Abandoned

Julie Daseking

Tompkins 1

April 24, 2015

Abandoned

Ben burrows under the blankets on his bed and whispers quick prayers, hoping God can hear him. He feels the throbbing punch of his heart in his left cheek, and his right arm aches as he presses the bruises against the cold sheets. The clock flips to 12:00 am, and Ben crinkles his brow and shut his eyes in an attempt make his bedroom disappear. He hears the front door bounce off the wall in the entryway as his father’s girlfriend, Jeanette, slips inside, trying not to wake anyone. Ben feels the tension in his muscles beginning to fizz into the air like steam off a hot grill doused with ice water, and he allows himself to take a deep breath. He knows that as long as she’s here, his dad won’t come near him. He’ll be safe. His heart begins to slow to a resting pace, and the throbbing in his head lessens as well. Eyes pressed shut, his mind wanders to happier thoughts as he attempts to forget the pain searing through his body. He thinks of his Mom, who has been dead for over four years now. He was only three when she lost her two year battle with lung cancer, and his father hasn’t been the same since. Ben imagines her in his bedroom, singing to him as he falls asleep. Instead, he hears the rusty hinges creak on his door and he peeks out from under the covers to see Jeanette tiptoe in.

“Ben, are you awake?” she asks.

“Yes,” he murmurs back from under the blanket.

“What are you doing beneath the covers?”

“Nothing...I’m cold.”

“Ben...you’ll suffocate under there,” Jeanette chuckles as she pulls the covers off of his face. She lets out a sharp, quiet gasp when she sees the indigo tinge of the swollen skin around his left eye.

“What happened?” Jeanette exclaims. Ben hears the floorboards creak under his father’s lead feet as his dad creeps closer to listen to their conversation through the open door. Ben’s heart begins to pound against his chest like a fly against a window.

“I...I was...bored...” he starts.

“And?”

“And I tried to...to play catch with myself, but...I missed.” Ben gazes nervously into her face, watching her expression to determine if she believes him. Her eyebrows scrunch down and wrinkle her nose as she ponders, “Ok,” her voice is perspicuously questioning in tone, and Ben prepares to bolster his fabricated tale.

“Let’s get some ice on that. I’ll be right back,” she finishes her thought and slips out of the bedroom. In the other room, he can hear the mattress springs squeak as his dad climbs back into bed again. He obviously thinks Jeanette believes Ben as well.

Jeanette returns a few minutes later with a bag of frozen peas, which she gently lays on Ben’s eye. He winces as the freezing surface presses against the bruise.

“There we go, leave that on for fifteen minutes, then I’ll come back and put it in the freezer” she coos as she strokes his cheek. Ben’s lips draw into a smile. It feels good to have someone take care of him.

“I’ve never heard of a kid giving himself a black eye before...were you here when it happened?” she asks Ben’s father casually, carefully masking the suspicion in her voice.

“No, he was inside all evening, plus it was dark.”

“Uh huh. So...you didn’t notice that his face was bruised?”

“No... he’s fine... I mean, he was in his room.”

“Craig, what really happened? I can tell you’re both lying to me,” she flicks the frustrated words at him.

“I don’t know what happened! Now. Drop. It.” His voice begins to boil with anger, and his words pound into Jeanette’s ears like stone waves. Suddenly, her light-hearted suspicion transforms into astonished fear. She has an idea of what’s really happened, but she wills with all her heart for it to be untrue. Nextdoor, Ben lies attentive in his bed, straining to hear the words through his bedroom wall. Sweat pools on his brow and makes his hands hot and numb with apprehension.

“Craig, did...did you beat him?” her voice quivers with disbelief.

“He’s an evil little troublemaker, he deserves it,” his words are icy and dangerous as he tries to keep his emotions from boiling over.

Ben hears her scoff in disgust, then stomp briskly down the hall to his room. Jeanette bends down and whispers in his ear, “Honey, I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve this.” Then, she takes the peas and shuts his door. The clock reads 12:10, and Ben finally succumbs to sleep.

