It was like a miracle
01.09.2008
"When I was away for two years and eight months, nobody knew where I was, whether I was alive or dead. But I was in solitary confinement, that's their treatment. The cell was just the width of my arms and you weren't allowed talk, you weren't allowed to cough, you weren't allowed to sneeze, you were in solitary, I never saw any other prisoner.
You weren't allowed to close your eyes in the daytime and they watched you. Even though they might have you up for interrogation all night long, one night, two nights, three nights, four nights, a week, you were expected to stay awake in the daytime. If they found you with your eyes closed, they'd punish you. One day I noticed there was a bird outside the cell, hopping around, he was hungry and I kept him a little rice.
Then I noticed that now and again he would whistle and fly away and sit on the top window and 10 seconds after he flew away the guard came. Now I never knew where the guard was, never knew, I couldn't know but when the bird flew away I knew he was coming. So when the bird came back I could relax, I could close my eyes and sing a little song to myself.
Did I ever leave that cell? Yes I did often. They would come in and they would make me pick up my few bits of things, put a sack over my head and lead me out to some other cell. After about five minutes the bird would arrive. It was like a miracle, just like a miracle."
Aedan McGrath
- Taken from the Columban video "Missionaries of the People." In 1993, this award-winning video of the Columban Society's history was produced to celebrate our 75th year of missionary work. See www.columban.org then go to biographies and videos.
