Читать книгу A Big Circle of Friends - Erica Bentel - Страница 24

THE NEXT DAY. MR JONES’ CLASSROOM

Taffy Jones walks into the usual noise. For once though, he manages to grab their full attention.

“Okay. We all watch TV and movies and it’s got to the point where we can watch people being killed, shot, blown up without making us feel bad.”

Jack makes a big loud explosive sound and falls dramatically to the floor. The whole class erupts into laughter.

“You obviously get my point. But it’s just a movie, right? Okay. Then we sit on our computers and blow up aliens and tanks and anything that moves in our path. But it’s just a game, right?

This is my problem. War isn’t a game. War is the most un-fun thing that can happen in your lifetime.

Imagine this scene.

A family is at home eating dinner. John, come up and sit here. You’re the father. Vu, up here, you’re the mother.”

The expected guffaws follow him to the front of the class.

“Nick, you’re one kid. Harry, you’re the little sister.”

Hoots and laughter.

“You’re eating chicken, rice and peas. Nick, tease your little sister. Harry, start whining ‘stop it’.

Vu, you’re the mum, tell them to stop it. Ask Nick how his footy match went this afternoon. But just as you’re about to answer, Nick, there’s banging on the door. You can see the terror in your parents’ faces.

They tell everyone to run and hide, but as they’re turning to run, a deafeningly loud noise explodes through the room and four soldiers are standing there.

The soldiers grab your father. As your mother runs to help, your father shouts ‘Don’t!’ but it’s too late. One of the soldiers hits her in the head with his rifle.

‘I’ll be fine. Look after your mother’ are the last words you children hear from your father as he’s dragged away. The last words ever.”

The room is silent.

“That is war. In the old days wars were fought on battlefields or in the trenches. These days, it marches right into people’s homes. When war starts, it doesn’t happen to other people. It happens to you.

So war is not fun. But at times it has been necessary.

My question to you is: if you were faced with the prospect of war, would you think ‘Bring it on!’ or would you do anything in the world to stop it happening in the first place? Think about it. We’ll talk about it again tomorrow. Now if you could be so kind as to take out your textbooks … ”