The Accidental Chance

It was as if fear crept in from a secret back door. I had no idea what to do. Daniel was lying still, little bubbles of froth coming out from the side of his mouth. Mother wailed at the top of her voice. An eerie silence filled the room. The nurse went running to call the doctor. My little brother was lying dead in front of my eyes. I didn’t know what to feel. I remembered the times Daniel and I used to play in the yard. He precariously tried to copy whatever I did, like younger siblings often do. But I was already half paid to agree to do the task. A desperate hunch in me kept telling me that this was probably a big chance for me to finally get out and do something worthwhile. Something which would get me noticed.

Quenching my thirst to make it big I compromised with my ethical self. I didn’t want to leave mother in such times of despair but I had no choice. We needed the money now more than ever. Maybe what they say is true. The right way is sometimes the ugly way and more importantly the only way. Fighting great hesitation I picked up the phone and said yes to the work I had been offered. I was to be their new delivery boy now that my brother was dead. These were the drug cartels I was dealing with. The most talked about one in town. It was easy money and I wasn’t born with a silver spoon. Five years of dedicated field work meant I could be one of their trusted men. My brother was naive. He died in crossfire in one of his field deliveries. I was always more wise and practical than him and handled the gun better too.

Moreover, if I didn’t do the job then someone else will. It might as well be me making some money, I consoled myself. A bursting and booming business like this, however illegal, will never stop at anyone’s moral inner calls. Even the police didn’t have the power to stop them. In fact, they were as much part of the business as the drug lords themselves. How many a time have I seen them drinking and merry making with the cartels as if it was they who paid their salaries and not the government. Good work requires more than your good intentions but the so called ‘bad’ work always trusts you with a chance. This was my chance.