A watchmaker precariously installed at the corner of Avenue de Mahabibo, in Majunga, in the early 1970s, he was there, in fact, permanently from morning to evening. The less young may sneer, but we can say that at that time, he was a scientist who had the know-how of new technologies to the equivalent of today’s fervent computer scientists. He pampered and maintained the watches of major brands of that era. He knew the secrets of the mechanisms of Lip, Omega, Thales and others… Because it must be said that in those times, watches were jewels in the same way as valuable necklaces or bracelets. They lasted a lifetime or even several since they were passed from grandfather to father and then to grandson. In short, they crossed generations and we were proud to show “ the inheritance ».
Then came these gadgets called quartz watches or electronic watches which cost next to nothing and which we wear for the duration of a trend or fashion. To live, he had to repair them, a repair which really only consisted of changing the batteries.
But he grumbled all day long, “What are these junk? ephemeral, ephemeral? he said all the time, a barbaric word of which few individuals knew the meaning, so much so that the people of this city accustomed to “kalizy” (palaver) ended up nicknamed him Short-lived. He didn’t like these worthless shiny objects, they weren’t jewelry, he who cherished the beautiful dials that were proudly displayed and cleaned (blowing) regularly at Mr. Watchmaker’s.
In reality, he was right Short-lived, these LED televisions, these cell phones and other conveniences of today that we peddle for a while only because they are fragile and quickly become obsolete are also ephemeral. When they are out of use, misplaced or out of fashion, we are not affected in the least, because they are soulless, because they are ephemeral. The time when the poet proclaimed: “Inanimate objects, do you have a soul that is attached to our soul and the strength to love? »
M. Ranarivao
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