Mereja Forum

[Naga Tuma]

By a mere chance, I met Thomas Jefferson in the pages of history and in the pages of Renaissance.

Below is a rough satire of my conversation with him and the letter that he gave me to deliver.

Any misrepresentation of his ideas in our conversation, in the pages of history and Renaissance, and the letter that he gave me to deliver would be my fault.

Naga Tuma (NT:) Greetings Sir, I mean Sire, I mean Seior, I mean Senior, I mean Sina, …

He heard me stutter. I didn’t want to get the word wrong in the presence of the student of Renaissance.

He appeared busy studying some art. It seemed that he was still in pursuit of happiness studying and drawing art.

He turned toward me, took a quick glance, and asked me:

Thomas Jefferson (TJ:) What brings you to me?

Feeling the opportunity to converse with him, I replied.

NT: I found your letter in a Humanities course textbook by a mere chance, Sir, I mean Sire, I mean Seior, I mean Senior, I mean …

He interrupted me as I struggled to come up with the correct word to address him.

TJ: You can call me Sir.

NT: Okay, Sir.

I continued.

You set sail in the pages of history and Renaissance from the British Isle and landed on the western side of the Mediterranean Sea. I have been wondering if I could be the African man you looked for in earnest.

He interrupted me again.

TJ: I failed to find you.

NT: Was it my fault that you failed to reach the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea?

He turned toward me, raised his eyebrows and responded.

TJ: No.

NT: Akhenaten was the senior of Athena by about 500 years. He lived on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea. Seafarers from the land of the Goddess went eastward, learned new ideas, went back, and started the debate that you studied more than two millennia later and planted in the American Republic. You did a deja vu of sailing eastward and planting new ideas westward.

I learned about this history also by a mere chance from a study funded by the American Republic.

He appeared caught off guard.

TJ: I belabored to put it on checks and balances.

NT: Your genius about it worked. It stood resilient when it was stressed a few years ago after its President who lost votes by a substantially large margin resisted a peaceful transfer of power akin to the British Monarchy.

TJ: How dare they wanted to go back to that Goddamned medieval anarchy. Did they forget that our first President, George Washington, resigned in honor of the Republic? Did they forget that I would prefer a free press if I had to choose between a government and a free press?

NT: Gofta doesn’t damn.

TJ: Did you just correct me? He asked with a slight smile on his face.

NT: Gofta is one who is righteous, generous, and merciful.

TJ: Do they still have that primordial consumer society in Britain that used to say taxation without representation? Do they want the Second War of Independence?

NT: They have had a leader who said: “The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.”

TJ: He must have read me.

NT: Your Republic now has a Polity that defends your genius of checks and balances. Republic General Elizabeth Cheney is one among many in its Polity who have been defending and continue to defend your genius of checks and balances.

TJ: Where have the men gone?

He asked, looking a little surprised.

NT: Women are now voters and Generals in the Republic.

He was quiet for a little while as I observed him.

TJ: You have brought me a delightful news that its Polity saved the Republic with my checks and balances. I had trembled that it would be undone.

NT: Your genius of checks and balances stands tall indefinitely.

As he absorbed that, I asked him one more question.

NT: I am sure you remember Galileo Galilei.

TJ: How dare you ask me that question? He was the Junior Scientist from Pisa, from Florence, from Rome, whose genius was wronged by The Vatican. I have studied and marveled the Senior Scientist Archimedes of the land of the Goddess after Renaissance rediscovered his discovery. I marveled the buoyed ships that brought Christopher Columbus of Rome and the pilgrims to the new world. I marveled the buoyed ships that brought the Africans to the new world. … I mean those who survived the mighty Atlantic Ocean.

I looked down at my feet if they were intact for me to run away from his instant fury. Then, I looked at him in the eyes and continued the conversation.

NT: Sir, I have also studied about the discovery of the Senior Scientist and marveled the buoyed ships that arrived on the shores of the continents of the Native Americans. However, did you know Galileo descended from Galilee, that Arakamani was a contemporary of Archimedes, and that both are of the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea? Galilaeus means of Galilee.

TJ: Senior, that makes three strikes against me.

NT: Did you just call me Senior?

TJ: You have made me aware that Akhenaten was the senior of Athena.

NT: You can call me Sirna. It describes your checks and balances.

TJ: Please deliver the following letter on my behalf to the Republic, its Polity, its British crudes, and their clowns.

To the Republic: I tremble no longer that you would be undone. Forward.

To its Polity: Thank you for saving the Republic and my brainchild of checks and balances.

To its British crudes and their clowns:

You have learned about enlightenment. You have learned about Renaissance. The Second Renaissance is upon you. You shall have an evolutionary journey through it in order to grow into a Polity in the American Republic. Resistance to the First Renaissance was futile. Resistance to the Second Renaissance would be also futile.

NT: In earnest, Sir.

TJ: Thank you, Sirna.