Day 3: Conflict (Amirdha)

Forgiveness. It is a term that is usually said so casually, and implied to be a simple feeling. Not many people are truly aware of its complexity and the strength required by one to forgive or to ask for forgiveness. Eric Lomax knows the true value and courage taken to forgive and Nagese knows the true value of acceptance. One has put the other through horrific torture, one that any human would prefer death over and although Nagese did not directly participate in the torture, he watched it, doing nothing because he was also vulnerable. I would applaud Lomax for his self control to listen to the other side, to not inflict harm on him, to let Nagese move on from what has been haunting them and healing himself. Nagese has proved himself by being able to face his shame, the consequence of his actions and finally removed the suppression that both governments had placed on them, by not talking about it. Thus, with a display of great power, they both seemed salvage in each other and that is what forgiveness is about. To surrender, to accept, to move on and about using every last ounce of strength in you so that no one has to suffer anymore. In the movie, we saw many characters full of conflict, including the main duo. Patti had the conflict between fear and love, to let Lomax destruct himself or to venture bravely to bring him out of it, Lomax between revenge and forgiveness, Findlay between shutting down and opening up. While some of these characters ended tragically, all were liberated at the end of the day and that is a salvation for the reader. I will never be able to look at a room the same way again. Each room has tons of memories and is a part of the memorial of someone, no matter how big or small. Each room is capable of great and terrible things, no matter how equipped. Each room invokes different emotions in people. While a room may look innocent, bare, it could play a sinister role in someone’s life, to the point of scarring them. That is what is truly beautiful about a room, the fact that it contains so many stories.

FORGIVENESS

i look at him

my captor, a vulture

so lost and powerless now

happy, i should be

yet, I remember

blue hose pumps water into my mouth

i choke, i cry, i scream, i screech

so full of the resentment the poured into me

restrained by bamboo

like a cur that bites

sun burns the flesh

tired but full of fire

restrained yet collapsed

I glare at the blue sky

yearning for mother

under the same sky but so far

sharp edge of recoil pad bites

into my hollow torso

I cried for mercy

but he stared on

now I look at him

shrinking, cowering

eyes plastered on the ground

shoulders shivering

I drop my knife

both abused, both comrades

both in pain, both insane

time to stop this madness, to heal

time to forgive

I embrace him and the sob wrecks