True Hero

The little boy of 7 was very happy to play with his father that day. His father made him lovely origami toys. He did not understand why his mother was crying earlier that day when his father told his mother, "Let me play with him. It might be the last time."

"Come Harry. Let's have some fun time!"

And they played happily, then suddenly some officers came knocking on the door.

"Open up! We have a search warrant!"

He got scared of the officers' big black boots and hid behind his mother, clutching in his little hands the dragon that his father and he were playing with. His father opened the door.

"Hmm....so he is home and not hiding." scoffed the Inspector.

"I have nothing to hide, Inspector. You may search the place." his father spoke softly.

"We will soon see about that! We got information from a reliable source that you have secret Government naval ship plans of new technology which you intend to sell to foreign countries. I do not like traitors." The inspector growled at him.

"I already told you, that those plans had fatal errors in them and have to be corrected. Why won't anyone listen to me?"

The inspector looked at him, sizing him up and said, "If what you say is true, you better pray we do not find those documents on your person or in your house. If we do, you will be termed a traitor to your country."

"You can frisk me, Sir. I have nothing to hide."

The inspector ordered his officers "Search the house and don't miss anything."

The officers went into the house, while Harry and his mother stood silently on one side.

After 30 minutes of searching, the officers came back empty-handed. They searched the father and the mother. For Harry, his mother just removed his clothes and put them back on which satisfied the officers.

"Hmm...nothing has been found." The inspector eyed him suspiciously and then they left.

Later on, his mother asked his father, "What happened? What did they want? It has to be something related to your scientific work with the government."

His father said, "I have those plans with me. They are dangerous for everyone, those naval ships were going to be bases for emitting radio waves which were supposed to target enemy nations and terminate all life there. The targeting system is not perfect, and it could harm entire populations. I made the designs, with time I can make it perfect, but the Government does not want to give me time to make the necessary corrections. Political pressure - they all want a piece of that. Technology like that is worth billions of dollars. But my conscience cannot take the burden. This technology is here because of me. I had to hide it so that I can fix it and make it safe. We do not want another war, this technology can use radio waves to transmit peace and well being to the entire planet, but they want to use it as a weapon."

"But they searched the whole house and all of us!" she exclaimed. "Did you destroy the plans?"

"Oh no! I just need time to fix the technology. I have hidden it very safely."

"Where? A bank vault?"

"You think they have not checked all my bank vaults and everywhere I have been? They knew that the plans had to be with me today, and they were right. And I also knew that they will check every nook and cranny in the house. I had to ensure that the plans would not be discovered, so I had to keep it right under their noses."

She looked at him questioningly as Harry began to play again with the intricate dragon his father made for him that day.

"You see my dear" smiled his father as he looked at Harry play happily," Earlier, I had learnt detailed origami to relieve stress from work. It just happened to come handy today."