Business Beckons the Burglar
"Ding!Dong!" The doorbell rang at four in the morning. I slithered out of bed and went down the stairs. I grabbed a baseball bat that was lying in the distance and and opened the door rather apprehensively. And who should it be but the police.
"Mr. Frank you are under arrest for robbing the bank." The inspector said with a voice without any trace of the slightest bit of emotion.
"What do you mean?" I asked. I was utterly confused. I had just come back from the South Pole (I work as a scientist there) and I was enjoying my vacation.
"You know very well about we are talking about, Mr.Frank.You have robbed a bank!" The inspector yelled blowing the roof up. I was as confused as a liger who couldn't figure out whether it was a lion or a tiger. I was out of words; like the old poem goes 'words is like spots on a dice, no matter how much you fumbles 'em there is times when they just won't come.'
"Your silence proves that we are right." The inspector said. And before I knew what was going on they where dragging me away.
Soon we reached the police station and I was instructed to sit on a bench. I obeyed, I didn't want to make the police even more mad at me. I looked around. The place was so cold and bare it reminded me of the dull surface of Antarctica but, Antarctica is exciting and there is always something new to learn around every corner. The police station instead was a storeroom for the feelings- bitterness, despair, deceit and revenge. I looked at a cell. It was so empty and cold that an eerie feeling descended upon me. Was I going to be locked up in there for no particular fault of mine?
Just then a swarthy police walked up to me and said "We are very sorry for the inconvenience that we have caused but, the actual thief is still on the run. But what's interesting is that he is your namesake and looks exactly like you."
I wanted to thank the police, go home and sleep but the detective in me couldn't resist and wanted to know about the thief.
"If you don't mind sir, may I have a peek at the details of the thief?" I questioned. The police gave me a hard stare.
I gulped, "I have done it." I told myself, "This is it."
I braced myself for a stern talking-to, but surprisingly the police nodded and handed me a few documents. I started reading through them and lo! The thief, Frank; average heighted; fair and blue-eyed. Then realisation loomed over me like a mountain, the thief had been my best friend all the way up to college. I gave back the documents and thanked the police for letting me go.
As I walked home millions of questions raced through my mind What had happened to Frank after graduation? If he needed financial help why didn't he contact me? What had pushed him to commit such a heinous crime? Once I reached home, I shoved aside all my questions and searched for Frank's contact number. Once I found it called him.
"Hey Frank, Frank here. I need to know why you robbed the bank?" I said.
"Hey bro. How's it been. We're talking after years and that's the first question you ask me?" Frank replied trying to change the topic.
"Stop trying to change the topic. Answer me." I yelled.
"I can't tell you what if you work for the FBI or something?" Frank replied cheekily. I groaned inwardly, Frank had a great liking toward jokes but I didn't.
"Frank..." I said sternly.
"Hold your horses, Frank. I know you work for the Research Centre all the way in the South Pole, I have read your articles. Meet me tomorrow at Fred's BBQ at 3 in the afternoon and I'll answer your question." Frank said and hung up.
The following day I met Frank at Fred's BBQ at 3.
"So tell me Frank. What happened?" I asked coming to the point directly.
"I'll start from the beginning. After graduation, I desperately searched for a job. But the job would be given to less deserving candidates just because they were related to the CEO by some convoluted family tie. Meanwhile the conditions at home were no better. There wasn't enough money and way too many people living together. We were lucky enough if we got a decent meal once a day. Then one of my family members fell sick. I thought of visiting the doctor but the fees were very high. I pleaded the doctor's secretary to let me see the doctor for at least a few minutes. But, he refused. I decided that I should go to a lawyer but that needs money and currently I didn't have any. Every single night when I went to bed, the thought of robbing the bank always plagued me but I could ignore it and go back to sleep. But one night the desire was at its peak, I was so desperate I had no other choice." Frank said as a humongous tear skied down his cheek.
I placed a hand on his shoulder and said "Why didn't you ask me for help?"
"I considered that too but, I thought you no longer remembered me or even if you did you wouldn't have time for me or you would turn me down." Frank said.
"I'm sorry I should have kept in touch," I apologised.
"It's alright, bro. What has happened has happened." Frank whispered. This wasn't the Frank I knew. This wasn't the same boisterous, loud and confident boy I had met in kindergarten. Was this pathetic creature, whose body language screamed hopelessness, really Frank? I had to do something to help him. Just then I had a marvellous idea.
"Hey Frank have you ever tried to set up a restaurant? I still remember that you cook awesome," Frank's face lit up. "I'll help you with it."
"But what should I tell the police? And don't you have to go back?" Frank asked.
"Turn yourself in and tell the police the truth, they should be nice enough to reduce your term. And don't worry about me, the next ship's due in six months." I told him.
Frank nodded,"I'll be back." He said and disappeared over the horizon.
A month later he was back. We set up a lemonade stall, then a mobile restaurant and then an actual restaurant.We were even able to return all the money to the bank. After a few days I had to go back to the South Pole. Frank sends me post cards and from the pictures I can tell he's got a big racket going on. For free breakfast pop in at Diner's Stop- Paradise to every foodie at 9 to 10 am anywhere in the world.
