From him I learn to forgive..

credits to len caramel for the drawings.

I had always had a very pleasant life with my new mother. Don’t get me wrong, though. I was an orphan living in a foster home and mother was an old widow living in Marseille. She had not a child and decided to invite me to be a part of her family.

I was schooled at a school nearby and no doubt that it was very exciting meeting new friends. Even at the first day at school, I had already made friends with all students at the school. Everyone was nice and friendly, except the rich lad named Aurelius Prissou. Well, to cut short, no one really liked him. Why? He loved picking on people, that’s why.

From a friend of mine, I knew that this Aurelius had picked on every girl in the class. No one dared to scold him since his father owned the school. A spoiled brat. That was the phrase I could think of upon hearing the story.

“Hi, you must be the new student. I’m Aurelius Prissou,” he introduced himself to me on one Monday morning. I looked hard at him. “I’m sorry but I had no intention of befriending you,” I said and left to the school canteen with my friend. This, I think, was the worst decision I took back then.

On the next day, when I was about to go home, I realized that something was not right. My favourite teddy bear was not in my school bag as it was supposed to be. I searched every corner of the class for it and even asked my friends about it but all came with zero result.

“I burnt it,” Aurelius said, grinning from ear to ear as he walked near me. “Didn’t anyone tell you what’ll happen if you go against me?”.

I had enough of this. The toy was precious to me as it was given to me by my late grandmother when I was first sent to the foster home. It had been my companion ever since.

THWACK!!!

I hit him with a hard cover book on the head. The teacher saw this and decided that I was the one to blame. I was seen as the bad child who could not control her anger. Aurelius was to be let loose. It’s unfair. It’s definitely unfair. I left home and determined to drop out of school in an instant.

Mother was outrageous by this and urged me to apologize to the lad. I refused and ended up being grounded for a whole month. Eventually I was forced to go to school by then although I tried hard to object her.

Years went by and I finally got to pursue my next level of education in architecture in Paris by scholarship. Mother was happy by this and together both of us had a very splendid dinner at a restaurant.

University years were exciting but then, I found it hard when I didn’t quite know everyone. Everyone seemed to be like strangers to me. Then I saw him. Aurelius Prissou!! He took architecture as well? What a surprise! I thought he would be taking business like his brothers.

“Elsa Lilliu,” he called me after the lecture had ended for the day. I turned to him in disgust. What is it now?

 “Can we be friends? I know that I had been such a naughty child back in primary school but I hope you forgive me”.

“Never! It’ll never happen!” I screamed and stormed through the doors. I just could not forgive him for what he did to me till now. I despised him so much.

Throughout the years, I tried hard to ignore him. But each time I did that, he kept on bugging me. Nevertheless, I managed to be at the top of the class, being the top student and became favourite among lecturers. I was also being loved by my colleagues for being a helpful and friendly friend. I loved this course.

On the late fall, I finally graduated from the university with an honor roll in my hand. My job was already secured and I was to work with a famous firm in Paris. Mother ought to be proud of me.

Upon arriving at home in Marseille, I found Mother sitting peacefully on the rocking chair. She smiled warmly upon seeing me. She held my hands between her work-callused ones as her grey eyes looked deeply into my pair of aqua eyes.  We had a heart-to-heart chat for a while. Little that I knew it would be our last talk together. On that starless velvety black night, Mother greeted the Most Gracious Lord peacefully in her sleep.

“You saved us,”.

Aurelius turned his head. “Huh?”

“You paid the debt of Mother’s company when it about to face bankrupt. Mother informed me before she died,”

“Ah, it was nothing really. I was just lending a hand,”

“Aurelius, I’m sorry for being such a silly goose”.

“Let bygone be bygone. You shouldn’t be dwelling in the past when you should move forward towards the future”.

Those were the words came out from his mouth that opened my eyes about life. He was true. I was so obsessed by my past so much that I did not see the new him standing in front of me.

Alexander Pope once stated that "To err is human, to forgive, divine."

From him, I learn to forgive..