14. Dubai: 4th Philosophical Meeting (8 pgs.)

ACT I - CHAPTER 14

4th PHILOSOPHICAL MEETING

DUBAI

Saturday January 20, 2018

Dubai United Arab Emirates

Alexandre was in the lobby of the Luxor Arab hotel in Dubai waiting to see Yellow. His friends from the French team were saying goodbye. They had beaten the United Arab Emirates team four to one. It had been a friendly match in preparation for the World Cup.

Victoria was completely recovered and excited about her marriage. She proposed several dates and they chose Saturday, September 15 of that same year. They wanted to do something intimate, familiar, exclusive, elegant and without journalists.

The news of their engagement was news in many media, but Alexandre never talked about his private life, only about football, as Patrick, his representative, had taught him.

Patrick was still worried about going offline one weekend a month, but Alexandre reiterated that everything was fine and that after the World Cup everything would be back to normal.

He still had a hard time understanding some things about epistemology, but he made a great effort because he knew it was important. He did the summary on a new Tablet from which he removed the microphone and all the other parts that could track him or connect him to the Internet.

He expected to see Yellow enter the hotel door, but he came out of the elevator.

“Follow me,” said when he appeared.

They re-entered the elevator, went up to the 57th floor, and walked to one of the rooms where Yellow opened the door with a card.

Upon entering the suite there was a huge living room with views of the sea. The sun was beginning to sink behind the horizon.

“Hello Alexandre! It seems like a century has passed since our last meeting in London!” Ricardo said, approaching to give him a hug.

“Congratulations! Fiancé of the year! But what good news! Victoria is beautiful!” Arturo celebrated his engagement.

“Thank you.”

“Here we have everything we need,” Ricardo said, pointing to the blackboard and markers.

“For any emergency we have the helicopter above. The good news is that Mr. Walker is recovering. The injuries were not that serious and he will soon be able to walk again,” Ricardo said while two beautiful Arab women served dinner, which on that occasion was also Arab food.

Alexandre read them his summary of the previous meeting. Then they took a break and talked about the Football World Cup.

“Brazil is very strong and was the first to qualify, but I am worried about Germany and also about the Russians who are throwing all the meat on the grill” Ricardo said.

“Argentina can win, you know? It is Tessini’s opportunity to reconcile with Argentina. It still hurts him to have lost the Copa América for missing that penalty in the final,” said Arturo.

Once in the living room, Alexandre turn on the recorder, prepared the blackboard and tried the markers because he needed to make several explanatory drawings.

“What new topic do you bring up today?” Arturo asked.

“What follows is logic. The most important thing to understand about logic is to understand the Law of Identity that Aristotle discovered,” said Alexandre.

“Yes, of course, A is A, the ball is the ball, and if the ball is the ball, the ball doesn’t get dirty,” said Arturo, bursting into laughter.

He had made many mistakes in his life but, although he had a serious drug problem, he had a heart of gold. People knew he was sincere and that’s why they loved him. It was fun for him to talk like a neighborhood kid.

“Logic is based on the fact that something cannot be one thing and another at the same time. That’s all you need to know about logic to think clearly”” said Alexandre, “two plus two equals four, not five nor twenty-two,” he added.

Then they talked about subjects and predicates, propositions and conclusions, syllogisms and fallacies and Ricardo said that he, as an engineer, used reverse engineering to discover floating concepts. Floating concepts were lacked of percepts and fancepts, they were words that were just sounds, but did not refer to anything concrete, not even to a particular fantasy. A floating concept didn’t contain percepts or fancepts, just mind fog or a void.

The next day they continued the meeting during breakfast. Through the large windows they could see that the day was sunny, cloudless and the sea was an intense blue.

Ricardo told him that they had a surprise prepared for him. At noon they went up to the heliport where a helicopter was waiting for them. They took off and within ten minutes they landed at a private airport. He didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t take him long to find out.

“Learning to jump with a parachute will help us in case of emergency. They already attacked the plane and could attack the helicopter. Francisca’s father demanded it because he is very worried. They have threatened to kill him several times after the bomb exploded on the plane,” Ricardo told him. “The three of us will do it and we will keep it a secret,” he added.

