“You’ve changed, you say” Leyla put her hands on her hips, raised her left eyebrow staring at Julian.
“Yes… I’ve come to ask forgiveness… I acted wrong,” he couldn’t meet her flint-hard eyes.
“Forgiveness… after what you did?… Time might flow like river-water, but beside a waterfall it still looks much the same.”
“But… my life is desert… just say yes.”
“Then may you die of thirst! — I’ll never forgive you!”
“But… I’ll do anything… don’t you remember… how it was… before I mean”.
“… before you raped me.”.
Julian left — silently.
Leyla’s heart stopped racing, he had changed.
© Dale Rogerson
I couldn’t think of anything else than time flowing when I saw the beautiful picture, but sometimes time cannot heal. This time I thought I write it mostly in dialogue.
Friday Fictioneers is a wonderful way to improve your writing. Six years for and still going on… thank you Rochelle for keeping it up.
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November 21, 2018
Björn Rudbergs writings 
That was good! Liked the plot twist. More, please?
Ha.. I think Julian will have to look elsewhere for water.
It looks that way….
Some criminals are certainly sicker than others. I recently read Our Kind of Cruelty: A Novel, by Araminta Hall, and the attitude of dear Julian, here, reminds of how the protagonist of that novel thinks. He, too, is delusional all the way to the end. And the female lead in the novel is a disturbed by it as your character is.
Fantastic dialogue, Björn.
Thank you… yes I am still surprised by how men think they can act.
A nasty twist, I’m not sure there is any saving this relationship if this is what happened.
Nope, no relationship, no future… (together)
Very powerful story! Totally unexpected. Well done.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Thank you… it is so common, maybe the unexpected is that he asks for forgiveness
A snapshot of a very troubling conversation. Well done, Bjorn.
Thank you… he got some nerve to come… it’s better to leave
Even assuming he’s changed legitimately, rape is pretty hard to make up for.
I think that the only acceptable way is to crawl under some rocks and hide.
kaykuala
One can’t help but sympathize with those who had to put up with such elements. A serious matter he’s changed but wonder if it is accompanied with remorse!
Hank
The only way he has changed is that he will not rape her again
I don’t think that could ever be forgiven to the point of rebuilding a relationship as a couple.
There are too many guys who think they can be forgiven… and rebuilding a relationship… well that would be even worse.
True. And they can’t. It’s nonsense to even attempt it.
There is no forgiveness in a case like that. You captured the stupidity of too many guys.
The most stupid is the rape itself of course…
he had changed but would be enough to win her heart? that’s the question.
The answer to that would be no… she just want him elsewhere.
That was very powerfully written Bjorn.
Thank you…
She may think he has changed but I feel it is a rouge. Hope she lets him continue his walk of shame.
I think she doesn’t really care how he feels as long as he keeps his distance.
Leyla is in an unforgiving mood. No amount of sweet talk is going to help Julian.
Nope… and if he doesn’t keep away, it might be painful and not just shameful.
I’m glad he’s at least changed enough that he didn’t attack her.
Exactly… a small but very important change.
Powerful stuff, Bjorn, and a sharp insight to the human condition.
I think it should be obvious… but I think there are guys who have ceased to think…
Sorry, certainly doesn’t make this situation right. Well written, Bjorn.
Nope… only way to go is by degrees of separation.
Very well written, Bjorn.
Thank you
Changed? Maybe – but he still did it, and he’s got a nerve expecting forgiveness.
He only want’s forgiveness for himself… he is as selfish as he has always been… only change is that he didn’t rape again.
Forgiveness, perhaps. But trust, probably not.
No trust… the only thing that helps is lifelong separation.
Dear Björn,
Somehow I don’t think this relationship can be completely mended. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I think she wants there to be no relationship.
So true. Some wounds do not heal.
Nope, the only healing is keeping the distance.
Rape would be a very hard thing to forgive but it’s not impossible. There’s no future here, though.
I think forgiveness has to be given… but never asked for in a case like this… it’s her choice.
I don’t see any way back. The trust is gone.
No way back… the only thing he can do is to wait…
I don’t think he’s fundamentally changed if he feels he could ever be forgiven.
Exactly… asking forgiveness is just another form of selfishness..
Dead right, Bjorn
The twist at the end was intense. No matter how he has changed, too much damage has been done. Forgiveness is one thing, reconciliation is another. I sincerely enjoyed the dialogue.
I think she has to decide if she ever forgive… right now is the best he can hope for is her indifference.
I hope she holds her ground. If he’s truly changed, kudos to him. But in her place, I wouldn’t give him an inch. Not one tiny inch.
I think if he changed…. he should stay away.
Whoa! intense piece. I hope she is able to heal… and i’m sure glad he left… should never have approached her after that!
Exactly… maybe one day she might decide to send a letter… until then he has to live with what he did.
Your tense dialogue conveys so much feeling – anger, mistrust, betrayal, pleading. A sombre subject. I wouldn’t trust him to change at all – he doesn’t get it, does he ?
he didn’t rape her again… maybe he thought that would be change enough.
Wow.
Thanks
Poor guy, it’s all about him. Maybe a few years behind the bars and he will really change.
I think he’s already spent those year behind bars… now he needs to live with it too…