The Voice Of A Grilled Fish

They are four of them, sitting at the table that’s been adorned with the dishes and are waiting for the host to return from the kitchen with an additional menu.

Those four are a Philosopher, a Poet, a Painter, and a Priest who sit on the opposite of each other. There is a fifth vacant seat in the front table for the host.

The menu presented at the dinner table is a grilled fish that looks lying resignedly from head to tail with eyes half open. There is a chicken satay with peanut sauce, fried Tempeh, crackers, salad, and spinach bean sprouts stir fry. Hopefully the rice and soup will come out soon from the kitchen brought by the host.

The philosopher’s eyes is targeting the chicken satay. He swallows his own saliva and could not wait to eat since his stomach begins to sing. He starts to look at the chicken meat that is lined up in the satay stick. It occurred to him a question, whether each of the chicken cuts is from the same one chicken, if not, then how to know the difference?

In his effort to distinguish the origin of each piece of the meat he forgets his hunger. and now before even being able to answer his own question, his mind moves to an ancient simple question but the answer is sometimes still debated to this day; regarding “Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? he is thinking deep, but then he decides to re-examine whether the opinion of Aristotle, Plato, and Stephen Hawking are the same or no?!

Meanwhile, the Poet’s eyes stares at the grilled fish. Unexpectedly the look of the grilled fish reminds him of someone who he truly loved but he does not realize that except after he abandoned her. He remembers a poem that was dedicated to her; Like a fish swimming in the sea wondering what is water, like a bird flying in the air wondering what is wind, I was next to you all that time and I wondered what is love. Oh I loved you then, but sadly dear, my biggest sin was that I did not know. Indeed, I have written a letter for your forgiveness but until this moment I can not send it because I know that maybe you’ve been happy to be owned by someone else, so I’m afraid the letter will be disturbing. Now let me die waiting and missing you in salvation.

Unconsciously a single tear fell down warmly on his cheek but then He went on saying in his heart: “I feel like this grilled fish; torn and burned waiting to vanish.” He quickly wipes his tears before anyone sees.

On his opposite was the Painter’s eyes that is going around looking at the food on the table. He doesn’t seem so hungry at all. He sees the position of each dish. His face looks relaxed but his eyes move quickly from salads to tempeh to satay to fish and spinach bean sprouts. Maybe he is going to choose what combination is for his meal, but in fact he was enjoying a soothing blend of natural color and thinking how he can turn it into a painting that is alive and will be mouth-watering to the viewers.

He admires the stir food fresh color that is integrated into a large bowl of green spinach, white bean sprouts, and the red sliced chili-peppers, but the most difficult is to put the color of the water and oil that saturates the colors of the dish.

While all the three men were busy with their thoughts, the Priest suddenly heard a petite voice calling him from the middle of the table;

“Father, Father..!

His hearing becomes very alert so he is trying to look for the origin of the weird voice quietly. His mind could not believe when he sees that it was the sound of a fish lying on a plate and bathed in chili sauce. The fish’s mouth is not moving and the Priest is confused to death. But the curious heart makes his head closer to determine what is the actual sounds. Then there it comes again;

“Father, please help me Father!”

He becomes stiff and he looks at the fish eyes.  the small voice continue;

“Father help me from these crazy people around you that are staring at me. My life was full of hardship. I’ve lost all my family and forced to swim from the Red Sea to the Black Sea and finally I got caught in the sea of ​​Japan. I’ve been cut and then wrapped and jailed in an ice, frozen in the cold and shipped from one continent to the other. By the time I was released, I got thrown straight into the pot of fire. I was cooked in hell then poured with hot water filled with chili and herbs and finally ready to be crucified in this table. I have suffered enough. Now I would like to die in peace so that my spirit will not haunts.”

The Priest becomes all ears. He closes his eyes and did not say a word. Then the fish continues;

“Father I am sure you heard the sounds of my soul and I’d tell you that I’m really afraid from the three mad men at this table because I guess they are busy with their imagination. The help that I need is for you to be sure to lead a prayer before eating and read the Name of God before enjoying my flesh. That way I will die in peace. My soul can rest in heaven while my body will be beneficial to your health. “

The Priest feels really touched. He nods to the fish avoiding to say any word so that no one would think that he is talking to him self. But now he is confused whether the fish, the place, and everyone that is there are having problems or is it he him self that becomes crazy?

HS Dubai 2013