Snippets
BOOK 3/1, shaping
I selected one snippet for each chapter from book 3/1, shaping, and need to add a fair warning: What you can glimpse in these snippets is just a fraction of what you can find in this story.
snippet 1
1 September
Mudiwa smiled and, looking into the camera again, she said: ‘With us now are two members of the Health and Care Team: Skye, head of the sub-team Care, and Tilly, head of the sub-team Sports and Martial Arts.’
A dark-blond woman with a hands-on air, and a blue-haired woman, muscly, tattooed and with a challenging smile stepped in front of the camera. Both were in their early forties.
‘Thank you for joining us,’ Mudiwa said.
‘Happy to,’ the blue-haired Tilly responded.
Mudiwa smiled. ‘Tilly, I heard that you and Skye are old friends.’
Skye and Tilly exchanged a smile, and Tilly said: ‘Yes. Skye nursed me back to health after an accident I had on a film set, and we became friends. There was just one catch, Skye lived in California, and I’m from Puerto Rico and usually travelled around the world. So we didn’t see much of each other — until this project came along.’
‘How did you two hear about the project?’ Mudiwa asked.
Skye replied. ‘Tom Holbon heard about me from a former patient. So out of the blue, Tom Holbon himself calls me and tells me about this idea and would I come to the initial meeting, like the next day, a Friday? I couldn’t make it. But the following Monday, I arrived and signed up.’
Tilly smiled. ‘By then, Skye had called me. I was in Romania on a big budget movie, training actors in the martial arts. For once it wasn’t fun. You get that. Some film teams are great, others— you witness every day that nothing fits, and people revert to just getting a job done. So Skye’s call was like an answer to my prayers. I packed my things and left. I didn’t know what to expect at Tom’s, but within days I was hooked. Don’t ask me why or what exactly got me because I don’t know. I think it’s this combination of fighting and creating, or rather of fighting by creating alternatives that make sense, and that without any indoctrination or enemy chanting.’
‘I know what you mean,’ Mudiwa said. ‘Are you two up for two questions about the project?’
‘Sure,’ Tilly and Skye said.
‘Thanks. You both head a team within the Health and Care Team. How many sub-teams does the Health and Care Team have?’
‘Oh,’ Skye said. ‘Let me see. There is the Neurology Team, obviously, since neurology is our town’s focus.’
Tilly nodded. ‘All other teams support the Neurology Team, but we also have our additional fields. Like, I work closely with Kim, head of the landscape architects. We develop the Challenge Garden together, and so far, we don’t know whether any of our neurological patients will be up for a challenge or for a stick fight. But that’s the beauty of our town. We will find out.’
Skye nodded. ‘My Care Team works closely with all teams whose patients are also likely to stay in a clinic for a time, like the Psychology Team, the new Dementia Team, the new Cardiology Team and the new Sanctuaries Team.’
Tilly nodded. ‘And then there are what we call the recovery and prevention teams. That would be the Brains Team, Therapies Team, my team, the Sports and Martial Arts Team, the new Mindfulness Team, the Wellness Team and the new Nutrition Team.’
‘We forgot someone, didn’t we?’ Skye asked. ‘Oh, yes. Our new Interdisciplinary Team. I’m very excited about that. And our Alternative Medicine Team. They can get a bit tense, but their input and their holistic approach is an eye-opener.’
‘True,’ Tilly said. ‘Kim and I work with them for the gardens, too, not just for the Challenge Garden, but for the other sports and yoga gardens. For example, the alternative medicine people create these amazing flower and herbs clusters. No idea whether those plant clusters will have an effect on us athletes, yogis and the rest of us, but I’m really curious about it.’
‘Oh,’ Skye uttered. ‘We nearly forgot our favourite team, the Healthcare Management Team.’
‘Oh, yeah! They are always good for a proper clash. But we’re doing fine. And I think, that’s it.’
Mudiwa smiled. ‘That’s a lot. How do you all work together?’
Tilly grinned. ‘One day at a time plus the occasional conflict management.’
Skye nodded. ‘There is a lot of pressure on our team because our town is about healing, and all other teams partly rely on us to do a good job. But by now, we take our clashes as opportunities to dig deeper, to find the roots of our problems and to find ways to do the best we can for our patients and for our town.’
