A night in Jail | Teen Ink

A night in Jail

June 11, 2012
By ben toner BRONZE, Nooksack, Washington
ben toner BRONZE, Nooksack, Washington
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

As the old man staggered out of the bar to his car, he turned his key in the ignition of his 2006 pickup; he had a split second where he thought that he shouldn’t be driving after he had a numerous amounts of drinks. Well, it was only a split second, and then he drove off into the highway. As he swerved all over the road he slowed down to make his turn but as he was turning he realized that he was going too fast and he skidding towards the sidewalk. There was a loud ringing in his ears from his tires screeching on the crapy, run down road, and then onto the sidewalk. As his back tires hopped the curb there was a great thud mixed with a sharp but seemingly faint shout, “watch ou...” and then everything was blank. There was nothing, when the old man woke he realized that he was in his pickup and cops were all around him. He realized that he couldn’t remember what happened that night and then two police officers had approached him. As he looked into his rear view mirror he realized that there was dried up blood all over his forehead. As the police officers approached the old man they started to look at their clipboard.
“Sir were you the one driving this vehicle at 10:25 p.m?” said the first cop.
“I don’t recall, but it seems that I did.” The old man, who was clearly confused, said.
“Sir can you tell me what all happened from the time you entered the car and now?” asked the second police officer.
“Well, first I exited the bar and I started my pickup and then I...” the old man was cut off by the first police man.
“Are you saying that you were drinking and driving?” he asked.
“well yes, anyways, I was heading home and then I took this turn but, I took it too fast, so I was skidding and then everything went blank!” the old man having a hard time saying this.
“Well sir I’m afraid that you hit and killed a young man that was walking home. The paramedics reported him dead on site. Your truck seemingly hit the kid and rolled over him. I regret to have to say this but you’re under arrest.” Said the second police officer.
“Wait but I didn’t do it on purpose!” the old man started to tear up.
“I’m sorry, but the laws the law. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you by the state.” The police officer had a hard time saying this. As they hand cuffed the old man and they put him in the back of the patrol car.

At the jail house, they prepped the old man for jail and then they allowed him only one phone call. As the old man’s shaky hands slid into his pockets to receive 2 quarters he was thinking of who to call the old man’s first thought was to call his brother Bill. I cant call bill because he’s on vacation. His stomach tightened when he thought of his grouchy ex-wife. I cant call Mattie, she said she never wanted to hear from me again. Then the old man realized that his son jack was his last resort. Please hope that jack picks up.

As the old man pulled his hands out of his pockets he slowly but steadily put the quarters one by one into the pay phone. He then dialed Jack’s number, than after about 5 of the ring tones he was finally about to hang up than he heard his son’s calm, smooth voice.
“Hello?” a slight pause, “Hello?” asked Jack.
“Hey bud how’s everything going?” the old man asked, as he realized that he was tearing up.
“Dad? Why are you calling me this late? Are you ok? Do you need me to come pick you up?” Jack asked suddenly alarmed.
“I... I need you to come down... down to the police station... I got into some trouble.” The old man had trouble telling his son this.
“dad! What did you do? Did you drink and drive again? You know that’s why mom left you and me?” Jack’s voice sounded worried and a little bit angry.
“I was… I was drinking and driving and I… guess I swerved and…and hit and killed a little boy” as the old man was saying this he could feel the tears dripping down his face and onto his arm.
“I’ll call the lawyer in the morning and I’ll be right there in about half an hour. Dad everything is going to be ok.” Jack said and then the phone on the other side went dead. Jack knew that he couldn’t worry his dad, that’s why he said everything was going to be alright.”

AS the old man hung up the pay phone, he wiped his tears and swerved over to the bench where he was supposed to wait for a jail cell. As he sat there the old man was thinking of what could have possibly could of gone wrong that night? I knew that I shouldn’t have got into my pickup. Damn it’s probably ruined right now. I’m most likely to die in jail. I will never forgive myself of killing that little boy. The old man started to tear up again. As the old man continually thought about his mistakes in life, a young police officer walked into his eye of sight. As the young police officer stood there he pulled out a clip board and started to talk.
“Welford Manson?” he asked
The guy right next to the old man stood up.
“Your wife is here to see you.” The young police officer stated
As Wellford walked away the officer looked back down at his clip board and started to speak again.
“Jonas… Bel-kin?” the young officer had trouble saying the last name.
“That’s me and it’s pronounced Belkins.” The old man stated.
“Your son is here to see you.” The police officer stated who was getting annoyed.

