I’m disinclined to acquiesce to your request
 |
| Image: All Rights Reserved |
| London : HarperCollins Children’s |
| 2007 |
The thing I knew for sure was this.
Violet asked my dad to help her die.
And then what?
Did my dad say yes or no? Because if he said yes, it changes things.
Because if you agree to help someone die and disappear shortly after, there’s a good chance those two things are connected.
I’ve been trying to remember what my dad was like in the months before Violet died and he left us, when I was ten and strange (apparently) and probably not helping much with all my staring.
Was he thinking the whole time about helping an old lady die?
Or was he just dreaming up ways of escape?
I’ve thought about it a lot and I’m guessing things went something like this.
After Violet asked my dad to kill her, after the tape recorder got switched off, after she maybe repeated the question, my dad said NO.
He might have got up and paced the room a bit, but mostly he would have felt pretty calm in the knowledge that there was no way he was going to help her however much she begged him.
My dad didn’t do much for others, remember, and this was quite a lot to ask.
If you don’t remember birthdays and anniversaries, if you never take your kids to school or the zoo or the London Planetarium, if giving someone a lift to the station is a major inconvenience, then assisted suicide is way out of range.
It’s just one favour too far.
Extract from the book Finding Violet Park
By Jenny Valentine
All Rights Reserved.
London : HarperCollins Children’s, 2007.
Call Number: Y English VAL
Extract contributed by Heng Huey Bin
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How far would you go to help another?
July 2nd, 2010 at 6:49 pm
well i would go as far as i can.i try 2 help as much as i can so that i feel good and change another person`s life for the better. on the other hand , if i am doig this to hurt someone i would neglate it immediately.we are all human beings ,god created all of us SO WHY HURT ANOTHER PERSON??? we shuold be kind towards eachother and help them as much as possible. . .
July 7th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
I would go and help the person in a courteous and gentle.We must just be patient to help one another without that there is no use of helping .It just means you are doing it for fun or proud.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I would help full-heartedly for the person.But if the person asked me to help them to steal something or do something bad or something that actually should not do,I would not help.
July 19th, 2010 at 11:51 am
How far? Maybe the furthest and the best i could do. Dying for a friend would be a little impossible for me
July 21st, 2010 at 8:58 am
i will do whatever i can, if it is within my means, but it depends who i am doing it for
July 21st, 2010 at 12:54 pm
I would die for anyone if asked to.
July 21st, 2010 at 12:55 pm
I will sacrifice for my friends, but as for my life, MAYBE.
July 21st, 2010 at 12:57 pm
I would never kill someone. Its like attempted murder and that blak mark will stay with you forever!!!!:(
My name is Davina:)
July 29th, 2010 at 8:39 am
sometimes in life, it can be difficult and can be quite tough at times.but no matter what happens, you still have to face it.whatever happens,suicide is never the solution because you have friends to care and to help you.
July 29th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Sometimes in life,you will meet some difficulties and the best way to solve it is to seek a counseller,friends or family members BUT REMEMBER (SUICIDE) is not a positive act!!!! Try to face all difficulties ahead of you!
July 29th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Sometimes in life,you will meet difficulties like me i have some difficlties too but u must find the way to solved it.Like wat miss lee said think and act positive!!!!!! Do not dgo to the negative is VERY BAD!!!!!!
August 20th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
I will go the furthest I can to help my friend. We have to love and help one another.
It actually depends who you are doing it for. If you are doing it for someone notorious and bad, I think you better stop whatever you’re doing. If I am asked to do something bad, I will definitely say no! Alas, some teenagers or even kids and adults follow blindly and do the wrong things.
We should always do good and not bad.We also should bear in mind: Not to be influenced by bad people.