"Mr. Frank you are under arrest for robbing the bank." The inspector said with a voice without any trace of the slightest bit of emotion.
"What do you mean?" I asked. I was utterly confused. I had just come back from the South Pole (I work as a scientist there) and I was enjoying my vacation.
"You know very well about we are talking about, Mr.Frank.You have robbed a bank!" The inspector yelled blowing the roof up. I was as confused as a liger who couldn't figure out whether it was a lion or a tiger. I was out of words; like the old poem goes 'words is like spots on a dice, no matter how much you fumbles 'em there is times when they just won't come.'
"Your silence proves that we are right." The inspector said. And before I knew what was going on they where dragging me away.
Soon we reached the police station and I was instructed to sit on a bench. I obeyed, I didn't want to make the police even more mad at me. I looked around. The place was so cold and bare it reminded me of the dull surface of Antarctica but, Antarctica is exciting and there is always something new to learn around every corner. The police station instead was a storeroom for the feelings- bitterness, despair, deceit and revenge. I looked at a cell. It was so empty and cold that an eerie feeling descended upon me. Was I going to be locked up in there for no particular fault of mine?
Just then a swarthy police walked up to me and said "We are very sorry for the inconvenience that we have caused but, the actual thief is still on the run. But what's interesting is that he is your namesake and looks exactly like you."
I wanted to thank the police, go home and sleep but the detective in me couldn't resist and wanted to know about the thief.
"If you don't mind sir, may I have a peek at the details of the thief?" I questioned. The police gave me a hard stare.
I gulped, "I have done it." I told myself, "This is it."
I braced myself for a stern talking-to, but surprisingly the police nodded and handed me a few documents. I started reading through them and lo! The thief, Frank; average heighted; fair and blue-eyed. Then realisation loomed over me like a mountain, the thief had been my best friend all the way up to college. I gave back the documents and thanked the police for letting me go.
As I walked home millions of questions raced through my mind What had happened to Frank after graduation? If he needed financial help why didn't he contact me? What had pushed him to commit such a heinous crime? Once I reached home, I shoved aside all my questions and searched for Frank's contact number. Once I found it called him.
"Hey Frank, Frank here. I need to know why you robbed the bank?" I said.
"Hey bro. How's it been. We're talking after years and that's the first question you ask me?" Frank replied trying to change the topic.
"Stop trying to change the topic. Answer me." I yelled.
"I can't tell you what if you work for the FBI or something?" Frank replied cheekily. I groaned inwardly, Frank had a great liking toward jokes but I didn't.
"Frank..." I said sternly.
"Hold your horses, Frank. I know you work for the Research Centre all the way in the South Pole, I have read your articles. Meet me tomorrow at Fred's BBQ at 3 in the afternoon and I'll answer your question." Frank said and hung up.
The following day I met Frank at Fred's BBQ at 3.
"So tell me Frank. What happened?" I asked coming to the point directly.
"I'll start from the beginning. After graduation, I desperately searched for a job. But the job would be given to less deserving candidates just because they were related to the CEO by some convoluted family tie. Meanwhile the conditions at home were no better. There wasn't enough money and way too many people living together. We were lucky enough if we got a decent meal once a day. Then one of my family members fell sick. I thought of visiting the doctor but the fees were very high. I pleaded the doctor's secretary to let me see the doctor for at least a few minutes. But, he refused. I decided that I should go to a lawyer but that needs money and currently I didn't have any. Every single night when I went to bed, the thought of robbing the bank always plagued me but I could ignore it and go back to sleep. But one night the desire was at its peak, I was so desperate I had no other choice." Frank said as a humongous tear skied down his cheek.
I placed a hand on his shoulder and said "Why didn't you ask me for help?"
"I considered that too but, I thought you no longer remembered me or even if you did you wouldn't have time for me or you would turn me down." Frank said.
"I'm sorry I should have kept in touch," I apologised.
"It's alright, bro. What has happened has happened." Frank whispered. This wasn't the Frank I knew. This wasn't the same boisterous, loud and confident boy I had met in kindergarten. Was this pathetic creature, whose body language screamed hopelessness, really Frank? I had to do something to help him. Just then I had a marvellous idea.
"Hey Frank have you ever tried to set up a restaurant? I still remember that you cook awesome," Frank's face lit up. "I'll help you with it."
"But what should I tell the police? And don't you have to go back?" Frank asked.
"Turn yourself in and tell the police the truth, they should be nice enough to reduce your term. And don't worry about me, the next ship's due in six months." I told him.
Frank nodded,"I'll be back." He said and disappeared over the horizon.
A month later he was back. We set up a lemonade stall, then a mobile restaurant and then an actual restaurant.We were even able to return all the money to the bank. After a few days I had to go back to the South Pole. Frank sends me post cards and from the pictures I can tell he's got a big racket going on. For free breakfast pop in at Diner's Stop- Paradise to every foodie at 9 to 10 am anywhere in the world.
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