Haven't been posting much lately because I'm working intensely on completing a novel set in Prague, both a political thriller and a love story between two young gay teens, one a Romany boy (of privileged circumstances) and a Vietnamese boy. The two boys have a close friend, an Arabian boy named Fouad, who disappears in Prague under mysterious circumstances It is their suspicion that Fouad has been "disappeared" (passive voice intentional) because of his connections with certain Muslim groups associated with the Cerny Most Mosque in Prague. The two gay teens go in search of their friend in Slovakia and Poland and make a startling discovery, but this costs the life of the Romany boy, Alexy, and leads to the abduction (rendition) of the Vietnamese boy as well. A former Jesuit, now turned police inspector (based on a real individual) and a Catholic nun from the Little Sisters of Jesus (who work with the Romany) together with an elderly couple who discover the Romany boy's body in a park, join together to solve the case and rescue the Vietnamese boy from certain torture and death. The book, which has both Christian and Buddhist subtexts, is partly directed towards a young gay teen readership (The Romany boy is modeled on one of my former students, the Vietnamese boy is modeled on another youth who disappeared in Prague some years ago.).
; Photo of lead actor from Czech film, Marion, about the harsh conditions meted out to Romany children in reform schools in CZ. Much younger than my own character.
k(This poignant Poem was written by Simon Deacon, who is currently serving a sentence at Her Majesty's Prison, Leicester....he would like it dedicated to Charlene. )
A Gypsy Boy
A Gypsy boy came home one day,
To find his true love had gone away,
When he asked the reason why...
This is what she did reply...
"Because you chose a life of crime...
Gypsy boy ..do your time..
If you had chosen an honest life
I would have gladly been your wife. "
In Jail they found him dead,
and in his cell ..a note that read...
"Dig my grave and dig it deep,
Place red roses at my feet
Upon my chest a turtle Dove..
to show the world I died for love."
So all you Gypsy girls bear in mind,
A good Gypsy boy may be hard to find,
So, when you find one
Love him true,
Because this Gypsy boy
Would die for you.
Taken from Pesha's Gypsy Blog
2 comments:
Jayden, thank you for this moving and informative piece. It helps me fill in gaps in my own knowledge of the situation of the Romany in the Czech Republic.
I've actually encountered a Romany family on a trip to the Czech Republic, in a small village in former Bohemia. They were begging and obviously in need. I am happy to have resources to learn more.
Thanks, Bill. they are in a sad state at the moment in the Czech Republic with a resurgence of ethnic hostility and prejudice towards them. I've had a number of moving encounters with some of them over the years.
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