Vera Returns To Marta City (Ch.11e) : Vera Meets Up With Her New Friend

Vera Returns To Marta City (Ch.11e) : Vera Meets Up With Her New Friend

At the end of the Maneddonist meeting Julia and Vera agreed to meet for a chat the next evening at a bar in their district of the city.

‘They seem to have no plan or desire to change anything,’ said Julia.  ‘They believe in non-action.’

‘I don’t think that’s the way my mother sees it,’ said Vera.

‘What does she see?’ asked Julia, apparently deeply interested in the question.

‘Well, I’m not quite sure but I think she believes that if more people followed their way the world would change.’

‘But she doesn’t believe in the power of politics?’

‘I think the Maneddonists have a political party so surely they do believe in politics.  I don’t know much about politics myself.  I was never very interested in that kind of thing you know,’ explained Vera.

‘That’s partly what irritates me about these Maneddonists!  They’ve had a political party for years but they don’t do anything.  They don’t even try to fight some of the policies that have made the world what it is today.  They have just accepted things as they are, despite their rhetoric.  The “Community” seems to believe in working within the system.  Some of them are very successful in the economic world, and they didn’t achieve that wealth by applying different standards to the profit makers.  They all believe in their “faith and philosophy” as an inner refuge from the sadness of the world,’ said Julia, catching her stride.

‘Mother thinks their community do many “good works” by helping people.  Even the wealthy Maneddonists give money away to charities,’ suggested Vera.

‘Yes you’re right, of course they help to create a more kind world than the one which would be if they were not part of it.  I do applaud them for what they do.  Even we have benefited in a small way from them.  The fact that we now know each other and will be friends, is one small help in our lives, and we both went to their meeting out of needs which they help to satisfy, social and to satisfy a need for knowledge perhaps.’

‘You were criticising a minute ago.  Now you are singing their praises,’ commented Vera with a laugh.

‘Yes, well there we are,’ admitted Julia without guilt.  ‘But I do criticise.  They don’t go far enough for me.  They seam to appease all the time, but not to attempt to tackle causes.’

‘I suppose you’re right,’ said Vera.  At first she had been a little reluctant to follow Julia’s line of political thought.  She had never liked politics before, just a lot of dull grey men and women wittering about details which did not concern her.  But Luvius had opened her to criticism of employers, and now her reposting had widened the gulf that now lay between her and the dull working world.  She now wanted more out of her life, and Julia’s strong ideas affected her more than she had expected.  She somehow made it seem that perhaps something could be done.  After all, the Maneddonists were doing something which had some significance to many people.  Maybe more could be done.  Julia seemed to have an answer to questions within her.  She was honest and believable, she understood Vera’s predicament.

‘I have been doing quite a few things recently,’ explained Julia.  ‘Discovering social possibilities, meeting people, trying out different groups, in order to find friends who believe as I do.’

‘Believe?’ asked Vera in surprise.  ‘After what you’ve just been saying about the Maneddonists I didn’t think you were a “believer”.’  Perhaps Julia had just been relaxing her, lulling her into a soft haze of shared doubts and oppositions towards the Maneddonist philosophy, only to return with an overpowering declaration of her final arrival at that belief.

‘No, not that kind of belief,’ laughed Julia, reading the confusion in Vera’s face.  ‘Not that I disagree with many of the Maneddonist’s ideas.  But I don’t share all of their beliefs.  No, I mean my own beliefs about the way we live, politics, the future.  That sort of thing.’

‘Oh, I see,’ said Vera, chastened by her mistake and Julia’s good humour.  ‘Is it some other philosophy you follow?  But I can see you mean your own philosophy.  Are your beliefs the same as another philosophy then, apart from the Maneddonists?’

‘It is my own philosophy.  Well, really it’s also politics.  I thought for quite a while that nobody shared my ideas but I have actually found quite a few people recently who share my ideas, or have similar kinds of views.  I think you might also, from some of the things you’ve said.’

‘I’ve never been very interested in politics,’ said Vera.  ‘It has always seemed to me to be a waste of time.  The Parties hold similar positions on most things.  So it’s never very interesting or even important when they argue.  I know we need them to decide the detail of legislation and improve things but they never interested me much.’

‘I know what you mean.  I think most people feel that way today.  That’s why we’re all so apathetic towards official politics.  But you told me earlier that you have come to realise there is more to your life than working long shifts and churning through study texts in the evening.  You said you wished employers’ expectations of ordinary people could be changed and we could live better quality lives.  You don’t think that has anything to do with what you call politics do you.  But it has.  It has everything to do with politics. If you are interested in questions like that, then you are interested in politics.

‘I have found a group, Vera, which is excellent.  There are only a few of us.  When we meet we talk about things and exchange ideas.  They think like I do, and you.  They have had enough of this endless charade of human life.  We want to take life back for us, and away from the miserable employers, and their insane economic system.’