Alexandre saw the planes and observed some parachutes. He already felt a sense of vertigo just thinking about it.

“Today we will do the practice and at the end you will jump in tandem, each one tied to one of us,” said the main instructor. “You will learn to pack your own parachutes. If you pack it well, you live; if you don’t, you die,” he added in a military tone.

They signed a letter releasing him from all responsibility if they died.

In the morning, they learned to pack the parachute. The last thing they practiced was landing and driving it. The instructor explained that they called the parachute “wing” because it acted like a wing, that is, at the same time as it fell it advanced and the parachutist could guide it to the landing point.

After noon they boarded a twin-engine plane. When they reached ten thousand feet in height, Arturo came out first tied to his instructor, followed by Ricardo and a few seconds later Alexandre.

In the air they fell at two hundred kilometers per hour. They felt how the wind supported them. Alexandre watched as the Dubai Sea slowly approached. After 50 seconds of free fall, his instructor opened the parachute. Further down he saw Arturo and Ricardo’s parachutes open, almost reaching the landing strip and shortly afterward he and his instructor landed.

“Here you have the manual and a video of everything we learned for you to study. Plus, you’ll take a parachute so you can practice packing. In a month you will jump alone and you will have to open the parachutes yourselves. Any questions?

There were no questions. They had dinner and toasted their luck in being alive.

“Life is valued more in contrast to death,” said the chief instructor, a man of few words who was still on active military service.

They took the helicopter and returned to the hotel. Already in their room on the 57^th floor they continued sharing their experiences of the parachute jump and how they felt about opening the parachute themselves in a month.

“I don’t know if I can jump alone, but I’ll try,” said Arturo.

“I say the same thing,” said Ricardo.

“But isn’t Francisca’s father demanding it to continue helping us?” Alexandre asked.

“That’s right,” said Ricardo, crestfallen.

In the afternoon Alexandre turned on the recorder and they continued to advance with the philosophical topics. When it was after eight at night they finished. Arturo and Ricardo got up and brought their suitcases.

“You can stay as long as you want,” said Ricardo.

“Won’t you stay?” Alexandre asked.

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“No, we’re going to Oslo. Mr. Walker sent us his new plane. Yellow will stay here and take you to the airport tomorrow,” Ricardo said and they said goodbye.

Alexandre stayed in the room remembering the parachute jump, could he jump into the void alone? Could he open his parachute by himself falling at two hundred kilometers per hour? In the worst-case scenario, he would kill himself. I would rather break down on the ground fighting for my ideals, he thought, than die of old age or boredom.

He sat on the living room couch and turned on the television to watch the news. The stock market continued to rise. Bitcoin was skyrocketing. The price of gold remained sideways. Tensions in the Middle East had risen after the president of the United States MacDoe recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. North Korea appeared to have calmed down, but was preparing to launch a new ballistic missile.

The teams qualified for the World Cup, in addition to Russia and Brazil, were Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Germany, England, Colombia, Uruguay, Japan and France.

The president of Russia was running for re-election and had asked Arturo to do publicity for the World Cup.

Alexandre realized that he had fallen asleep watching television when he woke up. In front of him was Francisca.

“You? Here? I thought you were gone,” she said, standing on her high heels and looking at him for a long moment in silence, intrigued. What a shame! In London I behaved like a fool! she recalled. In her eyes there was a mixture of pride, sweetness and helplessness, of sadness and joy, as if she wanted to tell him something that she couldn’t.

He looked at her curves, her silhouette, her hair. She’s so beautiful! he thought, feeling his body become electrified. She was like an unread poem, an unpublished symphony. He was so attracted to her, but it wasn’t just her physical beauty, but a deep mystery, a treasure buried in her soul that he knew he couldn’t reach.

“Arturo and Ricardo left an hour ago. I’m leaving tomorrow morning. How is your father?” he asked.

“It’s a cat with seven lives. He is already walking and will soon stop using crutches. Thanks for asking.”

“Is this hotel yours too?” he asked.

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“Our chain does not have any in the Emirates. But my father reserves this apartment all year round.”

“Did you arrive by helicopter?” Alexandre asked.

“Yes,” she said, kicking off her heels and heading to the bar in her short dress. “Do you want whisky?” she asked.