“BEN! Get in here, NOW!” Craig roars from the living room. It’s 3:13 am, and Ben’s eyes flare open, interrupting his slumber. He scampers to his father, his heart throbbing in his chest, his whole body tingling with fear and anticipation, and his blood running hot through his veins.

“What did you say to her?”

“To who, Dad?”

“Jeanette! She’s gone! It’s your fault, you BRAT!”

She’s gone? Jeanette was the only person who could help me, how could she leave me? She said I didn’t deserve this. She was the only person who cared! his internal voice wails in despair at the realization.

Suddenly, Ben is ripped from his thoughts to see his father’s fist whizzing towards his head. His body folds under the force, and the room blurs into blackness as he topples onto the floor. And that was the last time his father hit him, the last time anyone hit him in fact. The breath Ben took as he braced himself for impact was the last breath his lungs ever drew in. His father’s furious fist the last thing he ever saw. Horror and the agony of abandonment the last emotions to ever plague his heart and mind. They found him the next morning, broken, bruised, and sprawled across the living room floor.

A Diamond Grave

Julie Daseking

Ms. Tompkins

World Lit Honors 1

3/12/15

A Diamond Grave

Diamonds are the purest form of carbon in the world, and one of the most precious and beautiful gems. However, in Sierra Leone, Africa, diamonds are stained with memories of physical abuse, robbery, political struggle, and economic hardship. From 1991 to 2002, Sierra Leone was plunged into a Civil War over control of the diamond industry. In 1935, the diamond business boomed when De Beers Mining Co. took over mining control in Sierra Leone, however the government did not set up sufficient security. Consequently, this allowed for thousands of illicit miners to steal profit from the country’s economy by smuggling diamonds in uncontrolled areas. As the illegal smuggling grew, the government became less involved, until the election of Siaka Stevens in 1968. The conflict began after he linked political power to control of the mines, and the corruption led a group of fighters called the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) to invade the country. The Blood Diamond Civil War robbed Sierra Leone of millions of dollars in profit from diamonds and harmed the population. The economy and the people of Sierra Leone are still struggling to make up for its losses today.

The violence of the Civil War greatly affected the civilian population, and left many physically and emotionally scarred. The Economist states that, “In the 1990s, the drugged-up rebels of the Revolutionary United Front controlled Kono's mines by means of rape, murder and mutilation” (Economist). The RUF fighters abducted and raped thousands of women and girls in an attempt to “...terrorize the civilian population into submission and break-apart families and communities” (Stanford University). Many women and girls suffer from STDS, post traumatic stress disorder, and severe anxiety as a result from their brutal treatment at the hands of RUF during the Civil War. Teams of rebels also mutilated many civilians in order to assert power over the population. They often, “...cut off both the victims’ hands... thousands of surviving amputees in Sierra Leone were forced into refugee camps...they are left futureless as a result of their needless amputations” (Stanford). These crimes “...claimed over 75,000 lives, caused 500,000 Sierra Leoneans to become refugees, and displaced half of the countries 4.5 million people.” The war left the population in ruins, and made it more difficult for the country to rebuild with fewer capable of working due to mutilations and deaths.

The Blood Diamond conflict also had detrimental effects on the economic situation in Sierra Leone. The rebels and illicit smugglers, “cheated [Sierra Leone] out of millions of dollars in the form of illegal diamonds” (Stanford). As the diamond mines were the country’s main source of income at the time, the loss of this profit caused the economy to plummet, and forced Sierra Leone to rely “on external assistance to meet its budgetary needs; overseas grants make up one-fourth of total revenue” (CIA). Despite the lost profit to illegal smuggling, the price of diamonds has also dropped considerably, making it a more difficult industry to profit from, let alone rely on. Since 2009, mining companies like De Beers have, “...seen the value of [their] "sights"...fall from an average of $650m to a recent low of around $150m” (Economist). With the lessening of exports, many companies are laying off workers, "...Koidu Holdings temporarily halted operations and laid off 540 people, leaving only 60 in work...” (Economist). However, despite these economic struggles, the country is looking to new industries. The Economist states that, “Many artisanal miners are going back to farming...And companies are looking for other minerals that Sierra Leone has in abundance” (Economist). The Civil War took a heavy toll on the economy, but Sierra Leone is slowly rebuilding and stabilizing financially.

