Kita Hayworth was a police officer at a high rank. She was about my father’s age but lived in an entirely different city. She was a really tough woman who knew martial arts and usually handled dangerous criminals on her own.

One day, she locked a prisoner in jail. That prisoner was a seventeen year old kid. She called her father to the police station.

After several minutes as the criminal’s father came, she asked him while she was seated on her desk,

“Are you his father?”

“Yes.”

“What is your name?”

“Walter Brow.”

“Your son… You do know what he did right?”

“Look officer, I’m really sorry. I had no idea. I asked him to go for grocery shopping, he just got into a fight.”

“A fight? Really? He killed the salesman.”

“It must be an accident. I’m sorry. Take me instead please.”

“Shut up!” she exclaimed angrily.

After a moment, she stood up and said to Walter,

“Your son broke the law. He will be punished.”

“He’s too young. He has no sense of right or wrong.”

“You can say that in court. The Judges might give you some concession.”

“Do you think I’m rich enough to afford a lawyer?”

“I’m sorry, but that’s not my problem.”

“Okay, hear me out for once, please.”

“Make it quick.”

“Is there any way that we can make a deal? I mean, what if you arrest me instead of him.”

“Look, you’re wasting my time. All I can tell you is that if you can prove in the court that he is quite immature, his punishment might be reduced.”

“Reduced?”

“He’ll get an imprisonment

for life.”

“Oh, my God!”

“Don’t over react,” she said pointing her finger towards him, “Stop wasting my time. I don’t have time for…”

“…Just look at his face,” Walter interrupted her, “he’s so little. Do you think he is capable of spending his remaining

life in jail?”

Rita looked at the police constable and ordered,

“Get him out! Out of here!”

The two police constables came and gently pushed Walter outside. He said to them,

“Please, let me talk. My son, he will die in here.”

The constables kept on pushing him until Walter spoke out angrily looking at Rita,

“Keep in mind! If anything happens to my son. I swear, I will return and have my revenge.”

“Kick him out of here,” she ordered.

As he was thrown out, Rita sat back on her chair angrily and spoke to herself,

“These low life goons. Don’t know who they are standing against?”

She saw the two constables coming back inside, she said to them,

“Make sure he doesn’t come back.”

“Got it,” one of them replied.

“And this kid over here. You have to watch him every minute.”

“I will,” the other one said.

Walter who was lying outside started weeping really bad. He said to himself,

I am such a failure.

He stood up and walked towards another direction saying,

I am such a loser. I couldn’t even stand up for my son. I have no right to live. I must die.

He then rushed towards the road and as he saw some car headed towards his direction in fast speed, he stood right in front of it and said,

Goodbye, cruel world!

**************

When I was twenty four years old, I was called by my uncle. My father’s brother invited me over to his house and after lunch, he made me sit down and listen to him with utmost attention.

“Your father has shifted,” he said to me. “He has moved to Mexico.”

“Mexico? Why?” I was quite shocked.

“Your father has found a better job there. He is making a fortune over there. He is doing this for you.”

“But… But why didn’t he tell me. How did he just shift overnight and didn’t even say goodbye to me.”

“No, it’s not like that. He has moved under catastrophic conditions. As you know that he was working as a labourer here, there were plenty of workers from Mexico. They joined his department. Some of them got injured here few days back. One even died. So, now it was your father’s and some other members’ responsibility.”

“Responsibility? Wait, he was the one who got them injured.”

“No, it was your father’s responsibility to go to their families and testify.”

“About what?”

“About the entire accident and some insurance issues as well.”

“Oh… So, when is he returning?”

“He was supposed to return yesterday. But he didn’t. He found a better job there; he says he has to stay there now.”

“But why couldn’t he simply return? I mean, for just one day.”

“No, it is not like that. The secret part is that he went illegally. He crossed borders without passport and stuff. It can be dangerous for him to return, try and understand.”

“I see. Okay, I get it.

I understood now.”

“So, now you have to stay calm. He is alone over there, but he has stated that he will write you every week.”

“Okay.”

“You can write him too.”

“How about Emailing?”

“I suppose you can, but he has no access to computers there.”

“Right. Anyways,

I’ll really miss him.”

My father had left me.

I was alone and miserable.

In fact,

I had lost the peace of my life really bad. My uncle used to send me my father’s letters but I couldn’t open them or read them. I was too upset.

How could you leave? I used to talk to my father, out loud.

I soon realised that I had grown up to become a weak and sensitive person. It wasn’t spoon feeding or anything, but it was the loneliness that was really eating me.

He had no idea about how much I missed him, but by the end of the day I always knew that he had taken this huge step for me. And, I also knew that he would return some day and I would meet him again.

However, fate closed one door of happiness from my life and opened another one. I found love again.

But before that I was having a really depressed life.

