“I’m Sorry”
“I’m sorry.”
I wanted to punch him, to smash that smarmy, false-penitent expression off his face. I spit at him through the bars. “What gives you the right to be sorry?”
“You don’t want me to be sorry? To regret what I did?”
“So that what? I can forgive you and you can die in peace? My wife didn’t die in peace or her parents or my parents or any of the thousands of people under your charge.” If it wasn’t for the bars protecting him, I would have choked him. “You herded us like animals! You fed us slops and garbage and sent droves off to the gas chambers, for years! And now, now you’re sorry?”
“Yes,” he said, head bowed.
I stormed off and spent a sleepless night wrestling with thoughts and images that would not die. I returned to his cell at daybreak and sat watching him until he awoke.
“I cannot forgive you,” I said. “Not today, at least. But tell me, why did you do it?”
“I was young and needed a job,” he began. “I started at a desk, but I was diligent and got promoted. After that . . .”
We talked all day. There were millions of bricks in that edifice of hate between us but with those two words, “I’m sorry”, a few bricks had fallen. As the day went on, they continued to fall.
October 12th, 2014 at 11:40 pm
So much emotion in your words. Very well written and powerful scene
October 13th, 2014 at 2:44 pm
Thanks. It’s a different sort of piece than what I usually do, but I like to try new things.
October 13th, 2014 at 2:45 pm
New things are great aren’t they! 🙂 I also love writing different types of pieces.
October 13th, 2014 at 12:30 am
Great take, David. With understanding, comes peace and healing.
October 13th, 2014 at 2:45 pm
Thanks. This is inspired by a true story I heard about once, about a Holocaust survivor and a prison guard. It’s what came to mind when I saw the picture.
October 13th, 2014 at 3:02 am
fantastic.
October 13th, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Thanks!
October 13th, 2014 at 5:08 am
Wow. That gave me goosebumps. A fantastic story
October 13th, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Thanks, Al.
October 13th, 2014 at 5:49 pm
You’re welcome 🙂
October 13th, 2014 at 8:48 am
David,
I enjoyed this thoroughly. It reminds me of stories I’ve heard from Corrie Ten Boom and a Native American who was a POW in Viet Nam (whose name I’ve forgotten). War crimes are so hard to forgive, yet the hate will eat us alive if those bricks don’t start to fall.
All my best,
Marie Gail
October 13th, 2014 at 2:49 pm
It was inspired by stories like that. Compared with the slights and injuries we suffer, something like that would be monumentally hard to overcome and forgive but so much more important for the person who suffered.
October 16th, 2014 at 12:34 pm
I loved this…brought up so many images for me including people I’m eternally mad at. I like the reference to the gas chamber since no one ever wants to brings it up.
And on another note, when you apologize whether the person forgives or not, the weight slides off of you making you feel as if you can take flight 🙂
October 16th, 2014 at 8:42 pm
Thanks, Susannah and I know exactly what you mean about apologizing. I’ve felt that terrible burden of guilt and then the incredible lightness that comes with apologizing.
October 17th, 2014 at 4:49 am
They teach you that in 12 Step…how the apology is for you more than your subject.