“Without ice,” he answered.

“I like it without ice just like you do,” she said, prepared two glasses, approached to hand him one and said, “Were you very afraid?”

“Are you referring to the parachute jump?” he asked. She looked at him in surprise and thought, Obviously yes, little bird!

“I told my father that all of you should learn to use a parachute. He is an experienced skydiver. He always carries his on the plane. After the bomb they threatened to kill him several times, you know? We should all use parachutes when we fly,” said Francisca.

“Have you jumped?” he asked.

“More than a thousand times,” she responded, looking away as if it were already a boring routine. “I’m not as excited about it as I was at the beginning, but now it’s necessary. Our enemies are very powerful,” she added.

They talked about Dubai and the football cup. Francisca was sitting on a couch with her bare feet in front of him; Alexandre, on the same type of couch in front of her. After the third whiskey she sat on Alexandre’s couch and they stood together looking at the sea.

“I was missing the view of the sea for the pleasure of looking at you,” she said flirtatiously.

How irresistible this woman is! he thought holding back. Her legs were slightly bent and the soles of her feet were resting on the edge of the coffee table. Her short skirt showed her beautiful thighs. During the conversation she, slowly and carelessly, gradually slid her skirt until they were almost completely exposed. Alexandre’s hands wanted to move. Suddenly, she turned her body and rested her head on the armrest of the sofa, stretching out her feet and resting her calves on Alexandre’s thighs.

“Do not care?” she asked, lowering her skirt to cover her thighs.

“No,” he said motionlessly. How shameless you are! I love you! he thought.

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“How I would like you to give me a massage. I walked a lot today, you know?” she said.

Her feet were beautiful and sophisticatedly cared for. He put his hands on her insteps and began to caress them with the tips of his fingers. Her skin was soft and warm. He started at her soles and moved up her calves. He took one of her insteps and kissed it, I want to undress you! he thought.

“Wait,” she said, got up and left. Three minutes later she returned barefoot and naked, wrapped in a white silk robe.

“We need to shower. Come!” she told him, took his hand and lead him to the spacious and luxurious bathroom of the suite. She hung up the robe and stepped into the large shower surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass. He was paralyzed.

“Come on Alexandre! Take a shower with me!”

He looked at her statuesque figure and when he went to take her arm to kiss her, he stopped. Victoria, join the party! he thought.

“You are unique and beautiful Francisca. I love you with all my might, but I can’t. I’ll wait for you in the living room,” he said and left the bathroom until he reached the sofa.

“What’s happening? I’m not going to interfere in your marriage,” she told him when she returned to the couch in her robe and a towel on her head. “Victoria is beautiful and smart like me. I don’t want to hurt her, but what harm would we do if she never finds out about us? We can be lovers. Will you fall, little bird, will you fall? she thought and said, “You just have to keep the secret. She would never find out. Don’t you hide things from her because you love her? Wouldn’t it be another way to prove your love for her?”

“Francisca, I want to sleep with you, but I made a pact with her.”

“What pact?”

“That we will never lie to each other. She is willing to accept that I sleep with another woman, but on the condition that I notify her beforehand. She said she would leave me or join the party.”

“A trio? Look what a woman! I would also like to share you with her. The truth is that I admire her more now. She is so attractive.”

“I’ll talk to her when the time is right.”

“Perhaps that moment will never come, Alexandre.”

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“It is my final decision.”

“We’ll see, but you’re wrong if you think I’ll talk. I know how to be a grave. I won’t say a word and she’ll never know. Think about it, she will never know. I’ll wait for you naked in bed,” she told him, kissed him on the mouth, dropped the robe and left.

“Francisca, you are fascinating and I want you, but my decision is final, don’t wait for me, and sleep well,” she told her without getting up from the couch, watching as she walked away completely naked from him.

Francisca got into bed. She was disturbed. How much she loved Alexandre! What an example of integrity he had given her! She felt embarrassed, happy and satisfied at the same time and seemed to see a small light at the end of the tunnel. At that moment wanted to be in the arms of the man she had known, but was afraid of falling in love with him. Her hope was beginning to be stronger than her fear. She took her cell phone and sent him a message. “MAYBE I’LL START LOVING YOU.”

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