Confession

Just over a month had passed since her father had died. Elisabeth had started sorting his belongings. Sifting through some paperwork she found an envelope with her name on. She opened the envelope and pulled out the letter and began to read.

"My Dear Elisabeth,

I have wanted to tell you this for many years but have never been brave enough for fear of damaging our relationship."

Elisabeth’s hands began to shake. Their relationship had been so close. How could he have kept something from her? She sat and contemplated what could be in the letter in front of her. After a few minutes, Elisabeth took a deep breath and read on.

"I always told you that during the Great War I worked in a factory. The truth is that I was enlisted in the army. It was at the height of the war and I fought for nearly 2 years protecting our country from the invasion. As we began to gain the upper hand we started to push beyond our own borders and took many prisoners of war. It was during this time that I was posted as a guard in Hansvik prison."

Elisabeth gasped and put the letter down. Images of abused and emaciated prisoners she had seen in grainy films flashed through her mind. The thought of her father being involved in the stories reported after the war nauseated her. Still shaking, she poured herself a glass of brandy and downed it, in need of the Dutch courage to continue.

"Initially we were just holding prisoners of war. We held such hatred for them, after what their country had tried to do to ours. We made sure they knew who was in charge. I helped to torture and abuse many of those that were held in there. All of us had lost friends and family on the battlefield and those mental scars motivated our behaviour. At the time, it seemed normal.

“My feelings changed when they started bringing the women and children in. The place was barbaric; no place for them. I knew the other officers had started abusing them too, not just beating them but raping them too. It made me sick to my stomach. It wasn’t what I signed up for. I decided to report what was going on to the senior officers, and I met with one of them to discuss it. He asked me to gather evidence before making a formal report.

“That night, I was ambushed by two men with baseball bats. They knocked me to the ground and, although I tried to fight them off, they easily overpowered me, and I was knocked unconscious. I had both legs, both arms and six ribs broken. My skull was fractured in several places. I woke up in the military hospital over a week later. My rehabilitation took several months, and I had to learn to walk again. That is why I have my limp. It was clear to me that the officer had turned me in to the other guards who then tried to silence me.

“I was given a medical discharge, but I couldn’t forget what was happening in Hansvik. At that time, it was still six months before the peace treaty was signed, but there were government officials beginning to push for the war to finish.

“After what happened when I reporting matters to the officer at Hansvik, I was uneasy about speaking out again, but I couldn’t get the images of what was going on out of my mind and I knew I had to do something.

With the help of a journalist, I found a government official who had heard of rumours of the behaviour in Hansvik. Based on the statement I gave to him, he instigated an investigation. The evidence gathered meant that many of the guards and officers were court marshalled and incarcerated themselves.

“For providing my statement, I was pardoned but I can never atone for what I helped put those prisoners through. I told your mother about my past but we agreed never to discuss it with you. Shortly before she died, she told me I shouldn’t be ashamed and you should know the truth.

“I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me.

“Yours forever, Papa”

Tears streamed down Elisabeth's cheeks. After topping up her drink, she raised her glass in the air. “Of course I do Papa, and I salute you for standing up for what you believed”.

This is my entry to the Fictioneers Man vs Society conflict prompt writing contest.

I need to give a huge thank you to everyone that gave such helpful feedback on this story via The Writers Block.

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