The Phantom of Valletta
"If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales!” Job 6:2
Great pain I have known in my life. My wanderings upon this wretched earth have brought me nothing but sorrow from the day I left my mother's womb. Born deformed and deemed unworthy, I daily curse my birth. The cruelty of humanity relegates me to a life of solitude, and I exist as a ghost having no substance in my soul and no heart of flesh in my chest.
Only once, in a brief fleeting moment, my life was touched by goodness. Her voice was my salvation, and her presence my light. I longed to behold the beauty of her body and share with her my love and genius. My desire turned to obsession. My obsession turned to violence. I took what she would not willingly give. Then, in a moment of weakness, I let her depart. The price of her freedom was my undoing. In the wake of her loss, I continue to breathe, but inside I am an empty shell. My heart beats, but possesses no life.
The punishment for my crimes is exile to the isle of Malta. The recompense for my sins is to raise another destroyed by fire and restore its beauty from ashes. It is here that I will return to my true and constant loves of architecture, masonry, and music.
I am the Phantom of the Valletta.
On May 25, 1873 the Royal Opera House of Valletta, on the isle of Malta, ignited in flames. No one is quite sure who was responsible for the fire. Some speculated it was the disgruntled tenor who set the blaze and then immediately disappeared. Others blamed two careless employees, who were neglectful in their duties.
The heat , hot as hell itself, calcified the interior stonework. The building lay in shambles, because the owners neglected to renew their insurance policy. The city mourned the loss of their prized Royal Opera House.
The building remained dormant until an unnamed investor from a foreign land arrived in Valletta. Clothed in secrecy, he purchased the barren building and began construction intent on restoring the Opera House to a greater glory. As history would later pen, it was doomed once more for total obliteration.
Speculation as to the identity of the mysterious owner abounded. Unidentified and reclusive, rumors swirled, and some began to wonder if Valletta was now home to the Fantôme de l'Opéra. Will he find the solace he seeks or will he be faced with even greater challenges? The answer lies within.
Vicki Hopkins, Author
In Process:
The Price of Deception
Published Works:
Lessons From the Phantom of the Opera(5/09)
The Price of Innocence (11/09)
Blogs:
Lessons From the Phantom of the Opera
Just One Single
All Things Phantom Show
Radio Show
All Things Phantom, BlogTalkRadio
(Founder/Host)
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Links Regarding the Royal Opera House
The History
The Malta Opera House Dedication Site
You Tube Video of the History
Photos Purchased iStockPhoto
Others Public Domain
Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave? (Job 3:20-22)