The costs of the Blood Diamond Civil War are still felt today, as the nation struggles to rebuild the population and support itself economically while still battling remaining rebels, and new problems like Ebola and HIV/AIDS. The money lost in illegal diamonds and the costs of combating and cleaning up after the rebels greatly set back Sierra Leone’s economy. The country has since struggled to rebuild itself, as thousands of displaced and injured citizens left the country with a smaller, weaker workforce, and the diamond industry plummeted. However, the country has now returned to its agricultural industry to be “the bedrock of [the] nation's growth and development” (Africa News Service). Although, many citizens are still only farming for subsistence, not profit. Sierra Leone is slowly beginning to recover from the war, but new threats such as the Ebola and HIV/AIDS crises threaten the weak country. The Blood Diamond Civil War stained the nation, and its consequences continue to prevent Sierra Leone from thriving today.

Works Cited

"Agriculture & Poverty Alleviation in Sierra Leone (1) [column].(Column)." Global Issues in Context. Gale Cengage Learning, 3 Sept. 2012. Web. This article elaborates on the agricultural industry in Sierra Leone, Africa, and the how there can be alleviation of poverty by improving this industry. This article was written more objectively, with lots of statistics to show the progress agriculture has made, and how it is helping the country. This source relates to the other GIC article, which also talks about how the people of Sierra Leone are turning to agriculture for production. I may be able to use this article in my writing to show how the agriculture business is helping Sierra Leone rebuild.

"Digging in the Dumps; Sierra Leone and Its Diamonds.(Diamonds, Poverty and Africa)." Global Issues in Context. Gale Cengage Learning, 30 May 2009. Web. This article summarizes the current political, economic, and social situation of Sierra Leone. It explains some of the events of the Civil War, and how it is still affecting Sierra Leone today. It also talks about the current issues of Ebola and HIV/AIDS. This piece was written objectively to inform the reader about the country. It touches on the Blood Diamond conflict, which my other sources also cover. I can use this source to outline effects of the Civil War, and the current situation in Sierra Leone.

Johnson, Eric. "Blood Diamonds." Blood Diamonds. Stanford University, 6 Dec. 2002. Web. This source was written to inform the reader of the history, events, effects, and costs of the Blood Diamond Civil War in Sierra Leone. It outlines the history of the conflict in detail, and specific examples of what the conflict did to the nation. It was written by a University to inform the reader about a world event. I can use this source to provide the history of my topic, and specific statistics and facts about the results of the war.

"Sierra Leone." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. This source was created to present the viewer with current facts and statistics about the economic, political, and social situations in Sierra Leone. It was written objectively by a government agency. I may be able to use this source for statistics to bolster my claim that the economy of Sierra Leone is suffering financially.

"Sierra Leone." Global Issues in Context. Gale Cengage Learning, 2015. Web. This article was written to teach the reader about the past and present situation of the diamond industry in Sierra Leone, as well as the Civil War. It provides information on diamond market activity, and explains why the economy in Sierra Leone is still so unstable. The source was written by a well-known magazine to inform its readers about the economy in Sierra Leone. I can use this source to bolster my claims about the effects of the Blood Diamond Civil War on the population, and the economic situation in Sierra Leone.

Msimangu: Cry Character

Msimangu is a kind-hearted man who concerns himself with the needs and troubles of others. He is a priest in Johannesburg, and is finding that more people are leaving the church out of impatience, looking to solve their problems themselves rather than through God. Msimangu is not afraid to voice his opinions on the problems of South Africa and the new generation. He serves as an example of the old tribe of Priests, in contrast to the adapted generation of politicians like John Kumalo who believe that only by taking power themselves can they end the segregation of South Africa.

