‘El Greco’s sky of Toledo reminds me of the Irish sky – obscure, mysterious, awe-inspiring.’
‘Is that the poetic description for grey, gloomy and depressing, Marvin?’ Leon said with a sarcastic grin.
‘Did you know? Toledo was known for its steal- the city produced the best knife blades and swords of the old times.’ Prue said, smiling at Marvin.
‘I wish I were able to use the sword better than the pen; he who knows how to handle a sword stands for heroic actions.’ And with a theatrical gesture Arthur announced to the crowd, “I will fight for my dreams and the world will never forget the name Arthur Ramsay.’
‘Why fight in a senseless world? The only way to face life is to acknowledge a world that has been robbed of its meaning and quietude.’
‘I don’t agree, Marvin. The heroic is the only deed able to defeat the senseless.’
‘The heroic is a synonym for the idealistic which eventually leads to the absurd.’
‘Rebelling against the senselessness of being is bound to be in vain for it is nothing but fighting wind mills. It is foolish.’ Leon said.
‘Being a fool liberates and paves the path to creation and invention.’
‘All I know,’ Marvin tried to explain, ‘is that the history of my own life is merely a minuscule part of the history of life. I was born and I will die. Everything around me will die and only life itself seems to be outside the boundaries of time.’
‘That is very vague. What is time? What is life? What is knowledge?’ Leon said with a challenging look.
‘And that is exactly the problem,’ Prue continued, ‘we are only able to think and understand concepts within the limitations of language which is a man-made system.’
‘The only purpose is to survive. A pleasant and joyful survival might just be the answer out of the maze of life.’
‘Idleness can weigh on you, Marvin. I am not here to survive. I am here to create that which will survive me when I am dead and render me immortal. I am my pen and my words and that is my only purpose in life; what I leave behind.’
‘Must it be one or the other? Why can’t one choose everything else between mere survival and immortality? The reality of life is full of compromises.’
‘You are too optimistic, Prue. Those who become aware of the choices are no longer free to choose. They are critical, skeptical, doubtful for the more choices we have the restless we are.’
‘Marvin is right,’ Leon said, ‘those who ponder lose their innocence. That is the original sin that was inflicted upon us. We are damned to question but never to know.’
‘Our biggest sin is that we forget to remember and appreciate. The world is full of beauty and we are inclined to take things for granted. If I were to die tomorrow, I would think I had a life well-lived. I would die happy.’
‘It’s easy to find satisfaction in life when you’re in your twenties, Prue.’ Leon said with a quiet smile.
I wonder if Marvin made it to Ireland.