Tales from the Land of Serenity Part 3

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‘Tales from the Land of Serenity’ came into being shortly after the horrific assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta on 16th October 2017. A well-known investigative journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia was blown up by a car bomb, minutes away from her home in Bidnija. The title of these stories derives from words spoken by the Maltese Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, a few days after her murder: ‘When the MEPs visit Malta, they will do so with a sense of serenity’…

 

Still rubbing the sleep from their eyes, the good people of Malta were shaken by rumbles of an early morning storm which threatened to engulf the island in one fell swoop. Grey clouds whispered ‘omertá, omertá’ as they huddled together like a blanket to protect the sky.

 

Meanwhile Fort Delimara began to tremble as, deprived of funds to maintain its ancient structure as a defence against the pirates of the sea, it passively accepted its fate – to be swept away by the waves and join the watery grave of the Azure Window. Nothing to be done now. Nothing to be done.

 

At the seat of Justice in the historic stronghold of Valletta, the announcement came that on Friday the 3rd of November, the day of the funeral for the journalist assassinated by a car bomb in Malta, the land of serenity, that on this day the law courts would close early, the flag would be lowered to half mast, and a black sash would be attached to the main door. A mark of respect for a woman who exposed the corrupt workings of the Maltese legal system and had over 40 libel cases filed against her, many by politicians, at the time of her murder.

 

Wandering minstrels and musicians were shocked into silence as their peaceful plans to stage a concert in honour of the murdered journalist were disrupted by threats that their day-time jobs would be removed. This intimidation emanated from within a government bound by the same all-econompassing legal structure which had so recently vowed to respect the very same woman as they.

 

The final rumbles of the storm lifted the sounds of music into the air, attempting to restore that much needed sense of serenity as evening fell and darkness descended once more…

 

Tales from the Land of Serenity have been made into podcasts, read and produced by Pia Zammit. They are published on  manueldelia.com

Tales from the Land of Serenity Part 3