Love dissolves hatred

(Baonghean) - Having lost his child and husband, the relatives of the victim NN A went to the prison to encourage the defendant D. In court, holding back his tears, A's father did not say a word of blame, only hoping that the court would consider reducing the defendant's sentence so that D could soon return to show filial piety to his adoptive mother.

Nearly a year has passed, but the events of that trial are still deeply imprinted in my mind. It was a case that shocked public opinion when two drivers had a conflict at the drinking table and decided to use their “fishing rod” to destroy the other. The trial was filled with tears, but not tears of hatred but tears of regret, of pity and forgiveness.

At 3 months old, Trinh Phuc D (born in 1991) was adopted by Mrs. Nguyen Thi Q (Hung Loi commune, Hung Nguyen). The consequences of years of fighting in Truong Son had robbed a woman of her noble calling, making it impossible for Mrs. Q and her husband to have children. Therefore, all her love and expectations were for her adopted child. Due to difficult family circumstances, D only studied until grade 8 and then dropped out to help her parents. After that, D went to learn to drive and joined a taxi company in Vinh city. Mrs. Q was also more assured when D married a beautiful, gentle wife. D and her husband were preparing to welcome their second child when the incident happened. She was shocked when she received the bad news: D was arrested for murder! One time, while drinking with a group of friends, there was a conflict over how to calculate the bill, D and his colleague NNA (living in Trung Do ward, Vinh city). After being stopped, each went their separate ways, but a while later, Đ called A to Ben Thuy bridge to "settle things". A picked up a rock and threw it at the car, Đ drove straight into the victim, causing him to fall onto the road. As if drunk on blood, Đ turned the car around, ran over A, causing him to die on the spot.

Illustration: Hong Toai

D's crime not only took the life of her colleague but also dealt a fatal blow to Mrs. Q's hope. Although she was angry with her son, deep in her motherly love, she loved D to the core. All the money she had saved for her old age, in case she got sick, Mrs. Q brought it to A's family to take care of the victim's funeral. She hoped that she could atone for her son's mistake with that family, at least in the afterlife A would feel warmer. After the funeral, Mrs. Q decided to stake a plot of land for the ancestral altar for 165 million VND to "compensate" the victim A's family. It is painful to lose a child, but perhaps the sincerity of a mother who is not related by blood moved and partly eased the pain of the victim's parents and wife. She was grateful for the forgiveness and sympathy of that family. She was even more grateful when Mr. NVT - the victim A's father did not say a harsh word to her but even went to the prison to encourage D. Seeing A's old father on crutches going to prison (Mr. T lost a leg in an accident) to visit and comfort the man who killed his son, Mrs. Q felt her heart broken. She told her son, "Your crime is great, but the kindness you have shown to me is great. You must live in accordance with your conscience."

The heartfelt words of the mother and the forgiveness of the victim's family made D cry throughout the trial. Standing in court, Mr. T and his daughter-in-law - the wife of the victim NN A also asked the court to consider reducing part of the sentence so that D could return soon to take care of his parents and raise his children. 15 years in prison is the punishment given by the law to D. Mrs. Q burst into tears. People say that children rely on their fathers, the elderly rely on their children, but she only had D. For those 15 years, who could she rely on? Mr. T walked through the crowd jostling in front of the courtroom. He held the mother's hand and encouraged her. Two old people, two silver-haired people with two different pains, but they were very close to each other because of forgiveness and understanding. I understand that there are pains that reach the end of a person's endurance, but all pains and hatreds will be resolved by love.

Although we know that the court is a solemn and cold place, where the fates of thousands of people caught in the law are judged. But behind those judgments, there are still tolerant and forgiving hearts that help warm the hearts of those who have made mistakes so that they can rebuild their lives on the path to goodness and reformation.

Khang Hoa