Mudiwa smiled. ‘I’m impressed.’
‘Mission accomplished,’ Tilly said and bumped fists with Skye, adding: ‘What’s your other question?’
Mudiwa chuckled. ‘One of our viewers asks “Why is health such a central subject in your town? Isn’t health something everyone takes care of themselves?”’
Skye smiled. ‘That’s a good one.’
‘I had the same question when I arrived,’ Tilly remarked, ‘but I keep discovering how essential every part of the town is for our health. Sometimes it’s a security thing, like avoiding kerbs and everything that is difficult for a wheelchair user. Sometimes it’s the difference between a grey facade and a mural. Sometimes it’s about nurturing biodiversity and with that nurturing us. Sometimes it’s the difference between a filthy sports venue and a sports garden. Sometimes it’s about all the things we seem to have forgotten about, like clean air and water, healthy foods, people who are not frustrated, people to connect and talk to, and places where that can happen, jobs that leave us enough time to connect, unproblematic noise levels, an administration that doesn’t stress us. Skye, I don’t want to do all the talking.’
Skye chuckled. ‘Sometimes it’s the difference between a soulless street and an inviting community. Other times it’s about our clinics and how they will be integrated into the town so that the patients can benefit from the towners and vice versa. And there will be architecture that makes us look twice, gardens that make our eyes open wide and our minds relax, arts and education which offer new impulses whenever we’re up for it. And there will be ninjas of all sizes, chasing Tilly through the town.’
Tilly chuckled. ‘Yep! To conclude: Yes, it is the task of any decent town to provide the best possible environment for humans. And such an environment will make it easy for the individual to look after their health.’
‘There is one catch,’ Skye said.
‘I wanted to say that!’
‘I know. You get to explain it.’
Tilly rolled her eyes. ‘There’s one catch. We don’t know whether our ideas will work. That’s why our town is an experiment. We start with a set of ideas and then we test and adjust. And with a bit of luck, we will discover what we humans actually need. And with a bit of more luck, we will figure out how to make our town work.’
‘Wow,’ Mudiwa said. ‘I can only say: Thank you so much for the insights.’
‘No probs. It was fun,’ Tilly said.
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 3/1, shaping
snippet 2
15 September
Seth held out a little longer, making the valid point that ‘with every expansion of our existing networks, and with every additional business, we can keep testing and adjusting our business models. And with that we can avoid making mistakes, later in town.’
Making mistakes.
These days, Tom frequently found himself in a state of contradiction. On the one hand, his belief in the necessity of growth, competition and profits was still pretty much intact. But all their business models went in a different direction. Growth was replaced with balance. Competition with collaboration. Productivity with trust in the abilities and dedication of a person who loves their work and is sufficiently challenged. And profits— There were still profits, but their classical destination: the shareholder, was replaced with creating ripple effects. All Hub Stations, for example, used part of their profits to add offers for whatever their local and regional communities needed: spaces for arts, health services, schools, local businesses.
Tom massaged his hand. And with regard to business practices, the town project questioned literally everything. ‘What does freedom of doing business mean?’ Megan, head of Agriculture, asked in a meeting last week. ‘The freedom to exploit? To poison the land by extracting minerals? To increase the need for energy? To destabilise the climate by burning fossil fuels? To sell rubbish? To lure people into brand dependencies? To sell unhealthy foods?’
And admittedly, Tom was curious, also in both directions: prove and disprove that the project’s ideas can and can’t work.
Tom shook his head. He still believed that the approaches he had practised for decades were superior despite witnessing the benefits of the new business models.
Alice told him just days ago that he still wanted to sort and solve instead of nurturing humans and unearthing their potentials, that he still wanted tell people how to do things instead of being curious about the many different ways things could be done, that he still wanted to put humans into some efficiency straightjacket instead of giving them the space to unfold and be at their best. Which was true and wasn’t.
Tom grimaced. But the project’s businesses were still young and would run into trouble soon enough. And then he would get his proof. Or a proof.
