Chapter 53: Fairytale
Watching as Anastasia was escorted onto the carriage bound for Florence by several black-robed monks, Rafael felt her impassioned exclamation still echoing in his ears: ‘…God has given everyone the same organs and composition, what a wonderful creation! We are all born equal!’
Born equal.
Rafael smiled silently.
What a naive vision.
But people are born unequal. Some are mired in the slums, sacrificing half of their lives for a crust of bread, while others can appreciate the beauty of raindrops on flower petals on rainy days and savor new tea sent from across the sea by the fireplace.
When stripped of name, wealth, appearance, and status, when passing through the gates of the underworld and standing before God to be judged, everyone is equally noble. Yet, the human world is full of scales for measuring the high and low.
Ferrante stood behind him, gazing out the window at the receding crowd in the courtyard: “She’s quite a unique woman.”
Rafael said softly, “Yes, it’s a tragedy that she lives in this era, but this era should be ecstatic to have her.”
Ferrante asked in surprise, “You think so highly of her?”