"I see only one hope for our country, and that is when white men and black men, desiring neither power nor money, but desiring only the good of their country, come together to work for it” (Paton 40).

“Sometimes it quietens one to smoke. But there should be another kind of quiet in a man, and then let him smoke to enjoy it. But in Johannesburg it is hard sometimes to find that kind of quiet” (24).

“Because the white man has power, we too want power, he said. But when a black man gets power, when he gets money, he is a great man if he is not corrupted”(39).

Shedding the Past

Thesis: Sijie uses the symbol of the narrator’s sheepskin coat to illustrate the connection the narrator feels to his former and life the significance of his friendship with Luo.

This connects to Coming of Age in that the narrator is coming to terms with Luo entering into a relationship and advancing past their friendship. He feels that he is losing his friend and his family, but is choosing to handle the change maturely.

Sheepskin Coat Represents:

• the boys’ friendship
• betrayal or hurt
• intellectual property being stolen?
• inner thoughts being used to benefit another?
• Luo’s disregard for the narrator’s possessions

• a connection to the narrator’s home
• making the mountain life his own journey
• staying connected to his past, or himself while on the mountain
• inspiration for what he wanted his life to be like again

• makes Little Seamstress feel more educated
• Luo’s struggle to civilize the Little Seamstress
• literature connected the Seamstress and Luo

1. “I copied out the chapter where Ursule somnambulates. I longed to be like her: to be able, while I lay asleep on my bed...I would visit, in my dreams, places I had never set eyes on before…”(58)

2. “He borrowed my sheepskin coat to wear when he went to meet the Little Seamstress at the foot of their gingko tree in the valley of love. After I had read the passage from Balzac to her word for word… she took your coat and reread the whole thing in silence… When she’d finished reading she sat there quite still, open-mouthed. This fellow Balzac is a wizard… He touched the head of this mountain girl with an invisible finger, and was transformed, carried away in a dream.”(62)

Thesis: Sijie uses the symbol of the buffalo to emphasize the significance of Four Eyes. Escaping from his re-education process, while giving up his morality in the process. This connects to Coming of Age in that Four Eyes has grown up from a boy into a man by really showing his literature skills.

Buffalo Represents:

• Four-Eyes’ re-education
• his struggle
• his revenge for the buffalo for breaking his glasses, like the re-education threatening his job?
• Cultural Revolution taking away his opportunities
• job blinded him to the value of the literature, like buffalo blinded him by breaking his glasses

1. “They’re waiting for the blood to congeal, … It’s a remedy against cowardice. To gain courage, you must swallow it when it’s still lukewarm and frothy… He (the headman) caressed the edge with the tips of his fingers and then sliced the pudding of thick blood in two: half for Four-Eyes, half for himself.” (94)

2. “For all his efforts to dodge the relentless lashes, one split second of inattention was enough for Four-Eyes to receive a blow to the face from the buffalo’s tail, which spent his spectacles hurtling through the air...He bent over and plunged his arms into the water, groping around in the mud. The blank expression in his bulging eyes was disconcerting.”(49)

Begin

Begin

The river was carved to flow one direction,

The tree to grow only up.

Those who attempt to swim up the stream will forever struggle in place,

Those who wish to be rewarded without work will wait for countless years in vain.

The deepest lake began as a small drop of rain,

The strongest bull as a young calf.

Time

Energy

Understanding

Each one constantly develops and rolls forward

Their paths run deeper as they move along

If one wishes,

To be complete

To be rewarded

To understand

To be mighty

To be wise

To be one

They must begin

Where all other life

And force

And energy

Finds its source

The Tao

The first beginning

The ultimate purpose

The greatest life-giving

The strongest of forces

If you wish to know,

Then Begin

To Justify Our Own Beliefs