Infinity in the Palm of Her Hand: A Novel of Adam and Eve by Belli Gioconda

Author:Belli, Gioconda [Belli, Gioconda]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Itzy, Kickass.to
ISBN: 9780061971358
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2009-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

THE WALK BACK TO THE CAVE WAS SLOW, SPIRITLESS. It was true that for a long time the Garden had been inaccessible to them. But they had known where it was. They could see it, even if from afar. That knowing was a strange consolation. It marked a point of departure, their origin. As the Garden disappeared, they were left to the mercy of remembered images, memories that over time they would confuse with dreams. Adam walked ahead. Eve hung back, sunk in her meditations. Once more she recalled the Serpent’s words: “He grows bored. He creates planets, constellations, and then forgets them.”

She had just been thinking of that when she heard the hissing voice calling her. She looked toward where a faint cloud of dust was rising. The Serpent was hurriedly dragging herself along to catch up.

“He didn’t take you with him? Did he abandon you, too?” Eve asked.

“He wants to be alone. I think he’s sad. But he is the one responsible for that. He creates his own mirages. Look how he made you in his own image and likeness but did not dare give you more freedom than that of knowing your limits. Although I must say that—except for me—there are very few I have seen him share so much power with. The Earth belongs to you and Adam now. You can re-create it, define Good and Evil as you please.”

“As we please?”

“He won’t be around. He will not live day by day the way you live; he will not be able to whisper into your ears all the time.”

Eve was pensive.

“We will have to learn to recognize Good and Evil. We ate of the fruit of the Tree.”

“Aha.”

“Eating animals, killing them, is that good or evil?”

“That Adam is hungry, is that good or evil?” the Serpent asked with irony.

“He could eat other things.”

“He believes that it isn’t good to eat nothing but fruits and nuts. It doesn’t satisfy his hunger.”

“Other animals kill, too. The cat and the dog.”

“And they know nothing. Good and Evil are extremes. There are many stages between them.”

“You’re confusing me.”

“It’s a confusing matter. It’s the search that you wanted to undertake.”

“To me, killing to eat is not good.”

“Don’t do it. Convince Adam.”

“I’ve tried, but he insists.”

“Insist more.”

“It would be pointless. Hunger is anguishing, and punctual, like the sun and the moon.”

“Stop, then. Don’t judge him.”

“But it will have consequences.”

“You decided to eat from the Tree. That, too, had consequences. Now go. You’ve lagged behind. Adam is looking for you. He worries when he doesn’t see you.”

Back in the cave, Eve curled up into a heavy sleep that stayed with her for many days. In her world without a past, and almost without memories, her dreams were repeated without ever being the same. Elokim, the Serpent, the Phoenix, the rabbits, oranges, berries, the sea, death; eating and being naked, one inside the other. Adam did not want her sad drowsiness to stick to his skin. He left her dreaming and busied himself. He went to the bank of the river to look for the fine plants with thin, flexible stems.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.