Michael was getting ready to head to his office when her mom suddenly walked in, she had a look of confusion on her face. She was holding her mobile phone on her hand and she was covering it with the other hand. It looked like she was on the phone with someone.
"Michael I don't know what's going on but someone from I think the police is looking for you," she told him.
Michael took the phone from her hands and placed it on his ears. "Hello?" he called.
"Hello," the person on the other side spoke, it was a man "Is this Mr Michael J Raymond?"
"Yes, it's he." he wondered how he knew that he was alive but decided not to say anything, "Who is this?"
"It's Detective Benjamin from Wohi police offices. We've a person called Haroon Rashid here, do you know him?"
"Yes I do."
"He turned himself in this morning for attempting your murder. We would appreciate if you drop by so that we can record the victim's statement. That way we can start a full investigation. Also Mr Haroon wanted to have a word with you if that's okay with you," He calmly spoke in a professional tone.
"What!? What did you say? He turned himself in??"
"Yes, that's what I said."
"Which police department did you say you were from?"
"Wohi."
"I'll be right there," he told him before hunging up.
He looked at his mother who still looked confused.
"What is going on? Who turned himself in? Why were they looking for you?" Katherine asked him.
"Haroon turned himself in this morning. I was just called in to give my statement, he also requested to talk to me."
"WHAT??" She exclaimed "He did that?"
"Yeah, I've got to go to the police now. I'll call you after I speak with him. Tell Dad and Winnie for me."
"Wait, I should go with you."
"No, mom. You stay here. I'll call you I promise," he looked at his mother who looked worried. "Don't worry Mom, I'll be fine. It's the police, nothing bad will happen there," he kissed her on her forehead before waving goodbye and walked out.
* * *
Michael walked in the interrogation room where Haroon was in. He was sitting with his head hanging down, his hands on the table and handcuffs on them. The detective who called him told him it was the rules, the criminals can't meet the victims without the cuffs.
"What is the meaning of this? Why are you here?" Michael finally spoke to announce his presence.
Haroon head jolted up after hearing Michael's voice.
"I'm glad you agreed to meet me," Haroon smiled "Seing you from in here I can at least find the strength to smile at you now."
"Why did you turn yourself in?" Michael asked in a stern voice as he sat down facing him.
"This is where I'm supposed to be Mike! I committed a crime," Haroon laughed sadly.
He continued, "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this when I saw you, but I was so happy to see you, I was so happy that you were alive. I missed you so much. All this time I wished I could turn back time and do things differently, that's the truth. I regretted what I did every single day."
"Do you know how many years is attempted murder? You...You've always been too weak, prison is not for you. You won't survive in there," Michael yelled at him, ignoring what he was saying. He didn't know why he was so angry at his decision. He was supposed to be happy instead!
"Calvin was right! You wouldn't have been able to do it yourself."
"What are you talking about?"
Haroon started explaining, "That day after you stormed out. I was so angry at Calvin and I-
"Why would you do that," Haroon yelled as soon as Michael walked out, at Calvin who was still sitting down on the floor "Are you even human? Don't you have feelings? Don't you feel even a little bit of remorse, how could you say those things to him?"
"I made it easier for him to completely hate us, you should be thanking me."
"What!?"
"You should know that better than me, Michael..he...he is not capable of doing it himself," Calvin said before getting up and walking away leaving Haroon there in shock. He didn't miss what fell down from his left eye before he turned to leave, that silver shinning thing. A tear!
"...and that's when I realized one thing that I've been missing all this time, Calvin too has been regretting. It wasn't just I who has been regretting all this time," Haroon finished.
"You can't just conclude that from a single tear Haroon." He knew Haroon was naive, he knew he could be wrong. "I saw his face. The things he said he meant them."
"Yeah, maybe some he did. Maybe he did envy you, heck we all did. But no Mike. He does regret his decisions. I only realized it that day but after realizing it everything became clear, everything made sense....after you were gone Calvin became even more like a real son to your mom, he would go see her almost everyday and console her. Calvin who was too busy for his parents always had time for your mother, why is that? It was because he felt too guilty and he felt like he had to take care of her, he felt like it was his responsibility to care her in your place since he...we were the reason you were no longer there. It was out of guilty. Unlike me who ran away from everything, I ran away because it was too hard to face your mom, but he was facing it all. He thought he had to atleast do that much."
Did he really? Michael wondered but he decided not to say anything.
"And one more important thing, the day that we..w...you fell down that cliff," Haroon closed his eyes as he felt a sharp pain from recalling that day, he opened them after a while and continued "I was so devastated, I fell down crying, I couldn't move. But Calvin didn't cry. Instead he ran, he ran down the cliff. I thought he was running away from the crime scene and so I had to collect myself and follow behind him although I couldn't run as much as him. When I finally reached down there Calvin was three half quarters deep in the water, he was searching, looking for something for nearly two hours without saying anything. The current was so strong but yet he didn't stop. I didn't know what he was doing back then and didn't bother to ask since I was so out of it after what we did but now I know, he was looking for you. For you Michael. He started regretting the moment you fell down that cliff and unlike me who stayed there doing nothing he thought he could save you. At the time he didn't care that you would have turned him in if you survived, he only thought of saving you."
He rubbed tears that fell down on his cheeks by the back of his hands before continuing, "And when he couldn't find you he called 911, he is the one who called it. At the time I totally misunderstood his actions, I thought he was putting an act to remove any suspicious on us if we go back home without doing anything."
