the story continues > mini-doc transcript - michael's story

Mini-doc transcript - Michael's story

• After the attack
• A year later
• 12 months later

Super 8 footage shows Michael as a child.
Laura [v/o]: I had two children - Michael, boisterous and head-strong and Cathy, who was painfully shy as a child. And I made the decision to devote myself entirely to the task of being as good a mother as I possibly could be.

After the attack

Michael: In Laura’s case, a certain amount of it was brought upon by herself. The fact that, to invite a person into your house after midnight to come in and have a cup of tea or something like that, in the current situation,

A year later

Michael: I blamed her?
Cathy (off screen): Yes
Michael: Not a chance.
Cathy: Yeah, you did. You said it was her fault for letting him in the house.
Michael: That’s not blaming somebody.
Cathy: That’s how it felt to her.
Michael: Yeah, well. That’s not blaming somebody. If I’m going to speak to Laura I will do it in front of her and not in front of this thing. This is bullshit this.

Super 8 footage of Michael as child with Laura

Michael: You’ve actually got me into a place where I’m very, very..(sighs)..how does one put this? I’m sorry and I really hope that this cam make it better. That’s all I can say.

Cathy (off screen): Michael, that’s…thank you.

12 months later

Michael: I think life is full of lessons. And what one needs to do is to see where the things are that are going to give you something to build on. The lesson that I’ve learnt is about compassion. It’s about feeling, and understanding the situation and not making rash and wonderful statements that are just casual and off-the-cuff - why did you do that? There is a lot that I’ve learnt from the whole thing and now that’s its all out and its said and done, there is a sense of relief and…it’s like Laura was saying – the forgiving works both ways.

Cathy (off screen): Do you still feel cross with me for putting you through that ordeal?

Michael: Ja, there were times when I was cross. But obviously now that one sees what the effect is of it all, then... At one point, it seemed to me ‘what is it all about?’ It didn’t seem to have any purpose. It was just some crazed mission my sister is on. But now that it’s all done and the final product has come out, the film is there, the reaction from my mother... to see the turn around from that, that absolutely depressed person sitting there – it’s heart-breaking to see that. And to see somebody now smiling, socialising with people, getting out, doing things – it is definitely – it has made this all so worth while.