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 3/1, shaping
snippet 3
3 October
Alice smiled and quietly slipped out of the room. This was an excellent start. Next door, Alice tiptoed into the Society and Town Planning meeting. Jonathan, a member of the Society Team, was speaking. ‘—create spaces in town which inspire people to connect with strangers. Towns were never built to bring people together. They were built to satisfy the needs of a landowner or a factory owner.’
Audrey, one of the town planners, nodded, seeming a little on edge. ‘We hope that the focus of our town, the neurological patient, will create something like an initial bond, something that will make people curious about each other.’
Raha raised a hand, and Rose, sitting next to her, smiled.
‘Raha,’ Audrey said, again with an impatient edge in her voice.
Raha ignored it and with a playful smile, she said: ‘When I was a child, I used to dress up as a street boy and run away from our palace to the big market in our capital Sitseaf. Sometimes I would watch the tradespeople and buyers for hours, listen to their conversations and watch them haggle. What I remember most was that everyone seemed to know everyone. And everyone seemed to know who was trustworthy and who was a liar. And both of these things created bonds: to have a place where people meet on a daily basis and share their lives, and where they get to know each other well enough to protect each other from the liars — which were mostly members of my family. And I think, the town could have such markets, too. Or to give it another twist: people connect where and when they can trade with each other and where they can protect each other, not just through a main field of research. We could—’
Again Alice smiled and slipped out. Next was the Care and Admin meeting. Here the atmosphere seemed a little heavy, too. Skye, head of the Care Team, was speaking to Tegan, a member of the Admin Team. Skye’s voice betrayed some annoyance. ‘Tegan, you’re right. A good administration can make things easier in hospitals. But the trouble is that it is bureaucracy which makes our work as nurses and the healing process of patients difficult. And listening to you, it sounds like all you see is how to optimise the paperwork, but you still don’t ask what the patient, what we nurses, what the doctors need to do a good job. And you assume that everyone is happy to work with computers. We are not. And I don’t see why everyone suddenly has to be a tech buff, to quote Alice. Hi, Alice!’
Alice smiled and nodded.
‘Alright,’ Tegan returned, ‘I want to answer: But that’s what the Admin Team does: we find ways to make all processes as simple as possible. That’s our task. But maybe we have gaps in our understanding of each other’s work.’
Luis stood up from a yoga mat. ‘I’m Luis, with the Rio Team. It’s because of my own experiences as a patient and as the friend of a patient, that I, too, want to stress Skye’s point. And I ask: Is it possible to approach the admin tasks in a hospital from the perspectives and needs of the patient?’
‘Hi, I’m Thornton, with the New York Team. I’m a transport expert, working with the Admin Team. I, too, speak as a patient. I was in hospital with cancer and I often wondered: What good is it when nurses spend hours to fulfil their tasks on the computer when they are needed by the patient’s side? I remember several nurses who would be glued to the screen while in the patient’s room, cursing how they hated the application, and too preoccupied and annoyed to take a moment for the patient. I don’t blame them. They are asked to do things that have nothing to do with care. But we need caring people, not computer experts in hospitals. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people decide against becoming a nurse because of the tech skill requirements and the lack of time to actually nurse. Just think how many able people we might already have lost.’
Sean, a member of the Care Team, stood up. ‘I am a nurse and fully agree. It’s frustrating for us nurses that we have no time for the patients while being told that all the computers and electronic devises are meant to make things easier for us. I was thinking the other day, maybe we could establish some kind of division of labour so that a nurse doesn’t have to use computers, but passes the information on as a voice note to computer people, people who establish a link between admin and care.’
Tegan nodded. ‘We work on a Hub app where all patient data is stored, and the patient decides what to make available to whom. Maybe your idea could be integrated in—
A little thoughtful, Alice left.
Her next stop was conference room 2 where the Arts and Health meeting was well underway, and a smile appeared on her face. The atmosphere here was jovial, and the group of forty-eight was so immersed in their talks that no one noticed her.
Scarlet, a member of the Arts Team, was talking. ‘As Shashank, my colleague from India, pointed out: the arts can be the fresh breeze, blowing through the hospitals, the uplifting smile, energising the patients, and the encouragement for the patients to enjoy the beauty and miracle of life.’
