5:45 P.M : he was excited, it couldn’t have come sooner, he would become a man or so he thought. He was a year older and ready to take on the world, after all he has proved to be a great elder brother, yes he knew he was a grown up now … officially. At ten years he was a typical boy who wasn’’t old enough to drive and thought he was too old to be called a kid. It was his birthday, and as was family tradition they were going to have a party at the local ice cream shop. Life couldn’’t be better!

9:45 P.M : He woke up with a start, how couldn’’t move there was a seething pain going through his body, people shouting and running all around, he tried to cry out for his mom and dad without any affect, he was scared and then the drugs took effect.

Three days later: His grandparents were there and so were some of his cousins but his own parents and sisters were no where in sight. He did not know the loss his grandparents had suffered, they had lost three kids on the same day. He was crying now, all thought of being grown up far away. He wanted his mom’s kisses and his dad’’s strong arms, where were they, where was his baby sister who was always getting in his ways?

One month later: He now knew that his parents weren’’t coming back neither was his sister. He wasn’’t going to be the big brother anymore, just a person growing up alone. He knew the people who did it, though he couldn’’t comprehend their rationale, but it didn’’t matter now for he was going to have his revenge. His sole purpose in life now was to see the same pain inflicted on those that he thought were responsible for this pain … and he knew he was going to succeed.

15 years later …

It was one of the biggest wedding’s in the city, people had come from far and wide. It was not often that people had something to cheer about in these trying times and yet they still had hope. One moment there was dancing and good natured revelry and the next moment the sky was falling. Scattering bodies, bones, blood and bricks, producing with it more righteous anger and revenge filled hearts.

So the cycle continues all over the world…

You can substitute any nationality in the above story and it would fit, giving a template for the cycle of war that continues around the world.

I once read a story of a boy asking his parents on how wars start … now I know the answer ’cause war never really end, it just waits for more angry people to be born.

The only way is forgiveness, an oft used word that is never really practiced. The world is divided everywhere because of stiff-necked leaders with vengeanceful souls I n their command. From Kashmir to the middle east, from Korea to Sudan, normal people just want food while the incompetent leaders rule the only way they know, by making martyrs and murderers.