A Parallel Un-love Story

A Parallel Un-love Story

Cèlia Ventura i Gabarró, Staff Writer

Recent European affairs have sparked controversy over Catalonia. Now, Catalonia is fighting for independence and hoping to break free from Spain.

Once upon a time, in a small wooden house, a couple was having a wonderful lunch, when the women said: “I don’t love you, I want to split up”. The man, paralyzed by her words and angered by her dare, analysed what he could do. He had three clear options.

The first one was to just let her leave, even though his heart would need a long time to heal. But maybe, just before she had gone through the door, she would change her mind and come back to him. [That’s what happened with his friend Ugo Kaplan (UK for friends) and his wife Mrs. Scott, an indecisive woman].

The second one was to treat her better. He knew that he wasn’t what she wished he would be. He could start buying her presents, let her manage the wealth that she made, maybe stop using her money (“just around 20 billion dollars every year“), let her go places without his permission, allow her to talk in her native language whenever she wanted, and stop insulting her. And with all those changes, perhaps she would change her mind and stay at his side.

Finally, we came to the third  and most radical choice. He could just lock her door so she wouldn’t be able to run away. She would have to stay in her room and things would keep going well (for him). If she ever said again “I want to split up”,  he could frighten her with the idea that she would not find a new place to work and nobody would be kind to her or treat her right.

This man chose the third option and since that wonderful lunch, he has locked his wife in the basement. His name is Spain; he is normally nice and kind, but needs to change the way he looks at his problems. His wife is called Catalonia; she has a wonderful daughter (already at University) called Barcelona. Catalonia would like to leave, to start a new life, or at least try it. He keeps telling her that the law doesn’t allow them to divorce, but she knows that there are ways- legal ways-to make that change.

It is time for Spain to start listening to his wife and take her more seriously. I hope curiosity “bit you” and (cross my fingers) you are now more interested in what is happening on the other side of the ocean. Nobody knows how this is going to end, nobody knows if she will change her mind and confess that she actually loves him. Maybe he will learn and start treating her better. Or who knows: she might go away, disappear into a cold night and start a new wonderful life.