Adriana, head of the neurologists, chuckled: ‘And they can be the poets for the weary doctors.’
Shashank spread his arms. ‘Yes, we will be the poets who carry you to green meadows, and conjure up views of blue oceans. Amidst the grasses and flowers, the bees and butterflies, you can rest and regain the strength you need to take care of your patients.’
Several people chuckled.
Jack stood up from his cross-legged seat and went to the standing desk at the front of the stage.
As he looked at the audience, he noticed Alice, and for a moment he seemed to freeze, then he gave Alice a nod, and addressed the group.
Alice felt a mix of sensations, none of which she wanted to explore, and she focused on what Jack was saying. ‘We are still a little short on what Health can do for us artists.’
‘Pay us well,’ Troy, the team’s cartoonists, chipped in.
‘Recognise the relevance of our work,’ Phil, another member of the Arts Team, called from the back.
Jack nodded. ‘And we will keep repeating those points until we are certain that they have been included. But can we dig deeper? Is there something we haven’t seen, yet?’
Adriana, head of the neurologists, stood up from a ball. ‘Every artist needs stimulation. The neurologists in particular can support artists in learning how to read, use, train, recharge, extend, rest and nurture their brains.’
There were many smiles and some applause.
‘I also guess,’ Adriana continued, ‘that we could cooperate in exploring the brain from an artistic point of view.’
Scarlet, who was leaning into a hammock, nodded. ‘We could populate the brain with characters, give the different parts of the brain stories, and create stories which explore the brain in all sorts of dimensions.’
Adriana smiled. ‘I’m in. It might be interesting to do this as part of our research and also with our patients, potentially as part of their healing processes.’
Applause.
Adriana continued. ‘Another potential collaboration occurred to me. We scientists often struggle with making our work accessible. Artists could help us to create doors into our research. I see sculptures, paintings, illustrative stories.’
Troy punched the air. ‘Yes, we could do a brain comic. No, several. Some comic stories would illustrate what we know about the brain, some would be like a companion for brain patients, and another for their carers, a light guide that helps them through this time and gives them something to smile about, and other comics would be brain fun. Wasn’t it Jason who described the brain as this fascinating slimy or squishy stuff in our heads?’
Many chuckled.
‘We can use that!’ Troy continued. ‘And we could add a connection for the town’s children. In two directions: create a guide of how to nurture the brain and invent brain story fun. Who needs fart stories when we can go all slimy?’
Many laughed.
Adriana nodded and Jack said: ‘Levi, the head of Arts & Crafts, is an author, and he reminded me the other day that stories can be used to shape our thoughts, to explore who we are and who we want to be. There is a direct connection between creating stories and the development of our brains, even to the extent that we can use stories to expand our understanding.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 3/1, shaping
snippet 4
15 October
‘Oh, we are good citizens, well adapted.’ Alice returned. ‘We are sexists, homophobes and racists, just like the generations before us; we exploit, enslave and rip off our fellow humans, just like the generations before us; we cover our planet in plastics and poisons, just like the generations before us; we pump burned fossil fuels into the air and oil spills into the oceans, just like the generations before us; in short: we ruin the planet just like the generations before us. And we excuse everyone’s actions and stupidity, past and present, by telling ourselves that humans can’t help themselves being utter nutters. It’s in our DNA — and in our holy books.’
The well-connected philanthropist from Portugal smiled a little. ‘You have a point,’ she said. ‘But don’t you wonder whether the world is ready to be reshaped?’
‘You mean we are more ready to keep damaging ourselves?’
The philanthropist didn’t comment.
Alice shrugged. ‘I think we either do it, keep an open mind, keep testing, keep asking questions, or we don’t. Reshaping isn’t something you get to do a warm-up for.’
‘Maybe you’re right. But I think it’s better to focus on single issues instead of everything at once.’
‘Yes and no. We need people who focus on single issues, and we have quite a few of those, but we also need projects like ours which look at as much of the whole picture as possible. The single issues are not disconnected entities, they are part of the whole, and we need to deal with all of it.’
The philanthropist frowned. ‘But whose side are you on?’
‘I am on the side of humanity. And humanity better get a grip because it can’t afford sides.’
