A Criminal's Journey To Jail

• Sabriyah Ahsan, Grade 8, Ballarat and Clarendon College
• Short Story
• 2022

Excellence Award in the 'Unleashed 2022' competition

The front door opened, and a man and woman entered. The woman frantically ran in, a look of concern on her face as she approached the first police officer she could see. The man casually strolled in, inspecting every wall and corner of the building like he had all the time in the world.
The woman explained to the police officer that she had come to free her son, her face flustered and her eyes red, suggesting that she had been crying. The officer wrote down some of her details then she was taken to see her son.
The man, by this time, had become bored of this rudimentary place and decided to sit down where he had been asked. Another officer sat down on the other side of the table, folding his arms as he was about to discuss something serious. He had clearly realised that this man was going to be tough to deal with and began, wanting to get this over and done with.
“Sir, you must know why we have kept your son here. I am sure you are horrified by his wrongdoings, and I want to let you know that it will not be easy to get him out today. Do you have any questions before we begin the paperwork?”
The man was slouching, his eyes hovering over the furniture and about every other minor detail in the room. He seemed bored out of his skull, like he had better things to do. The officer waited for a few minutes before finally becoming exasperated and speaking with a more serious tone.
“Sir, I think I need to remind you that your son’s actions today were reprehensible, and against the law. He not only vandalised public property, he broke someone’s car and attempted to seriously harm, which can even be considered attempting to murder, another person. I assure you that this sort of repugnant behaviour will never be tolerated and no amount of your money or bribery will get him out of here today.”
This unexpected tirade caught the man’s attention, and he was about to remind the officer of his egotistic superiority due to his wealth and importance when his wife came in, looking very woebegone.
She had seen her son, his face pale and tired. The woman suspected this was because of the awful allegations against him, as she knew that her son was an angel. The boy assured his mother, telling her that his father could pay the officers to get him out. As much as she wanted to stay and shower him with her love and care, she was forced to leave.
Now, she told her husband that they had to get him out of there, and the man blatantly held a few hundred dollar notes to the police officer. The officer immediately demanded that both of them were thrown out and a relieved smile appeared on the man’s face while the woman started wailing and yelling at her husband.