Your name is Braga, Gianni Braga. The year is 1985 and you are an Italian living in a busy section of Figueres, Spain. As an art curator at the world-renowned Theatro Museo Dali, opened in 1974 by Dali himself (1), you can afford to live luxuriously. You have a spacious apartment filled with priceless pieces of original art. Unfortunately, your job as chief curator for Dali is demanding and leaves you little time for yourself. Your private life is essentially non-existent except for your only friend, Chucky. You have been best friends with Chucky ever since you brought him home from the back-street pet shop six years ago. There can be no better friend than a squirrel.

            Omg. You just went to give Chucky his breakfast and he’s gone. Your best friend is gone! You frantically toss the wood shavings around but to no avail. Chucky is gone. You collapse on the edge of the bed with your head in your hands. Chucky is gone. You look up at his cage in despair and you see it.

A ransom note:

I have your squirrel.             Place two million dollars in a black duffel bag and leave it below a bench next to the fountain in the park in 14 days. Do not tell anyone. Do not contact the cops. If you fail to follow these instructions, you will never see Chucky again. At least, not alive.             Did you know that Einstein believed that time was relative only to the observer? Without us, there is no time. But don’t think that you can bend time with me. Fourteen days. Of course, if you find me before the 14 days are up, the squirrel is yours without the two million.   ~time is created by us (Tore   did)

 

            You cannot believe it. Someone has kidnapped Chucky. There is no way you can get two million dollars in only two weeks. You are stunned. But why did the ransom note talk about time? What has that got to do with anything?

Time is relative to the observer. Bend. Time Bends. What keeps popping into your mind is Dali’s Persistence of Memory. You can’t seem to get it out of your head. Time bends. The clocks bend. You see the painting, and others just like it, every single day. Dali knows that time bends. You decide to ask Dali for help.