‘You might find the world a bit too large and disinterested for your aspirations.’
‘I’m too stubborn to let that affect me — much. I have a question for you. You engage in a long list of charitable activities. Doesn’t it bug you that most of your efforts wouldn’t be necessary if we as humanity found better ways to live together? Doesn’t it annoy you that your work is only necessary because governments and businesses mess up?’
‘No,’ the philanthropist replied. ‘We all have our part to play. Mine is to bring relief to the people.’
‘Relief they wouldn’t need if we gave business practices a full rethink.’
‘That’s none of my concern. That’s a task for policy makers.’
‘Who frequently fail.’
‘It’s not for me to judge them, nor for you. We can only do our bit. That’s what I keep telling you.’
‘I believe that humans can do a lot better than that.’
After a few more similar exchanges, they ended the call.
The next caller was a writer from Lebanon who said: ‘True power — if you think about God — true power is in creation, not in destruction, repression or tyranny. A true and powerful leader will create not destroy.’
‘Could I have this in writing and use it for our project?’ Alice asked, smiling.
The scientist from Uganda cursed the world’s oligarchs, billionaires, nepotists and fraudsters until Alice interrupted him.
‘—Have you ever wondered whether these people might simply lack vision?’
‘What?’
‘No matter who we are, we all need visions.’
‘What are you saying?’
‘Cursing these people doesn’t seem to achieve anything. So, why not create visions for the rich? Visions which allow them to heal and become part of the solutions? Visions which show them an alternative world, and how they can find a satisfying place in it.’
‘How?’
‘I’d start with compassion. Whether we like it or not, the rich are our fellow humans, too. Next, I would first question and then rewrite the narratives which misguided, damaged and hollowed these people out.’
‘Hm.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 3/1, shaping
snippet 5
31 October
Jack blinked his eyes a few times, and, unexpectedly, he chuckled, looking at his gown, tucking at his long gloves.
Lady Eagleton was a piece of art, and tonight, despite everything, tonight was a fun night. He could worry and brood another time. And he wanted to find Alice. As did Lady Eagleton.
Smiling in a dignified manner, Lady Eagleton wondered where Lord Alice was and what s/he looked like now. Davie told him that Leo made Alice change for the party because she had to make up for all the lost Halloweens. Maybe she was the octopus or the mountain or the hunchbacked witch at the bar. There had been a rumour about a chicken costume, but Jack hadn’t seen any chickens.
Until the last dances, he had a great night, immersing himself in the experience of— of whirling in a ridiculously pompous gown. Alice had been on his mind, hope mixed with the excitement that the costumes might allow them to just talk, whirl, pretend, spend time without— Alice must be here somewhere. Oh, fuck! FUCK! What if she saw him dance with half of his fan club? Fuck! How could he have been this stupid? What if she— Your fan club is a turn-off. FU—
‘Are you okay, Jack?’
‘Natasha! Nice butterfly. Pandora’s box?’
‘Congratulations. You’re the first person to make the connection.’
‘You didn’t fancy being a slimy monster?’ Jack returned, trying to calm down, but part of his mind was still cursing.
‘Again: full marks. What’s the matter with you?’
‘Erm … How was your first day with our Arts Team?’
‘Good. Why do you look like you want to scream?’
‘Erm … How do you like the party?’
Natasha shrugged. ‘I don’t understand why people enjoy dressing up. When I was a spy, I always wore a mask, a costume and pretended to be someone else. But to slip into a character without a task, without having to spy on others, it feels strange, hollow, unreal. And yet, tonight is the first time in weeks that I don’t feel lost. This ridiculous costume gives me something to be.’
‘I think I know what you mean,’ Jack said, focusing. He might be an idiot when it came to— But this: feeling lost, pretending, he knew this.
‘How?’
‘I’m an actor. I earn my money with pretending.’
‘Oh. Then who’s paying for tonights, show?’
‘Me,’ Jack uttered bitterly. But he pushed this thought away and said instead: ‘Pretending comes easy to me. But there are times when I excel in front of the camera, and the same evening, in the pub, with the same people, out of costume, out of character, I feel out of place, socially disabled, and uncertain who I am.’
