IS IT A CRIME

IS IT A CRIME?



He walked past the door of the bank too many times not to be noticed.

This is the only way out the only answer he could come up with after days of worrying, and thinking of what to do.

He grabbed the handle of the door opened it than walked into the lobby. As he walked to the teller’s booth, he quickened his pace. He noticed there weren’t many people inside no paid any attention to him. When he reached the booth he placed his hand under his shirt gripped the handle of the gun tightly.

‘Good morning, how may I help you? the teller said with a smile.

Luther handed her a note with his other hand. The teller’s eyes grew wide with fear as she read it. The note said to put all the money in a bag, and not to make a sound. From the look in his eyes the teller could tell he was serious.

She grabbed a bag from under the counter she began filling it as fast as she could. Luther glanced around to see if anyone notice what was happening no one was paying attention to him. As he turned back to the teller she had just finished filling the bag with a look of horror on her face.

He took the bag from her showed her the handle of the gun than smiled. He turned walked as quickly to the door without attracting attention. When he reached the lobby he saw the guard sitting at a desk in the corner of the room. The guard got up from the desk he started walking toward him. Luther could see out of the corner of his eye that the teller was signaling the guard in his direction.

Before he could reach the door, the guard was already upon him.

“Excuse me, Sir, may I have a word with you? the guard said.

Luther turned pulled the gun out pointed it at the guard’s chest. He pulled the trigger twice. With disbelief in his eyes the guard dropped to his knees than fell to the floor the scream from the teller echoed the room.

“ I’m not going back I would rather die than go back to prison,” Luther yelled.
He knew there was no turning back being in prison for five years for armed robbery, the two drug convictions there wasn’t any hope for him now.

He turned pushed the door open stepped out onto the sidewalk and put the gun under his shirt. People were going back, and forth shopping doing their daily routine no one notice him. Luther turned headed down the street at a very fast pace, but not to fast to attract attention. He was at least two blocks away before he heard the sirens. His heart speeded up as he began to realize the sirens were for him. His mind was racing. What was he going to do?

As he reached the corner a police car came down the street zoomed past him. He looked down the street to see if any more were coming. There was a phone booth in the middle of the block he thought he had enough time to call Iris. Oh yes Iris. What was he going to tell her she warned him not to do this?

They had talked about this for days, but he had to do something. The kids needed to eat. He didn’t care about himself, but what is going to happen to his wife and children.

When he reached the phone, he turned his back to the street and began to make the call.

“Yes hello,” a soft and small voice answered.

“Hello Iris? this is Luther.

“Luther where are you? I was worried about you. I didn’t see you this morning when I woke up. Tahsuna isn’t feeling well I wanted to take her to the doctor. When will you be home?”

“Iris I won’t be coming home, I want to tell you were right. I shouldn’t have done it. It all went wrong. I’m sorry so sorry.”

“What’s wrong? Oh no Luther you didn’t do that job you talked about. No tell me you didn’t do it please?”

With silent sorrow he couldn’t answer her. He could hear the tears the hurt in her voice. He knew there wasn’t anyway now to explain, or justify what he did. He couldn’t think of anything to say to make it right.

“Iris, listen I don’t have much time. I’m going to leave a bag under the porch at your mother’s old house behind the big tree. I don’t want to come around you I don’t want to get you involved. If anyone asks you haven’t seen me in a few days. I will call you later.”

“Luther I love you.”

“I love you too. I will call you later.”

He hung up the phone he could feel the tears, and sorrow grow inside. He didn’t want to hurt anyone what made him do this. Before he could find an answer he saw a police car coming down the street slowly. He turned to walk to the corner in the opposite direction. As he approached the end of the street another police car was moving from the other direction toward him.

He crossed the street to avoid them but one car sped up then turned their lights on him.

“Stop, turn around put your hands up,” the police ordered.

Luther knew that he couldn’t be caught just yet. He had to get the money to Iris. He paused for a second than he begun to run down the street, He turned down an ally came to a high fence. Next to the fence there was a trashcan that he jumped on to help him get over the fence.

As he ran down the ally he could hear the brakes on the police car. He glanced back saw the lights on the car flashing. He heard yells from the police telling him to stop.

He came to a building with a fire escape; he jumped up to the ladder pulled it down. He began to climb to the roof when he reached the top he could see at least three police officers in the ally below. He ran across the roof jumped across to another building ran to the other side of the building. There was a fire escape that led to an ally so he began to climb down to the street below.

When he reached the ground there wasn’t anyone in the ally. He quickly walked to the end of the ally he peeped around the building he saw people looking down the street in the direction that he came from. There were some police cars with their lights flashing but those were the ones that chased him.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a gray car coming down the street. When it came closer to him he jumped in front of it pointed the gun at the driver. He forced the driver out of the car jumped in than drove off.

