NELSON MANDELA - A
Great Man
After becoming
president, I asked my escort to lunch at a restaurant. We sat down and each of
us asked for what we wanted.
At the front table,
there was a man waiting to be answered. When served, I told one of my soldiers:
go ask this gentleman to join us. Soldier went and conveyed my invitation to
him. The man stood up, took his plate and sat right next to me.
While eating his
hands constantly shivered and didn't lift his head off his food. When we were
done, he said goodbye to me without just looking at me, I shook his hand and he
walked away.
The soldier
commented to me:
Madiva that man
must have been very sick as his hands wouldn't stop shaking while eating.
No, not at all! The
reason for your tremor is another.
So I said to them:
That man was the
prison keeper where I was. After he tortured me, I would scream and cry asking
for some water and he would humiliate me, laugh at me and instead of giving me
water, pissing on my head.
He was sick, he was
scared waiting for me now president of South Africa to arrest him and do what
he did to me. But that's not who I am, this conduct is not part of my
character, nor of my ethics.
′′ Minds seeking
vengeance destroy states, while those seeking reconciliation build nations.
Walking out the door to my freedom, I knew that if I didn't leave all the
anger, hatred and resentment, I would remain a prisoner."
Nelson Mandela.
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