Siobhán ffrench

Humanity on Trial

4th April 'The Civil War is Over' announced the papers. What the rebels had to fight about, though, I never understood. My neighbour said they were probably hiding all kinds of diseases. I read the paper with an overwhelming sense of relief: always hated fighting of any kind. Even when I was a child I would not play-fight with my younger brother. It used to infuriate him when I refused to join in, putting down the plastic sword and insisting that we played cards instead. If Jim wanted something then he got it, but only after I had the toy I had preferred all along. I realise now that it is a childish notion that violence can always be avoided. But finally, the war was over and we could all focus on what was important.