His heart was pounding sweat was pouring from his forehead he drove as calmly as he could trying not to attract attention. He knew sooner, or later the owner of the car would report the car stolen. So he headed directly to Iris mother’s house.

Once he reached the house he checked to see if anyone was home. Finding no one there he went around to the back put the bag under the porch. If anything should happen to him at least Iris, and the kids would be taken care of for a while.

He hurried back to the car drove off in the direction of the park. Maybe he could go there for a while try to think of a plan something to do. He parked the car a few blocks from the park. There wasn’t any need to keep it anymore beside it would attract attention he knew the owner had already reported it stolen.

He walked to the park found a bench in an area that was pretty much deserted.

There were a few people jogging walking their dogs no one seem to pay any attention to him. He really needed a place like this to sit to think of a plan some way to get out of this mess he was in.

Shooting the guard was a mistake an accident. What was he thinking? Only a few more steps he would have been out of the bank free and clear. He panic blacked out, or maybe he had some medical condition that he didn’t know about.
That could be his excuse temporary insanity. A doctor could explain it better. That would be his story that could get him out of this? ` A good lawyer would be able to get him off with a little time served… maybe a minimal security prison.

His thoughts were broken by the sounds of an approaching helicopter. He looked up in the direction of the sound he saw a police helicopter on the edge of the park. It was moving back and forth slowly moving over a group of people. Then it moved on coming closer to him.

He got up from the bench he started walking toward a group of trees. If he reached the trees before the copter could see him he thought he would be safe. He spotted a police car on that side of the park so he turned around, and headed toward a group of people that was walking with their children.

As he got closer to them the helicopter flew overhead and hovered over him.

“Stop don’t move,” a voice from the helicopter blasted out.

The world at that moment seemed too close in on him like a black hole drawing all matter into it to be dissolved into nothingness. Compacting it into the smallest space where nothing could escape.

“Is this the end of the road?” he thought.

“Don’t move. Lie down with you hands out. Or we will shoot,” the voice said again.

Luther looked around for a place to run. He looked at the group of people with their children. Without thinking he began to run toward them. As he approached them they began to scatter grabbing their children trying to get away. Some wasn’t fast enough and he was able to grab a little girl.

He pulled out the gun placed it to her head.

“I’m not going back so move away. Don’t force me to do something you wouldn’t like, “ he yelled at the copter.

“ Put the gun down. You are surrounded there is no way out. Think about what you are doing. There no need for anyone to get hurt. The guard you shot is still alive. So give up make it easy on yourself,” the voice blasted from the speaker.

His mind was racing a million miles an hours. Thousands of thoughts were coming and going in and out of his mind. He was confused he couldn’t think clearly with all the noise. The helicopter, the screams from the girl’s mother the cries of fear from the little girl he was holding wasn’t helping.

All he needed was a moment to think to make the right decision. With all the noise the crying the screaming not a clear thought could be found. Just like in the bank he felt he would make the wrong move do something unforgivable something he couldn’t take back.

As he held the crying girl with tears steaming down her brown eyes a vision of his daughter small soft ivory face with her dark round eyes flashed into his mind.

How would he feel if his daughter was crying in danger with a gun to her head? She didn’t do anything she was just out in the park playing like children do. This child could have a long beautiful life ahead for her. Collage, marriage maybe children of her own in her future.

The feeling of anger, and remorse was growing in his heart knowing that this was wrong he shouldn’t be doing this. Tears began forming in his eyes.

Seeing the fear in the girl’s mother angered him. He knew if someone was going to hurt Tahsuna his daughter he couldn’t live with that.

The answer was becoming very clear to him maybe he could help his children better if he was alive? Children need their parents as they grow someone to look up to, to talk to someone to make them feel loved. He couldn’t take that from this child’s mother or family.

He looked around saw that the park was filling up with police all surrounding him no way out. He could just let them shoot him it would be over quickly. Then he wouldn’t have to face his children he wouldn’t have to explain all of this to them. If he died here they wouldn’t know how much he loved them.

With tears in his eyes he lowered the gun from the girl’s head looking around he put her down. As the girl ran away to the waiting arms of her mother the look of joy on her face made him realize he made the right choice.

He knew that if Iris was here this is what she would have wanted him to do. He loved his wife and children. This is and should be his reason to live.

Luther raised the gun slowly toward his head stopped, looked around at all the people, children and police. With tears in his eyes he dropped to his knees than dropped the gun to his side.

“God forgive me, I love you Iris.” Luther said, “I want to live.”