On the edge

“Please promise me that this will stay between us?” he asks with a worried look in his eyes. I know that this is beyond me. He looks scared. Helpless and confused. He didn’t know what he was getting himself into and now he might have to pay the price. He should have been more cautious and maybe thought things through before getting himself involved. Desperate times have a way of making people do things they might regret later. 

“Okay. I promise.” I manage to say so that he stops looking so vulnerable. He heaves a sigh of relief as he pulls me in, hugging me like he might lose me. He kisses the top of my head softly as he keeps repeating that he loves me and never meant for this to happen. I close my eyes, hoping and praying that maybe it was all a bad dream and by the time I’d wake up, we’d be okay. I know better. His smell is intoxicating, a combination of mint and an earthy scent that I have come to love. If anything were to happen to him, I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself. He looks at me with his blue eyes, filled with regret as they slowly lose the spark that they’ve always had. He never wanted to get me involved in all of this. He never thought that it would end this way.

It all started when his mom got sick. We didn’t have enough to make sure that she always received the medical attention that she desperately needed so he tried looking for a place to work but never got one. I was working two shifts at the time to ensure that we had a place to sleep and something to eat. He didn’t want to burden me, so he asked his friends if they could help him out. One of his friends, Joe, told him that he ran a business and all he had to do was deliver some money for him. Luke couldn’t hide the excitement for he was in dire need of a job. The excitement seemed to cloud his judgement that he couldn’t notice that there something didn’t seem right.

A few weeks later, Luke was finally getting used to his new job and was able to take care of his mother’s medical needs. Everything seemed to be going fine till that Saturday morning. He woke up early and promised he would be back soon. He ran his errands like he always did and arrived at his usual pick up spot. It was a small, white building with a tiled roof that was among the few buildings on that street. It was one of Joe’s warehouses where he kept all of his merchandise. He got out of his car and was heading inside when he heard muffled screams. He rushed in thinking that maybe the person inside needed some help. He stopped in his tracks when he saw a gun pointed at a man who lay on the ground with a swollen black eye and blood oozing out of his nose. Tears were flowing out of his eyes as he begged the man standing right in front of him not to pull the trigger. His once white shirt was filled with blood stains and dirt from the ground. He had clothing in his mouth that prevented his words from coming out clearly. His hands were tied behind his back and so were his legs to prevent him from escaping. He looked helpless in front of the merciless man. Luke tried walking but failed at his attempts. He tried talking in an attempt to ask the man not to pull the trigger but his mouth went dry as soon as he opened it. The man who held the gun was tall and well-built with eyes that seemed to shoot daggers at anyone who crossed their path. Next to him stood two men who seemed unbothered by the events taking place. They too were tall and well built. They didn’t even blink when the trigger was pulled. The man lay there motionless showing no sign of life. The three men turned slowly and locked eyes with Luke. Not knowing what to do, Luke stood completely still shocked by what he just witnessed. His heart started beating fast as goosebumps began to fill his entire body. Cold sweat trickled down his temple as he tried thinking of what he should do tot try and get out of there alive. He was soon standing face to face to what he thought could be his worst nightmare. “Tell that excuse of a man that I want my money back.” He said with a sneer as he looked at Luke straight in the eye. “Or else,” he said as he turned to face the lifeless man with a smirk plastered on his face.

He turned to walk away and his men followed right behind him. Luke ran as fast as he could to his car and drove like he had just seen a ghost. He got to Joe’s office, his face pale and hands cold and numb. He got out of his car and frantically looked for Joe wanting to narrate to him the whole ordeal. Joe didn’t seem surprised at all as Luke told him everything. He was just irritated. He looked at Luke straight in the eye and warned him that he should never mention anything to anyone if he knew what was best for him. Luke was taken aback by his reaction and wondered who this person was and what he had done with Joe. It then dawned on him that maybe the business he had gotten himself involved in had more to what met the eye. Joe ordered him to leave. For two days straight he did not sleep because every time he closed his eyes, he’d see the lifeless body staring at him like it was his fault. That had he something then maybe the man would still be alive.

 After pushing him to tell me what was going on, he narrated everything from what he saw, to what he felt and what Joe told him. Knowing that I wouldn’t break his trust, he asked me not to tell anyone.

 Standing here with him makes me ponder on what it is that I can do. If I tell the police everything he’s told me, he might get interrogated for a crime he did not commit or worse off, get arrested for being involved in an illegal business and that might prevent him from getting a decent job thereafter. If I don’t let them know, he might get himself killed and I don’t want to lose him. Looking at him now, I know what I am supposed to do to keep him safe, but I can’t get myself to do it because when I do, he will never look at me the same way he ever again. Either way, I would end up losing the greatest thing that ever happened to me.