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Chronicle of a forewarned arrest

2024-05-01 20:40:00, Opinione Lutfi Dervishi

Erion Veliaj

On the day he was supposed to be arrested, he woke up at 5:30 a.m. and went for a light jog on the same lake park trail where he'd been exercising for weeks, except that day the air seemed more charged, don't you think? that it was filled with whispers and rumors of a great drive that was expected to take place.

For weeks and months, since August of last year, the capital was not blocked by traffic, but by the predictions of analysts, journalists and political commentators, who warned with a prophetic certainty and satisfaction that they could not hide that He, a politician not without influence, would soon be arrested.

A bunch of guests and TV crews under the direction of the ever-surprised moderators, spoke as if they had been behind the back of the judge who had signed the arrest warrant. The details went as far as giving not only the time and place, but also how the arrest would take place.

The cafes, which usually hummed with the sound of espresso, had been transformed into shrines. Patrons' heads bobbed from coffee cups to big screens, stoically awaiting the fall of the man who had walked the corridors of power for 30 years with the ease of someone who believed he was untouchable. "Patience or patience. It's only a matter of time," "The charges may be weak, but the evidence is very strong."

Newspapers, which in this country historically have only told the truth, even on Saturday came out with big headlines about the arrest. Morning show hosts read the headlines like the final scenes of a political drama that was expected to unfold in an hour. The headlines read from the morning televisions referred to the dinner conversations on the screen where the serious faces of analysts flashed, analyzing His every past move as if it were a clue that unraveled the puzzle that would lead to his inevitable end.

But on the street, life continued at its usual pace. The lek, the local currency, had fallen to the ground and was taking the breath of the euro and the dollar. 30,000 freelancers were reading their Income Tax bills for 2024. Advance! The government continued counting tourists coming from EU countries, while Eurostat counted Albanians seeking asylum in the EU!

The day lengthened each day by minutes at the expense of the night, while the enthusiasm of the morning faded under the weight of the afternoon sun. But as dusk fell, the security of the TV booths increased.

Meanwhile, he ended the busy day with physical activities and posts on Facebook. In the late hours, he was seen in a cafe in the center of Tirana, laughing loudly over a cup of macchiato. People around had ordered Turkish coffee in an attempt to read his fortune.

The evening came and went, and no sirens were heard, except for the sirens of the ambulances that, after the emergency burn, behaved perversely from one hospital to another. The drama didn't happen.

The journalists of the chronicle who were waiting minutes for the big event suddenly calmed down like pigeons pecking at pieces of bread in the square in front of the University. Something was wrong with the resources. The expected spectacle did not happen.

As night fell over Tirana, a cool breeze whistled through the streets, perhaps as an apology for the storm that never came. Analysts from their appearances on the screen made the next call to the prosecution not to play with their predictions, otherwise they would face popular anger.

Easter was approaching and the country (along with the people) deserved a good rain (shower).