos 1:3-5 NRSV)
***
In Damascus the governor underAretas the king kept the city of the
Damascenes with a garrison,desirous to apprehend me:
And through a window in a basket was Ilet down by the wall, and escaped
his hands. (2 Corinthians 11:32-33 KJV)
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NARMA Bulletin is an electronic periodical distributedonline by Narma Books imbued with a mission ofinformation dissemination through selective relay ofsignificant matters of concern to the appropriate recipients,both in entertainment and informative categories.Based in the Philippines.
For the month of May this year, we areglad to find a fitting occasion for us to shareour readings of the pleasant words which wehereunder restate.
Wisdom’s Part in CreationThe Lord created me at the beginning of hiswork,
the first of his acts of long ago.Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of theearth.When there were no depths I was broughtforth,
when there were no springs abounding withwater.Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth—when he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the world’s first bits of soil.When he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of thedeep,when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of thedeep,when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress hiscommand,when he marked out the foundations of theearth,
then I was beside him, like a master worker;and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race. (Proverbs8:22-31, NRSV)
Psalter
…what are human beings that you aremindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?Yet you have made them a little lower thanGod,
and crowned them with glory and honour.You have given them dominion over theworks of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!(Psalm 47:2-9, NRSV)
Results of JustificationTherefore, since we are justified by faith,we have peace with God through our LordJesus Christ, through whom we have obtainedaccessto this grace in which we stand; andwe boast in our hope of sharing the glory ofGod. And not only that, but we also boast inour sufferings, knowing that sufferingproduces endurance, and endurance producescharacter, and character produces hope, andhope does not disappoint us, because God’slove has been poured into our hearts throughthe Holy Spirit that has been given to us.(Romans 5:1-5, NRSV)
The Good News Retold‘I still have many things to say to you, butyou cannot bear them now. When the Spirit oftruth comes, he will guide you into all thetruth; for he will not speak on his own, butwill speak whatever he hears, and he willdeclare to you the things that are to come. Hewill glorify me, because he will take what ismine and declare it to you. All that the Fatherhas is mine. For this reason I said that he willtake what is mine and declare it to you.’(John 16:12-15, NRSV)