I was one day sitting with my friends who had graduated with me. We were having a friendly conversation but I was thinking about my father all the time. One of my friends asked me,

“You are a bit down.

Is everything okay?”

“Yup. I’m good.”

“You’re hardly talking to us.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Another one of my friends said,

“I think, he’s upset about leaving this university.”

They all laughed, I also laughed with them.

“Yes, you’re right,” I said while laughing with them.

Few minutes after, one of our friends said,

“How about we arrange a party in the coming week?”

“Sure.”

“Sounds fun.”

Others agreed and seemed enthusiastic. I however, was not interested and said,

“You guys have fun.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t come.”

“Why not?”

“Thank you. I’m good.”

I left them politely after a little more conversation.

**************

I used to stay depressed all day. It was as if my father had passed away. I was however, sure that it wasn’t like that but this constant connection with my father had made me weak.

There came a time when I really wanted to grow and move on. I wanted to think differently about life now. I used to tell myself that there was a time when I did not like my father’s overwhelming feelings towards me. I had this opportunity now.

With the passage of time, I however, got the chance to feel strong again and think about different things. Those were the days, when I started hanging out with my street friends, quite a lot.

I, one day, went to my uncle’s house and talked to him about my father. He was really surprised to know that I hadn’t read any of my father’s letters. So, he asked,

“So, you haven’t read a single letter?”

“No.”

“Not a single one from the ones that I sent you?”

“Well, this is the truth.”

“But why?”

“Okay, leave it please,” I tried to avoid the conversation.

“Come on, tell me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“You don’t want to talk about this?”

“Yes, but I said it about the letters.”

“What? Sorry, I didn’t get you.”

“I’m saying…” I got irritated and replied “I don’t want to read my father’s letters.”

“Why? Why not?”

“We’re getting in that conversation again.”

“Alright, fine! I’ll stop.”

“Thank you.”

After a little silence for a while, I asked him,

“How about I go and pay him a visit?”

“I don’t know, can you?”

“Why not?”

“You don’t have a passport or anything, how can you?”

“No, I mean after arranging this stuff. I can go and meet

him right?”

“I don’t see why not you. Yes, you can.”

“Great, so then I’ll work on it.”

“Look,” he said trying to be polite, “that is something that shall happen after a long time. You know it. I’m just suggesting why don’t you read his letters first?”

“I’m upset with him. I really don’t want to.”

“What if there’s something really important that he wants to say?

He must be waiting for your replies.”

“Okay, I’ll write to him. But I still don’t think that the way he left me was something acceptable.”

“Why don’t you forgive him for that?”

“I’ll try. But I can’t.”

He had nothing to say further, so he stood up and said,

“Alright, I’ll get the dinner now.”

“Sure.”

He left the room.

**************

I was looking for a job now. I had Bachelor’s degree but I hardly had any work experience. I applied in different firms and waited for their responses.

Other than this, I was usually spending time with my friend Carl, who was my age and had graduated with me. Our friendship was not based on fun and enjoyment; it was rather based on spending quality time and discussing

the observations of life.

Carl and I used to ride bikes together, but we never got into disgraceful activities that young adults of our age were usually found in.

One day, we were having a normal chat at the beach. We were all alone there when he told me,

“I lost my father several years ago. I understand how you feel.”

“You never told me about this.”

“I didn’t feel like.”

“Oh…well! I’m sorry to hear that.”

He didn’t answer me and kept on walking with me. So, I said to him,

“Well, I guess you and I have something in common. We both lost our father unexpectedly and we both really miss them.”

“Well, you are way luckier than I am. You, at least know where your father lives. I cannot see my father again. Not ever.”

“Well, I’m so sorry about that…”

We kept on talking for a while, until it got darker and then we left for our respective homes.

**************

Next day was the day which means really a lot to me. My life took a turn, a turn that was going to last for quite long. If someone would ask me to undo that change if I had the opportunity in some world, then I most definitely would have.

I was sitting outside my university. I saw some girls making their way inside. I wasn’t interested in having friendship with anyone. I however, saw some beggar like person who was walking with the help of crutches coming towards me. I stood up and asked,

“Yes, can I help you?”

“Young kid, can you go inside the generator room?”

“The one close by?”

“Yes.”

I was a bit surprised as to why he wanted me to go there, but I did anyway. He further said,

“My spectacles are there inside. I would really appreciate if you…”

“…Okay, what colour are they?

I mean the frames.”

“Dark brown.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you.”

He must be a worker here,

I never saw him before but I went to help him.

Anyways, I entered inside the generator room and saw no one except a girl of my age. The room was large and empty, except for the generator and a chair. I saw that there were spectacles on the chair.

Unexpectedly, the door of the room got shut and locked. The girl in the room got terrified and she asked me,

“What’s going on?”

to be continued...