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November 3, 2015
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| He came to this country as a journalist of a newspaper. This was a special event for this country's dictator's inauguration anniversary. He met a woman, and after one sight, he fell in love with her. She also fell in love him. This country didn't have diplomatic relationships with any other country so the woman couldn't leave to go to other countries. In her country, going abroad was only allowed for high ranking people. She was a normal person. His one week approved stay period here ended, and he had to leave the country. He had come here through the border crossing from the western neighboring country, and he was supposed to return the same way. He knew that once he left this country, he could never return to this country and meet her again. They came to the immigration building by the border. They hugged and kissed. They were crying. He entered the building. He got questioned and the police checked his belongings, and he was asked to pass the gate. He started to walk on the bridge. It was the border bridge between the two countries. In the middle of the bridge, there
The bridge was about 50 meters long and 6 meters wide. Under the bridge was a river. (Both banks has land mines.) At the two immigration buildings on both sides, there were some solders from each country who guarded the border with heavy weaponry. He was walking on the bridge. The sight of both sides were the same when he had passed through one week ago; but, for him, it looked different now. He looked back and could see her waving and crying. He felt weak. When he came to the middle of the bridge, there was a line which was around 60 centimeters wide. This line forced him and her to forever separate. This was just a line painted white but no citizens of either country could pass through. It seemed weird. He was told not to stop in the middle of the bridge, but the idea that if he passed over the line he could never meet her again made him stand still on the line. Soon he heard voices from both sides' soldiers shouting not to stop. But, he was frozen on the line. The soldiers from both sides rushed towards him. The soldiers held machine guns. The western country's soldiers asked him if he was sick or something. He said no. He said he could not leave her. One of the soldiers said that he was sorry but he couldn't do anything. When the soldier was about to grab his arm to pull, the opposite country's soldiers raised their machine guns, one shouting, "You can't pull anybody from our country." The other soldiers raised their machine guns, too. They glared at each other. Soon from both sides, a lot of soldiers came. They reported the incident to their superiors. After half an hour, a high officer from the dictator's country came and talked with the dictator on his cellphone. The dictator was curious about the guy who was stuck on the border, and said that he wanted to talk to the guy in person. The high officer passed his phone to the guy. He told the dictator that he wanted her to go with him. The dictator laughed, and said she couldn't. He added that the guy could remain in his country. He was a journalist so he knew if he remained he would be used politically. He refused. The dictator ordered the high officer to leave him alone saying that he had nothing to do on the bridge and he would soon give up. And, if he returned to the dictator's country, they could use him as a precious hostage. The other government wanted to avoid risks of an accidental war under the two countries' sensitive situation. The government thought he would give up soon. Both sides soldiers retreated to each sides' buildings. But he didn't give up. He had a sleeping bag. He ate cookies and drank a bottle of water. He peed from the bridge. Fortunately for him, it was the warm season. He slept on the line on the bridge. The next morning, some TV reporters from the western country came. The soldier in charge didn't allow them to walk on the bridge so they were standing 25 meters from him and shouted asking him what happened. He shouted back explaining his love for the woman. The dictator threatened the woman that she could meet him but if she crossed the border with him, her family might suffer hard lives. She came to him. They hugged and kissed again. The TV's telephoto lenses caught them. She explained her situation and asked him to give up this. Surprisingly, he asked her to stay with him. He said that the dictator didn't mention about her staying on the bridge. She asked, "But how will we live here? We can't eat love." He smiled, "We can." She remained and the dictator was furious but couldn't touch them because TV reporters were reporting about them. At night, they slept in his sleeping bag and ate chocolate he had. Fortunately for them, it was a fine day and they slept under shinning stars. Some TV crews remained, so each government couldn't do any physical things to the couple. The next morning there were many spectators gathered from the western country who had watched the news about them on the previous night. They were not allowed to step on the bridge. But one of the TV crews prepared a drone and set a smartphone on it and flew it, they started to interview to the couple. There were so many spectators so the soldiers of the dictator's country couldn't risk to shoot down the drone. He said on the phone that he and she just wanted to live together and there was no political intention. She said she loved him. With the news at noon, citizens all over the world came to know about the couple. The viewers started to talk about them on Twitter and Facebook. One of them said this was the modern day Romeo and Juliet. It spread soon. One of the viewers offered them a special water purification system to convert river water into drinking water. A company offered space food. Another offered a 60 centimeter-wide two storied house made of water-proof cardboard. The TV crew carried them to the couple using their drone. The couple started to live on the 60 centimeters wide border line. Their life was broadcasted every day and it appeared on the net. The couple were given a solar panel system from a company and could use heat and have a hot shower. Some gave them fishing gear. Some gave them vegetable kits. So many clothes were sent from all over the world. They enjoyed living within the 60 centimeter width on the bridge. After all, they lived there for two years. For two years, people in the world had been following this couple and it became their routine. So when some of the citizens started uprising in the dictator's country, international opinions immediately supported them. Some governments could move to rescue citizens in danger of the country, and the country's dictatorship collapsed. Now he and she lived in a (normal) house in her home country. People called their house the 'Borderless House'. |
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*inaugurate :to have a ceremony to celebrate an important person starting a new job, a new building opening, etc (C)
*retreat :to go away to a place or situation which is safer or quieter (C)
*uprising :when a large group of people try to make political changes or change the government by fighting (C)