Articles have been published in newspapers where writers complained against the municipal bodies. They had pinned high hopes and dreamed of building their cities. They discussed these at meetings in their areas and even in the sport club. It seems that many of the promises of building arches over rivers that do not exist were made during campaigns. When the campaigns ended, the people in each district of the city found that basically there was no river in the geographical composition of the country. If there were a river, we would have sat beside it and cried “Muchas gracias, Senor Paulo Coelho !”
The great Brazilian writer Coelho wrote a book under this title. However, the river where arches are to be built gives us only sadness. If one of our authors Hasan Al-Sabaa from Qatif (the gardens of palm trees) wanted to write a book with that theme, the title of his book would be "I sat beside the ghosts of palm tree farms… and laughed!” This is because Hasan can only laugh. I know he is the best one to laugh in pain... pain because the palms dry out and die, just like promises do.
We also face this reality, because we believe in the promises or like to believe in them. We do not consider promises as serious things that are sacred. Religion considers the one who does not fulfill his promises as a hypocrite — although I emphasize that people in municipal councils and in all other local bodies are far from being hypocrites.
However, not fulfilling promises is not only a sin that is limited to members of city councils, it, in fact, also includes us. We are the ones who will repeatedly vote for such people based on the promises of arches over rivers. We will swim in the rivers that do not exist under the arches that do no exist. This also keeps us away from being “true believers”, since a “true believer cannot be fooled twice.” However, after having been fooled for the second time, the third time and the fourth time, I have stopped counting!
Dear brothers, members of the esteemed councils, show us anything, anything you have done before you leave.
Twtr: @najeebzamil
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