Micah Jennings

2.8.05 Tuesday [tears]

I am soaked in exhaustion. I raced to make four deliveries today, a venture that took me almost two hundred miles. Mary Ward, Donald Brantley, Faith Holm, and Alahm Benjara are all accounted for—a total of over two thousand dollars returned. Needless to say, I wasn’t able to make it to Reginald’s, and I doubt he was surprised. I was home no sooner than 10:30.

Ben approached me as I fixed myself a sandwich after showering.

“We saw you on the news tonight,” he said.
“What?” I asked apprehensively.
“’Mr. Uncatchable,’ that is. They don’t seem to know who it is. Another one of your victims turned up, decided to report it. They mentioned there’s some ‘connection’, but that’s all they’ve said.”
“They said the same thing last night. I would’ve thought they’d have figured it out by now,” I said, biting into my sandwich. Ben nodded.

“Aaron and I came to a decision today.”
Here it was. I knew it was inevitable, and I was ready to accept it.
“I understand. I’ll be gone by tomorrow night.”
“Actually, that’s not it…”
“It isn’t?”
“We can’t judge you anymore, Micah. We’re spectators to your life—we’ve never lived it. Neither of us know what it’s like to fight for a mother’s justice, only to find out that you’ve been struggling for a lost cause…”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Your life has been hell. At every turn you’ve been given a new burden, and yet somehow you manage to cope. You just don’t quit. This—this justice mission you’ve been on…it’s unbelievable. I don’t think I’d have your strength in that situation.”
“Thank you, Ben. But I think it best, at this point, to spare you and Aaron from trouble…”
“No. Trouble or not, we’ve decided you’re staying. You’re doing the right thing against all the odds, so how could we possibly push you away? We can’t make things worse like that.”
“You’re saying I can stay?”
He nodded. “If the police knock on that door tomorrow, we’ll tell them you’ve moved. We’ll tell them we had no idea about your secret, and you’ll be safe here.”
“This doesn’t sound like you…”
“Micah, you’re fighting for your innocence now. We’ll do everything we can to make sure you win that fight.” He spoke with such resolute determination that I my vision hazed with tears. I hate myself for every doubting such a close friend.

But the hands on the clock march along steadily. I can only pray for enough time to make the final five deliveries…

-M.J.

posted by Mr. Linty @ 1:04 AM