Chapter 3

Morning at Monty High. It was raining that time. It’s a sad, blue day. Flowers and Candle has been putted near Big Toby’s locker. We all held a moment of silence near the locker of big toby. I respected him as a friend. Then Dean R. approached me. He told me that he was devastated. He was the one who told me that I was at Ralph’s. Well, Dean Richards, this about you. Welcome to your queue.

You know, Dean? Since that day you made me so guilty. It always haunts me. If u didn’t tell him my location, he could be alive this instance. Dean, this is just your problem. Well, lesson learned, right Dean?

The funeral was sad. I, Ma’id, and the rest of the class went to Jasmine Memoriam Park just down Lanchester Heights. The last memory always haunts me. The last moment I have with Big Toby. I stopped like a dead rat. Ma’id ask me. What’s wrong? I did not want my feelings to show thru my body. I just wanted to keep it by myself. Well, death do comes, eventually.

The police asked me some several questions the next day. I just can’t believe it. The police has started an investigation on Big Toby’s crash. I was surprised the investigation has started so quickly. From a footage of him going to Ralph’s, the way he was driving towards Ralph’s, the difference between inbound and outbound, and the way he was driving thru the Pascoe Freeway. There are so many conclusion that the police had made. One of them was involving me. The police conclude that what happen at Ralph’s could made him angry or sad so he speed up and intend to crash himself. I said I didn’t do anything. I told that nothing happen between us. He just said sorry to me.

Backstory time, every time I get interrogated by the police, I always get terrified. Why? It was December 3^rd, 1999. When I was a little kid. An incident happened at my old house in San Dromana. Just take the second last exit towards the airport. At the time, I, my mom and my uncle was inside that time. When a robbery took place in our quite home. At the time, my dad wasn’t home because of business. And my uncle was there because he was picking up his laptop from our house.

We all shocked. My uncle asked me and my mom hid back behind the counter for him to “take care” of the ordeal. They demanded for money and the car that my uncle had. The next thing you know, he was lying lifeless. Covered in a pool of blood. Face was nearly unrecognised. That was a traumatic experience for me. My mom cried for helped. Since it was her brother. She dialled 911.

Police arrived. Police described the scene as a horrible scene from ‘the night on Elm Street’ me and my mom was interrogated. Police suspect that my mother that killed my uncle. Then, I was asked. They say that kids do not lie. So, they bring me inside a cold, dimmed, scary interrogation room. The next thing I know, I was crying. I felt the pain for them telling lies about my mother. That’s why I don’t like police around me.

Since then, I never go to San Dromana anymore. Two days after the murder, we abandoned the house. And no one will buy it. Since it was an ex-crime scene. Now, the Atkins family don’t go near that house anymore. I wished for that moment to be erased from my life. I wish I have the capability to erase some of the bad memories I had. If I had, I wouldn’t be like this. Or I probably be alive then.

Special Happy Birthday to My Friend Ayub,