Zora's Mistake - Galos, Z J

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Résumé :
Belina and Zora arrived back in Austria having lived more than forty years in South Africa, where a series of shocks rocked the normality of their lives: An armed robbery at their home, the killing of a friend's brother, car-jackings of friends and the rape of a client's pregnant daughter. On top, the sudden change of permanent residency, from one continent to another, wore heavily on body and soul. But however cumbersome the reintegration process into a different society had become, the city of Vienna had acknowledged striving for democratic coexistence with all its people. The initially different lifestyle might be tough, as one is thrown to the heap of jobless and receivers of social help, but then one is not left out in the bitter cold and one feels to be placed with one's feet upon familiar ground. Months of searching for an affordable flat is turning out to be a nightmare, as even accommodation in remote spots and in poor condition demands unreasonably high deposits. During that time they met Tommy, the gregarious owner of an Art Shop, who exhibits his father's paintings from the Holocaust experience. In discussions with him, Belina and Zora recall also the death of both their grandfathers, due to deadly blows by Nazi fanatics. After three months of flat searching, a friendly associate tells Zora to look outside Vienna and he finds an offer in the paper. Belina sells part of her jewelry needed for the deposit. With the public transport system, they reach Weidling, where an agent drives them to a building opening to a courtyard. The Bedsitter is small but has a separate kitchenette and a pleasant bathroom. The furnished flat has been renovated with modern materials and decorated with light coloured finishes. Zora signs the rental agreement. Belina and Zora, two individuals with strong personalities, had ongoing domestic fights since Belina gave up her chronic medication prescribed in South Africa. She cannot find her place and besides her irregular sleeping habits suffers from a nervous condition. She worries constantly about the remainder of her wardrobe she had to leave back in Athens, a generous large flat they had rented for three years when Zora had worked for three solo exhibitions for his paintings, shown in well-established galleries. But, due to economic circumstances, they have to leave their flat at short notice and return to Vienna. During his daily walks along the scenic Weidlingbach, Zora meets Albert, his virtual collocutor...

Biographie:
Born in Eastern Austria, close to the Hungarian border, he witnessed as a young man the horrors of a nation's suppression, erupting in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. He finished his education in art and architecture in Vienna, married and sailed for the Cape of Africa, an adventure that followed his childhood dreams. He had drawn African animals for his art classes, but the time had come to see them in their natural habitat. Meeting a varied facet of people and cultures, working as a draughtsman in an engineering office, as an architect for a cultural centre, as a coordinator of craftsmen and professionals, he made good use of his language skills traveling throughout Southern Africa. During a trip to Lesotho, a native artist showed him rock paintings with their stark palimpsest outlines and with typified movements of animals and humans. It made a lasting impression on him and influenced his artistic work. His vast collection of drawings and slides had been lost during a change of domiciles, but further about the art of the San-people reawakened his dormant artistic longing for expression of his art, filling sketchbooks with drawings and notepads with poetry and prose. While revisiting the capitals of Europe, he sensed the bond of art being borderless and free, reaching out across continents into the world. During a visit to Greece, he was accepted into a circle of artists and poets, who encouraged him to continue his art and a friend introduced him to the works of famous Greek poets. In South Africa, he joined writing and poetry workshops of 'Writers Write'. It was to open the floodgates of his creativity. He decided to travel through Greece and visit its sites of antiquity, read up on Classical mythology and to enjoy translations of Greek poetry and prose. Settled in 2013/14 in Klosterneuburg-Weidling, a historic and romantic village, part of the culturally important city of Klosterneuburg, where he now lives and prepares his poetry and novels for publication. In painting his poetry, he has established his series of paintings and drawings, he calls 'Mystical Realism'. Poet Nikolaus Lenau is buried here, and Franz Kafka had visited. Their writings will always be an inspiration.