As Jonas walked to the visitors’ room he saw what seemed like a light in a dark tunnel. But in reality it was his son in a bright yellow shirt. As Jonas entered the room, Jack stood and walked over to his dad and they had an emotional hug and were interrupted by a banging of the window to signify that there was to be no physical contact. After a few minutes of looking at each other an officer with a file walked into the room and pulled up a chair and sat down and started to examine what looked like Jonas’s file on the events that happened earlier that night.

After about an hour or so, the attorney asked Jonas to let him and jack talk about the situation of his problem. As Jonas was waiting for his son and the attorney to get done he couldn’t get the image of what all went down that night after he walked out of the bar. As Jonas started to realize what had all went down that fateful night, Jack and the attorney walked out of the room and shook hands with each other and then with Jonas. After that the attorney walked away and then jack let out a big sigh of relief and then gestured his dad back into the visitor’s room. As they sat down Jonas looked into his sons eyes and then faintly started to speak.

“How bad is it jack? Is there bail?” Jonas asked his son. Surprisingly to jack, Jonas’s tone was one that was ok with what was happening and was excepting it.

“Well, it looks like there charging you of 2nd degree murder, with a slight chance of bail. They might even give you 2-3 years in prison, dad. What were you thinking?” Jack asked his father who was starting to tear up now.

“What about house arrest? When is the court date? Can’t you post bail tonight so I can go home?” Jonas tried to fight back his emotions while saying this but, he couldn’t contain it anymore.

“They said that they would consider house arrest because of your age. As for bail, I could bail you out now and you would have to stay with me but they are asking for 2 to 3 thousand dollars.” Jack stated waiting for his father’s response.
There was a long silence before Jonas finally broke the silence, “I want you to go to my house and on the 3rd door to the left, there is a room full of anteacs that I got from when I was a child. On the last shelf to the right, there is a painting that the dealers said would sell for about 3-4 thousand dollars. I want you to go and get it and pawn it. Then come and bail me out. Is that understood? Do you think you can do that?” Jonas had turned from being frightened to serious about what he needed his son to do for him.
“I think that you need to think about this more. Are you sure that you want to go through with this?” Jack asked wondering if his father had given up on everything he owned.
“Yes I’m sure. Now go and do it so I can get out of this police station!” Jonas stated calmly.

As Jack left the visitor’s room to carry out his father’s wishes, he kept repeating in his mind what had all gone down that night. As Jack turned the key to unlock his car, he realized that there would be no pawn shop opened this late. As he went over to his father’s house and unlocked the door, he replayed his father’s instructions on where the painting was. As jack opened the 3rd door on the left, and went to the last shelf on the right, he peered up at all of the antae’s that his father had collected. Then he had a thought, if his father could collect all of these antae’s than he must have some cash lying around the house.
After about an hour or so, Jack finally makes it his fathers’ office. He tries to get the door open, but it won’t budge. Then jack remembers from his childhood that his dad kept a spare key to his office in the planted tree on the right side of the door. As Jack was searching the vase that held the tree he kept thinking about his father. When his fingers touched a cold object in the dirt, jacks heart suddenly started to rapidly beat, and as he pulled out the key and put it in the key hole, he hesitated for a moment and then there was a click.
When Jack opened the door he saw in amazement his father’s office. As Jack snapped back into reality he started to look for his father’s safe. As Jack was tearing up his father’s office he was starting to have doubts about his father having a safe. Suddenly jack stopped in mid stride. As his eyes looked at a huge portrait of his family that was behind his father’s desk, he had a thought that the safe must be there because it’s always there like in the movies. Well as Jack took off the huge portrait his heart sank as he stared at the black wall.
As Jack turned around he saw his father’s desk and under his desk was the safe. Jack tried not to get his hopes up because he might not get the safe open. But to Jack‘s surprise the safe just had a key hole that would open the safe. As jack put the key into the key hole and turned the lock and as the safe door opened jack has a split second thought of the safe being empty. But as he glared into the safe and stared at fifteen stacks of cash, he thought about his dad sitting in jail. As he took the 3000 dollars he needed to bail his dad out, he left his father’s house and made his way to the police station.


The author's comments:
So ive wanted to become a cop all my life and so i wrote a short story about it. Well, what i hope will happen...

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