Bob, Carolina, and the Deeper Layers of the Story

April 02, 2026 Orwa Skafe

A Tale of Survival

The Characters Who Are Real… and Not

Part (2)

If Jordi and Marta open the door to the story, then Bob and Carolina take us further—into its deeper, more complex layers.

Unlike Jordi and Marta, these two characters are not based on direct reflections of real individuals. They are fully constructed—but carefully designed to serve a purpose.

And that purpose is essential.

Why Bob and Carolina Exist

This story is not only about movement between places.
It is also about confronting ideas—some misunderstood, some hidden, some deliberately ignored.

To explore these ideas, I needed characters who could ask different kinds of questions.

Bob and Carolina were created for that.

Bob: The Investigator

Bob is a journalist, driven by curiosity and investigation. His interest lies in Haiti—particularly in subjects often misunderstood or sensationalized, such as the history behind “zombies.”

Through him, the story opens a door into:

Historical realities behind myths
The social and political context of Haiti
The gap between perception and truth

Bob represents the analytical mind—the need to question narratives, to look beyond surface explanations.

Carolina: The Voice of History and Identity

Carolina, a French researcher with African roots, brought a different kind of depth to our conversations—one that naturally opened the door to questions of identity, history, and race.

She is deeply interested in languages, history, and cultural roots. Through her, themes of:

Identity
Race
Historical memory
Ancient civilizations (such as Ugarit)

enter the narrative.

Her perspective allows the story to move across time—not just geography.

She connects the present to the past, showing how history continues to shape our understanding of the world.

A Carefully Built Connection

Their presence is not random.

Bob and Marta share a past as university colleagues. Their reunion in Catalonia creates a natural setting where all characters meet.

This intersection is deliberate.

It allows:

Different disciplines (journalism, history, lived experience)
Different cultures (Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean)
Different perspectives

to coexist in the same space.

And through conversation, these perspectives collide, complement, and challenge one another.

The Role of the Narrator

At the center of all this is one character who is fully real:
Orwa.

Through his interactions with the four characters, the story explores:

Exile and belonging
Cultural differences
The meaning of survival

But survival here is not just physical.

It is not only about reaching safety.

It is about:

Adapting to a new world
Continuing despite uncertainty
Rebuilding life from fragments
Holding onto identity while changing

A Story That Moves Across Worlds

From Syria to Haiti to Catalonia, the journey is not linear—it is layered.

Each place adds:

A different reality
A different struggle
A different understanding of what it means to “survive”

And through dialogue, these layers unfold naturally—without forcing the reader into heavy exposition.

Why Dialogue Matters

The entire structure of the book relies on conversation.

Instead of long, dense narration, the story moves through:

Exchanges
Questions
Moments of humor
Moments of tension

This makes the reading experience:

Light in form
Deep in content

A balance that allows the reader to engage without feeling overwhelmed.

More Than a Story

In the end, these characters—real, inspired, or constructed—serve one purpose:

To bring ideas to life.

Ideas about:

Migration
Identity
History
Friendship
And the quiet, persistent effort to build a future