CERTIFIED THIEF

THE GROOM WAS FOUND

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“Good afternoon, policemen. How may I help you?” Charlie said with a fidget.

“Afternoon, madam. Is this the house of Doctor Milo?”

“Yeah. I hope all is well, sir?” Charlie hovered her eyelashes around the chest region of the police uniform. Her intention was to view the insignia of the policemen. Everything he was putting on was black. He had three chevrons on his clothes.

“Yes, madam. Is he around?”

“Yes, sergeant…”

“Sergeant? Bravo! Alright, I am corporal Ben.” He removed his identification card and showed it to Charlie. Charlie nodded her head and didn’t say a word. 

“Welcome, sir. Please, hold on while I inform my boss,” Charlie said, and left the men. “My boss said you could come in,” she said when she returned to the policemen. The policemen were gazing at the door when Charlie walked up to them.

    When they got into the sitting room, they could see Milo glancing through newspapers. Corporal Ben greeted Milo and Milo ordered them to sit down. He asked what they would like to take, and they turned down his proposal. 

“I hope everything is fine?” Milo said as soon as he closed the newspapers.

“Nothing serious, sir. Your attention is needed in the police station,” corporal Ben said confidently.

“My attention? The last time I checked I didn’t commit any crime.”

“Why would civilians think it’s only criminals that are needed at the police station? Well, you haven’t committed any crime. Inspector Clement, has he?”

“No, sir,” the inspector said, almost saluting.

    After a series of discussions, Milo agreed to follow the policemen to the station. He took permission before he left the sitting room. When he got to his room, he quickly changed his clothing, clutched his eyeglasses and walked in the direction of the entryway. “Shall we go now?” he said when he got to the sitting room.

   As he moved in the direction of the doorway, the policemen followed him to the back. When they got outside, they walked in the direction of the police van.

   All through the journey to the police station, Milo was worried. Has he offended the police? Has he done any crime? 

   Milo replaced his worries with good expectations when he remembered the type of person he was. He stopped all the bad thoughts and kept quiet as the van kept moving.

    When they got to the police station, they alighted from the van. The police station was built beside a commercial bank along the roadside. It was a busy part of Colorado, so they were welcomed by the hustle and bustle in that region.

    As the men walked in the direction of the door, Milo’s countenance changed again. Corporal Ben took Milo to his office. He ordered him to sit down and whisked his nose.

“With all your treatment, I hope everything is fine?” Milo said as soon as he sat down on a clothed chair.

“I can see you are nervous. Office cases should be handled inside the office and not inside the sitting room…”

“Office case? What do you mean?” Milo cut in nervously.

“I am reassuring you that everything is fine.” Corporal Ben pressed two or more buttons on his telephone and the receiver picked up the call. They talked for some minutes before he cut the call. Milo, on the other hand, was left to wonder. He could eavesdrop on their conversations. He heard corporal Ben say a man should be brought into the office and the receiver said they would be in corporal Ben's office in a jiffy.

“Since you said everything is fine, I think I should put my mind at rest,” Milo said as he gazed at corporal Ben.

“Sure. I wouldn’t lie to an old man like you…” corporal Ben was interrupted by the movement on the door. Before they knew it, the door went open and two men entered the office. Milo turned backwards only to see Maverick. He was so shocked that he couldn’t say a word. The state he met Maverick made him to wonder. Maverick was putting on only a pair of boxer shorts, there were wounds all over his body and he looked so thin.

    Maverick couldn’t hold his tears as soon as he saw Milo. He had missed Milo so much. 

“Why are you crying, Maverick?” corporal Ben said.

“He is my father.”

“He is my son!” Milo stood up from the chair and hugged Maverick. It could be likened to a groom who wanted to hug her bride, but waiting for permission from a priest.

“Well, he was brought here yesterday,” corporal Ben said.

“How? What happened? Maverick, can you talk to me?”

“Calm down, Mr. Milo. Maverick needs to be taken to the hospital now. He was almost dying when policemen saw him and took him to the station.”

“OMG! Can I take him to the hospital now? He looks rough.”

“Yeah, of course. A police officer will accompany you to the hospital.”

“Alright, sir,” Milo said.

    When they got to the hospital, Maverick was hospitalized and given medication. Maverick quickly responded to the medication and he was released on the fifth day. Milo was very happy because it hadn't been easy for him to visit Maverick in the hospital all through his stay in the hospital. He would have to leave home early enough so that he could maneuver the traffic. He would stay with Maverick from morning till night, since he had retired from his profession. He could remember vividly, the very day Maverick was rushed to the hospital. He almost had an accident when he was going back home. The road warden had wanted to seize his car, but he was later freed after spending two hours in their custody. He was charged a sum of 500 USD, which he paid before he left for home. When he got home that day, he was so tired that he couldn’t eat his supper. Despite the tiredness, he was worried about the health of his son. He thought for about ten minutes before he went to bed.

    Now that the doctor told him that Maverick would be released today, he was happy to the extent that he hugged the doctor. He rushed into Maverick’s ward and saw him lying on the bed. Maverick was putting on only a pair of boxer shorts and he had his eyes closed. 

“Maverick, you are going home today,” Milo said, and sat down beside Maverick on the bed.

“The doctor told me in the morning,” Maverick replied, and opened his eyes gently. He smiled and held Milo’s right palm. “Thank you for being with me, dad,” he said softly.

“You don’t have to thank me. I did what anyone could have done for an only child.”

“I am happy that I have a lovely father like you,” Maverick said.