A last breath: today's despair t

"There is a place in your heart, and I know that it's love. And this place would be much brighter than tomorrow …"

I was driving down the road carefully, noticing the houses, the people and everything, out the left window, around me in the district –––along the route of the town , house deserted by local residents , and people fallen on the roadside, in ditches and nearby some house, everywhere lay the dead … The silence on this road was awful.

"Ahead is the battle. " I guessed.  The sky was heavy with dust and smoke, the land was tattered with debris and chips …I pulled up to the curb and walked toward a woman who threw herself on a man's corpse , sobbing quietly.

"Was he your husband? How was he killed? "I asked her with a soft voice.

"No. He was my brother, Leon. My husband already died two weeks ago. Leon took a bullet for me .My husband and I got married for only three months, my brother younger two years than me ,he was only 26! But now they've all died, leaving me alone. I lost my great brother and loved husband. I just still cannot believe that they are all gone! Why is all this happening to me …?" She said tearfully .

I could understand that she was too sorrowful to speak more at this very moment. I tried to console her, but didn't know how.

The world is in a mess. Violence and chaos have become normal. Thanks to war, people lost their homes, families and friends. Survivors cannot live a normal life for they are worried about if themselves or others will be killed in the next second.

They dare not dream of what life would be like in the future.  Like many people, she also has not dream of what her life will be, what she will be in the dreadful country. In a instant, without any warning, war broke out, the present became the unthinkable future.

Is there any hope in the future? If so , where is the hope? Looking at the woman and her brother's corpse, I was just wondering if she wants revenge for her families' death ?

Dose she carry hatred in her heart? After all, losing family –––the suffering is immeasurable ! However, revenge is not a intelligent policy. If aggression is the most dangerous human behavior, the revenge is more dangerous than it.  Anyway, the cycle of revenge should be broken. "Blood cannot be washed away with blood. "

A last breath: today's despair tomorrow's hope

"How do you feel about your families death? You will take revenge, will you ?" I asked.

"Revenge? To whom ? No, that's not what I want. You never experience the feeling of losing someone close to you. Seeing people die in front of your eyes helplessly,  can you imagine? It's really difficult and paniful !! I really don't know who is right and who is wrong in the war. It's only causes more death, more sadness to the families. I just wish I would never witness death, I wish there was no war. " She replied.

"That's right. No one can say for certain which sides holds the upper hand in a war. Both powers have killed people, both sides have suffered losses in a never ending war. In a war, thousands of lives are lost, people are homeless when war destroys their country. So have you ever though of leaving the dreaded country? Is there any possibility you would marry again? " I asked.

A last breath: today's despair tomorrow's hope

"If I could find a nice man, I will. But if I really get married one day, I will immigrate , absolutely. I don't want to live here, bringing my kid up in the troubles. Because I was hurt, and I wouldn't let it happen to my Kid ."

"So ,where will you immigrate from here? " I asked.

"I don't know. But at least, in other places, I don't have to smell the dead bodies, I don't need to see people who died in front of my eyes. " she said.

A last breath: today's despair tomorrow's hope

"Have you ever think about …",  at this very moment, I noticed that two soldiers with helmets, flack-jacketed and gun were walking toward me. Just a few seconds, they came to my side, pointing at me with their guns.

I stopped talking, hands raised, and said to them ,  " I'm just a passerby, traveling around the world. I'm not your enemy, I came here with peace".

One of the soldier looked at confusedly , as if he cannot understand what i said . "You are 'paspy' ?A spy? " Another soldier asked in broken English.

" I'm not spy. I'm a p -a -s -s -e -r -b -y.  I just travel around the world alone! " I blurted it out.

But unfortunately, they still suspected me, and tied my arms behind my back, then they guided me to a nearly white house. I was led by the two soldiers. "This is my end..." I though, tense, instinctively catch my breath, closed my eyes…

To my surprised, they left me alone in the house. Now, I was in trouble, I was their prisoner. I didn't know what would happen in the next second. I sat on the chair ,thinking back to what i had seen in the country.

Suddenly, an officer appeared at the door, and then I was directed to another room. In the following hours, he questioned me a lot, various questions...including my private life...extremely detailed. "What's your thoughts about the war? "said the official, leaning forward until his face was only a few inches from me ,speaking with his breath spit on my face. (This was his last question )

"In peace, sons bury their fathers; but in war, fathers bury their sons ." I moved back and though for a second, replied.

"Do you know why people write down so many stories of war? Why are the only words that shock us is that recording war when we open books of as vast as ocean? --- Losing human lives is the core reason of war. "I said at last.

He listened with no expression, and then tapped my shoulder said "You can leave here now! "

I glanced at my watch: It was 8:15.

A last breath: today's despair tomorrow's hope

Now, I was sitting the front seat for a long moment, meditating. And then I began to move forward …just in a few minutes, I looked into the rearview mirror: The white house had disappered , the soldier had gone.  Ahead, the sun was beganing to rise …

A last breath: today's despair tomorrow's hope

"There is a place in your heart, and I know that it's love. And this place would be much brighter than tomorrow …", I was woken by the song, and found my mother sitting quietly just a few feet away from me .  "Samantha, you finally woke up ! You know, you sleep for a long time, you never sleep like this. Are you ok ?" gently asked mother.

"I'm fine. I just had a dream, mom ".

This essay is aimed at cherishing world peace