The following morning after Makar Semyonich had asked for forgiveness from Ivan Akisionov, he decided to visit the prison warden and confess his previous crime. It was a crime, which he committed, but he was never arrested or charged. It was during the next day, when a convoy of soldiers had led all the other prisoners out, in order to work that Semyonich excluded himself from the group and visited the warden's office. At the gate, he met two soldiers who were guarding the entrance to the office of the prison warden. He inquired whether the warden had arrived and the guards told him that the warden had arrived a few minutes earlier. After being shown to the office escorted by one of the guards, he thanked them and entered the spacious office. It was the first time that Semyonich had visited the warden office. In the front desk, the warden’s secretary informed him that the warden was busy with another visitor. The secretary politely asked him to have a seat while he waited for the warden, in order to finish with the other visitor.
Semyonich sat at a seat placed at the far corner of the secretary’s office, and waited patiently for his turn to visit the warden. The Semyonich that was in the warden’s office was different from the Semyonich that had joined other prisoners previously. He was calm, peaceful and apologetic as well as respectful. This is because while he was speaking to the secretary inquiring about the schedule of the warden he appeared respectful and a man of substance. This was evidently different from the earlier man who seemed to be arrogant, disrespectful and uncaring. It was evident that the encounter with Aksionov had touched him and changed him for good. He was massively grateful to Aksionov because although he knew that it was Semyonich fault that he was jailed for over 26 years, he was still ready to forgive and forget. He highly regretted his contribution to the jailing of Aksionov, and he wanted to offer the elderly man a chance to see the outside world and his family for the last time, before his demise.
After waiting at the front desk for over half an hour, the visitor in the warden’s office left, and he had the opportunity to rectify the wrong that he had committed over two decades ago. As the warden was escorting his visitor outside the office, his secretary alerted and informed him of the Semyonich’s presence in the office.
The secretary said to the warden, “Sir you have another visitor, he has been waiting to see for a few minutes.”
The warden answered her, “I thought I told you that I need to leave for a meeting outside the prison, why is he here?” The secretary answered that she had informed the prisoner of the warden’ orders, but the prisoners had insisted that what he had to say was significant. Speaking to Semyonich the warden asked, “How may I help you? Are you not supposed to be working with the other prisoners?” Responding to the warden’s query Semyonich answered, “I have something to confess. It has been bothering me for the longest time, and I believe that, after last night, it is the right time that I confess for a sin, which I committed a long time ago.
Warden, “Why are you coming to confess this now when you had a lot of time before to do the same?”
Semyonich answered. “It is a long story, and I would prefer to narrate it while you write it down because it would result to release of an innocent victim that was wrongly accused and convicted.” At that juncture, the Warden ushered him to his office followed with his secretary who had a notebook and pen to write down Semyonich’s confession.
The warden’s office was neat and expertly arranged. It had an office desk at the middle and the warden’s seat behind the desk. At the front of the desk were two sets that were facing each other. The walls were painted white, and there were pictures of prisoners who had excelled in their behaviors while in the correctional facility placed around the four walls. On the wall directly above the warden’s chair was a picture of the warden in his full combat and work uniform. There was a set or rose flowers placed on the warden’s desk and a picture of two daughters and wife of the warden that were smiling widely. Semyonich appreciated the fragrance that was filling the office. After asking him to sit down the warden, asked Semyonich to narrate his tale as the secretary recorded his words. When, he started speaking there was no stopping as Semyonich confessed to the murder of the merchant 26 years (Tolstoy 1829). He explained how a jealousy businessperson contracted him to kill the merchant and Aksionov, in order to eliminate them from the business dealings of the region. The merchant viewed the two as threats to his ambition to dominate the region.
After Semyonich’s confession, the warden asked him to sign it and promised to make certain that Aksionov was offered the justice he deserved. He promised that he would make certain that Aksionov is exonerated from any wrongdoing in the merchant’s murder (The literature network). He made a phone call to the prison cell asking the guards to bring Aksionov to his office while they waited to give him the good news. However, the guard called back to inform them that Aksionov had died that previous night and his body was at the prison morgue. Obviously, God sees the truth but waits.
Works Cited
The literature network. God Sees the Truth, but Waits. Web. Available at,
< http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/2061/>
Tolstoy, Leo. God Sees the Truth, but Waits. (1828-1910).
