Sandeep had dreamed of one day coming to America since he was a young boy. He wanted to be a high profile business man, living large in the big city. He hadn't quite become the business man he envisioned, but at least he owned his own business, even if it was a small hole in the wall convenience store. One day, he was going to upgrade or expand or something, something to bring him closer to the fullness of the American dream.
But not if he didn't put an end to all those bratty kids always swiping things from his store. He had a security camera installed and caught many of the culprits on tape, but the police didn't seem to care much about some punk teenager who grabbed a dozen candy bars last week, even if 8 of his friends saw he got away with it and came in and got away with it, too.
The real problem was that most of the cashiers he hired didn't really care about kids stealing candy. They were practically children themselves. The real solution was for Sandeep to man the store, like he was doing tonight. During the day, he stayed at home with his smart and curious children, Micah and Nilasha, while his linguistically gifted and beautiful wife worked at the library, but for the last several evenings, Sandeep had made it his duty to protect his store.
Sandeep took a deep breath. In and out. All in all, he was happy with his life. He loved his family. He was proud to be his own boss. He just feared the day when it was more than a few kids stealing a few candy bars.
He'd heard stories about thefts happening at other stores, mostly in "worse" neighborhoods, but it seemed like they were constantly encroaching on the nicer but still not wealthy neighborhoods, neighborhoods much like the one he lived in. These thefts weren't just a few dollars a day; these were armed robberies, the "empty the register" kind, and that was what had prompted Sandeep to take advantage of his right as an American citizen to purchase a gun. It was nothing fancy or especially powerful, but enough to deter anyone meaning real business who attempted to encroach on his business.
It was strange how he had just been thinking about the gun whe the man walked in. Sandeep knew immediately that this guy was trouble. The ski mask covering all but his eyes gave it away. The man walked straight up to Sandeep, and with a shaking hand, pulled a knife. The mask muffled the man's voice, but Sandeep could still hear, "Give me all of your money, please."
The "please" was what threw Sandeep off. As soon as the man walked in, Sandeep had felt a surge of adrenaline as his pulse started to race and his palms grew sweaty, but the please had made him stop a beat, just long enough for the robber to get distracted by a noise behind him, which provided distraction just long enough for Sandeep to pull out his gun and point it at the man as he turned back around.
Sandeep watched as the would-be assailant's eyes grew wide. "No," Sandeep said. "I will not be taken advantage of like those others." He pointed the gun at the man's right shoulder. "Get out!" he ordered.
The man seemed frozen in place.
"Get out!" Sandeep shouted.
The man made a move that looked like he was about to lunge forward.
Sandeep fired the gun.
Monday, June 3, 2013
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