Michael just stood there listening to him with no emotion on his face. He didn't know what to feel with this new revelation.
"So unlike me who wanted to beg for your forgiveness, to cry under your feet until you do forgive us. Calvin wanted you to hate us which was what he thought we deserved. And that's why he was trying to help you hate us. I'm not trying to say Calvin is innocent. He clearly isn't. There's nothing that can justify what we did to you but what I'm trying to say we did regret it. We regretted it everyday. You were like a brother to us and yet we-" Haroon couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He couldn't repeat what they have done, he was so ashamed and disgusted at himself but he wanted to be strong, atleast until he tells everything to Michael. He deserved the whole truth.
"And so that's why I have to do this, if we pay for our sin then maybe we can be able to face you and ask for your forgiveness, maybe then we will feel less guilty and feel like we deserve that forgiveness if you ever decided to forgive us...which I doubt," He tried to smile at him but amidst all those tears his smile could barely be seen.
"Even if what you said is true, Calvin I know isn't someone who would ever openly accept his wrongdoing and turned himself in. So if you turned yourself in thinking you're in this together you're very wrong," Michael finally spoke in a deadpan voice.
"I've evidence against him. I already gave it to the police. They're probably going to issue his arrest warrant as soon as you give in your statement."
"Evidence!???" Michael asked confused.
"Yes. I recorded mine and Calvin's conversation the same day we met you in the morning. I was thinking of turning myself in before you showed up but I was so scared. I went to Calvin's company to try to convince him to turn ourselves in but I kind of knew he wouldn't agree with it so I had a plan B. I wasn't sure I would go through with this but after meeting you I made up my mind."
He looked up at him, "Calvin said he was helping you to hate us which was what he thought we deserved and which we actually do but I don't think that's fair to you. You're not capable of hatred, it would've eaten you away and that would've only been a loss to your part when you did nothing wrong. You deserve better. And I'm so sorry this is the only thing I could do."
"If you were going to end up like this you could have just taken your share like Calvin and live the best of you life in some deserted Island, why didn't you? Why did you have to live like that and then ended up like this too?" Michael could feel tears welling up in his eyes. Haroon was now sobbing loudly.
The detective walked in at that moment. He was not at all surprised at the sight in front of him, or maybe he did but he didn't let it show on his face. Poker face could have been a requirement in that line of work.
"Mr Michael, sorry to inform you the time is up. We have to send him to the detention center now. I'll give you a minute to wrap up," he told him. Michael nodded. The detective walked out after giving a quick glance to a sobbing Haroon.
Michael took a big breath to prevent himself from crying. "I don't think I'll ever come visit you. Right now whenever I see you two the only thing I feel is pain. It's true I'm not capable of hating you two completely, you meant a lot to me and that's exactly why it also pains a lot. I won't be able to meet you until it pains less, maybe it will take five years, maybe ten years, maybe when you're out of jail or maybe never. So you stay alive, make sure you stay alive in there and wait to beg for my forgiveness," Michael said in a conclusive but sad tone before he got up and started to walk away.
Haroon put his head down on his cuffed hands as he loudly sobbed. He knew that could be a goodbye. He knew perhaps then they were done for good.
"And Haroon..." Michael said as he turned to look at him before opening the door. "I'm truly sorry about Mom Esha," he said in a very sad tone before turning the knob and walk away.
Haroon couldn't help but sob even louder.
*******************************************
~4 years ago~
6 months after Michael's death....
"What do you mean you won't take the money?" Calvin asked Haroon. They were standing at a park near Haroon's house. The night sky shinning above them.
"It means I won't!" Haroon said, trying to hold in the tears.
"Why are you doing this? You stopped coming to college, you don't even take my calls. I had to come all the way here and wait for you outside in this cold. And now you're saying this. Why? What has gotten into you?"
"How can I take that money?" Haroon said as he glared at the bag full of money Calvin was trying to hand to him.
"What do you mean how? Do you even know what I went through to sell that gemstone!? Now stop this bullshit and take it!" Calvin said before he snatched both of his hands and put the bag's handles on his hands. But Haroon didn't hold it, the bag fell off to the ground.
"That is Michael's blood! How can I..? This is wrong Cal! W-We shouldn't do this!!" Haroon said, his hands trembling. Tears running down his face.
"Stop acting like a saint! It's too late now. It's already done and there's no going back! Mike is dead, the sooner you accept that the better!"
"I can't take the money!" Haroon said quietly.
"Stop being stupid and remember why you had to do what we did, at least take it for your mom."
"I can't! Mom wouldn't want this kind of money. Neither do I."
"This is the last chance. I won't ask you again. If you don't take them now even if you come begging later I won't hand them over to you," Calvin threatened.
"I won't come asking for them. I want nothing to do with it!"
"You think doing that will wash your sin away? No, it won't Haroon" Calvin shouted at him.
"Neither will taking it!!" Haroon shouted back.
"Of course. But at least you'll be a rich sinner. Now you're just a poor sinner!" Calvin smirked.
"Why was I ever friend with you?? You've no soul!" Haroon said angrily.
"I should be the one to ask you that. How the hell did I land myself a pathetic and a coward like you as a friend!!" Calvin snickered.
"You're clearly not meant for bigger things, you will always be a nobody in your life." Calvin said angrily before he took the bag and stormed off.
Haroon fell down on the ground as he break down crying.