Baby Pictures

Every criminal has his story

‘Baby Pictures

‘Look at this, Dan. It’s from back when my dad lived with me,’ Lar extended the photograph towards his friend. It was an old photograph, the corner of it half-torn, but the picture meant a lot to Lar. He was sitting on a wheel- cart with his father standing behind him, his strong hands on the handles, pushing him slowly down the hill as 4-year old Lar laughed as if it was the happiest day of his life. It really was, as that was the last day he saw him.

The two top criminals of the country sat together on the warm floor on a hot July afternoon, little photographs scattered all around them. They brought back so many memories- good, bad but mostly good. The sunlight peeped through the small window, as Dan carefully scrutinized the picture his friend had just handed out to him.

‘You look awfully like your father,’ Dan commented slowly after about five minutes.

‘I wish I didn’t,’ Lar grumbled. A particular picture that lay at one corner of the ‘bed’ suddenly caught his eye. He crawled towards it and picked it up with his rough, scarred hands. A long sad sigh escaped his lips as he stared at the picture of his mom and him. It was the day he was born and it was the day she died. He traced his mother’s face with his thumb, his throat burning with the tears that refused to form. His mother was smiling, even though she knew she had only a few more hours to live. She held him so tight, so lovingly. Did she know his innocent son would turn out to be the person he was today? Did she know that one day at least 50 families all around the world would want him dead? Did she know that her husband would leave their baby alone in the streets and never come back? Did she know?

‘You shouldn’t say like that dude. He’s your father,’ Dan broke the silence. 

Lar’s blood began to boil, his hands shook terribly. He scrunched up the little photograph in his fists. ‘He left me when I was 4. He is the reason I became a criminal. He is the reason I am here today. He is the reason I am getting…’

Lar couldn’t complete his sentence. The guard was standing behind the bars. It’s time.

Lar was taken into the shower room and then he was given fresh white clothes to wear. It was now time for him to walk the longest walk of his life- a walk that ultimately had no end. The room was now in his sight, the rope, which was nicely tied into a loop for him to place his head, clearly visible. For a moment, Lar wished he hadn’t placed a bomb at the kindergarten. But the guiltiness was gone in an instance. He remembered the picture of his mother and him, and he knew he was going back to her loving arms.

‘Do you have any last wish?’ the man asked before he put the black cloth around his face.

Lar smiled. ‘Just make sure that when you bury me, you bury my baby pictures with me. I wanna die with a few happy memories.’ 

Author's Note

What do you guys think?

Reviews

[Talismanic]

How to describe a work of such profound quality and maturity... I'm enthralled! Exactly as you worded it, EVERY human being has their own story that influences how they see the world and who they have become. What's so remarkable is that you do this not by trying to justify your character's actions or motifs, but by making us reflect on a side to truth we are not familiar or comfortable with. It's much 'safer' to stand back and think of an 'enemy' as inherently evil, then risk feeling empathy... that is, recognition of our own despairs, and fundamental need for happiness. I'm reminded of a saying that says, basically, no-one 'can ever truly understand the mystery' that is another life. By concealing and revealling precisely enough detail, you pretty well hijack our emotions:) in the most excruciatingly beautiful way, and destabalize that part of our brains that calls crime and punnishment a simple concept. But the cycle of blame is fruitless, unfair, ...and endless.

[Lonely Islander]

Thank you so very much for your wonderful comment. That really lifted me up. Crime really is endless but for some reason my stories always end up with the criminal having a sad story. Maybe they really do. Anyways, thank you somuch again:-):-):-D.

[That_Girl]

I actually felt bad for him until I saw the word "kindergarten", then I didn't at all. And then the last line brought back a little sympathy. Well done!

[Lonely Islander]

That was my plan, you know and im glad it worked. Thank you so much for reading:-):-):-D.

[Pax]

such an endearing ending... I guess he just succumb to the badside of his nature... his bad experienced in the past makes the person he is today... though he embrace his darkside, the light in his heart was still evident and now his clouded with regret... that we can never undo what had already happened...

Great work my friend.

[Lonely Islander]

Thank u so much pax:-):-):-D.

[RachelReaper]

aw! I know the guys in the story were awful, but for a minute there I was really feeling bad for them. I felt kind of sad that they died, you made me attatched.

[Lonely Islander]

thanks so much reaper:-):-).

[RachelReaper]

:D welcy