‘How do you deal with that?’
‘In my first two decades with alcohol, and not too little. Eventually I went to a therapist, and they said not to push. Allow for the feeling of disconnect and insecurity, and view the off-set environment as something new, as something I don’t have to feel comfortable with all at once. I should give myself time to let my off-set self emerge. Or something like that. And that’s what I kind of do. I don’t reject or judge how I feel. I let it happen and I give myself time.’
Natasha nodded thoughtfully. ‘I have been a spy for so long, I don’t know who that spy-less me is.’
Jack smiled a little. ‘It’s a mix of what is already there, what you make of that, and what you want to add, a teacher once told me. I always liked that.’
Natasha smiled. ‘Me too. By the way, Alice is standing by the stairs, finally on her own.’
Jack swallowed. ‘How do you—?’
‘I was one of the best spies in my country. You’ve been looking for someone all night.’
‘I …’
‘I don’t think Stacy would work for you.’
‘Erm …’
‘Alice, I don’t know. But I’d take a shot now. I can find Leo and buy you some time before he drags her away again.’
‘Er …’
‘See you, Jack. And thanks for the talk.’
Natasha left and walked to the bar where Leo stood, orange suit, his extra head dangling on his back.
Jack turned a bit further and — and there she was.
‘Jack! There you are.’
‘Jason! Hi! How are you?’
‘Mate, what’s the matter with you? Was it all the dances? Say, next time, should I ask you for a dance to keep you safe? But then I think, who knows, maybe he enjoys himself. So which is it? It’s a cool party, isn’t it?’
‘Are you drunk?’
‘Aren’t you? Say, you’re not gay now, are you? I mean, your Lady Eagleton has nothing to do with me, right? With the fact that my surname is Eagles, right? You’re not hitting on me, right?’
‘What? No!’
‘Then it is Alice—!’
‘—Jack! So, sorry to barge in.’
‘Nitis! Nice vampire outfits,’ Jack said, upset, confused and determined not to show it. ‘Your scream was pretty cool.’
‘Thanks. Kuruk and Davie ask whether Davie could sleep over at our place, tonight, and whether Kuruk could stay at your place next weekend. We’d be OK with it, but I know it’s a bit much.’
‘Not a problem. I’d have to pick up Davie pretty early tomorrow, so he’s in time for school. I don’t know yet what Davie’s mum has planned for the weekend. But next time, Davie is with me, Kuruk is more than welcome to stay with us. He’s great kid. Also, I can take the children to bed, if you like.’
‘That would be fantastic! Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely. I never drink when I have Davie, and I’d say goodnight anyway. So, it’s not a problem.’
‘Great. Thanks, man. Isabel will be so happy.’
‘She looks amazing in her fire outfit.’
‘Don’t we all look spiffing?’ Jason chipped in.
Nitis smiled. ‘I’ll find the children and tell them.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Oh, there’s Ethan!’ Jason exclaimed. ‘Doesn’t he look splendid as a wizard? Born wizard if ever I saw one. A true Gandalf. Got to go. Will come back. Don’t go far. We have to dance, my dear Lady Eagle.’
Giggling, Jason tottered towards Ethan.
Jack took a deep breath and turned again. Of course, Alice was gone. But, at least, now he knew what she was wearing.
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 3/1, shaping
book 3/1, shaping
arrivals & shaping
Finally the town project team have all relocated to the new base in London and the shaping phase of the plans for the town can begin.
The first day alone is packed with encounters of all sorts, allowing the reader to dive straight into the heart of the town project and into the hearts of some of the main characters.
Pages: 385 pages, 138k words
Format: pdf
Price: €8.08 (incl. VAT)
ISBN 978-3-9821289-3-1
Contents
Arrivals
1 September
Straight into the heart of the town project and of some of the main characters
15 September
The arrival of the international teams, royals, spies, toilets & rethinking
Shaping
3 October
big & crossover meetings, shaping key buildings, anchors & a squad
15 October
The opening of the Front House, on set with Jack, many callers from around the world, annoyed spies, an exhibition
31 October
The town layout & composition, tourism, gender, families, Making Berlin, the movie, Halloween and Lady Eagleton