Chapter 8 - Truth Accompanies Courage

Out in the city at 2:00 am, spectators gathered around a local motel. Police caution tape was surrounding the building while sirens flashed and buzzed. The people in the crowd and the residents of the motel wondered what was going on. A man was inside his own room staring at pictures in the daily newspaper that lay rested on his lap. It was an old issue, but he kept it in his possession because he felt a certain attachment to the story on the front page. The headline read “Drunk Driver Kills Couple.” He concentrated on the date and he suddenly remembered something about that day. Visions flooded his mind.


Late one night the man returned home from work. A trainee at his company had made an error that could have wiped out the entire data system. The man had to stay late to repair all the damage. He walked up the front door step and gave a sigh of exhaustion. He loosened his necktie as he turned the key in the lock of the door. He placed his briefcase and keys on a table next to the staircase and proceeded upstairs. He did not hear his wife so he figured she had gone to sleep. He walked into the bedroom quietly so he would not wake her. Then the scene that appeared in front of him was one that horrified him more than anything ever did. His wife was in bed with another man. He ran out of the house, got in his car, and peeled out of the driveway. He did not return to his home that night. The next day he went to work. The image of his wife burned in his head. His boss walked into his office.

Boss: “David, do you have a moment?”

David: “Sure sir, what is it?”

Boss: “As you are well aware, that error that was made yesterday had proven fatal to this company’s funding and reputation.”

David: “Yes, sir.”

Boss: “And I don’t know if you’re covering for someone else because this error seemed to be one that a man of your intellect would never commit.”

David: “No sir, it was my doing.”

He wanted to cover for the trainee because he did not want to put his life in jeopardy. The trainee had been leading a harsh life so David just wanted to give him a chance.

Boss: “Well despite your efforts in restoring this company, I’m afraid that I’m going to have to let you go David.”

David: “But, sir I-“

Boss: “You have until the end of the day to vacate your office. I’m sorry David.”

The boss left the office. David could not bare the news he had just received. His legs gave out and he collapsed in his chair.

Later that day when all his things were packed and loaded in his car, he took one last look at the building he had spent twenty years of his life in, and drove away. He had nowhere to go. He couldn’t go home and see his wife. He couldn’t handle that right now. So he drove to a nearby bar and decided to drown his sorrows in alcohol. When he finished his first drink, he still felt as miserable as he did when he started it. He ordered another one. By his tenth drink, he was rambling nonsense to the bar tender.

Bartender: “Sir, I think that’s enough.”

David: “N-no, I’m fline…gimme anada one…”


Bartender: “No! I can’t do that sir.”

David grew furious.

David: “Fine! I’ll juss go ta anada bar!”

Bartender: “Sir, I don’t think you should drive.”

By the time he finished his sentence, David was out the door. He started the car and drove out of the parking lot. His vision was impaired and he could barely keep the car straight. He quickly made a sharp left and as he swerved into traffic, he collided with another car head-on. Minutes later, he emerged through the rubble of shattered glass and bent metal. He stumbled away from the scene and bumped into a man observing the accident.

Man: “Hey where are you going?! You just hit that other car you maniac!”

David gasped. He reeked of alcohol.

Man: “Are you drunk?!”

David did not answer. He began to run as fast as he could away from the accident. Then reality hit. David was back in the motel room sitting on the edge of the bed. Sirens were still flashing outside his window.

David: “Why? How could I…?”

He broke out in tears. Apparently, his mind had blocked out the whole night from his mind. He walked over to his nightstand and pulled out a gun. He walked out of his room into the parking lot. He aimed the gun at his head.

Police officer: “Put down your weapon!”

David had tears flowing down his cheeks.

David: “I…killed those people!”

The police officer continued to persuade him. David was hysterical now.

His voice became quiet.

David: “I…killed…”

His knees grew weak and he fell to the hard-hitting pavement. The gun fell out of his hand and the police charged after him. They cuffed him and placed him in the back of a squad car. The media recorded the scene and gave their last reports as the car drove away towards the police station. The report was shown as breaking news and interrupted a late night program that Megan had been watching because she was unable to sleep. A news anchor began to speak.

News anchor: “We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. A few months ago, a fatal car collision left two people dead and another person missing.”

Pictures of Megan’s parents came on the screen followed by footage from the news archives of the totaled cars in the blocked off intersection. Megan’s eyes grew wide. She moved closer to the television and turned the volume up.

New anchor: “Police have finally captured the man responsible for the accident and have taken him into custody.”

Just then, the phone rang.

Megan: “Who could be calling at this time?”

She walked over to the phone and picked it up.

Megan: “Hello?”

There was a man at the other end of the phone.

Man: “Miss Yamaguchi?”

Megan: “Yes, that’s me.”

Man: “This is Sergeant Takahashi. I have called to inform you that we have found the man guilty for the lethal collision your parents were in.”

Megan: “Yes, I just saw the news report on TV.”

Sgt. Takahashi: “We questioned him and he didn’t seem to have memory of it until recently. When he hit your parents’ car, he suffered a minor head injury that caused him to loose memory for that night. Since the injury wasn’t fatal, we figured his intoxication played a role in his temporary amnesia as well.”

Megan: “What’s going to happen to him?”

Sgt. Takahashi: “He will be tried and we’ll see what the jury decides."

Megan: “Oh…alright.”

Sgt. Takahashi: “Oh and Miss Yamaguchi…”

Megan: “Yes?”

Sgt. Takahashi: “We told him that the people that he killed had a daughter. When we told him this, he insisted immediately to talk to you. We will let him at your consent.”

Megan thought about this decision. How could she face the man who killed her parents? Then she thought of Sam and knew that talking to the man would be the right thing to do.

Megan: “I’ll talk with him first thing in the morning.”

Sgt. Takahashi: “Very well. We will be awaiting your arrival. Good-bye Miss Yamaguchi.”

Megan: “Bye.”

She hung up the phone. Her mind was flooded with questions and images of the past few months. Then, her mind was focused on one thought…Sam. She wondered where he was. She called out for him.

Megan: “Sam…Sam where are you?”

Suddenly Sam appeared.

Sam: “Hey, what’s up?”

Megan smiled and slowly walked up to him. She wrapped her arms around him. Sam held her closely.

Megan: “Sam, the police found the person who caused my parents’ death.”

Sam: “Oh…really?”

Megan: “Yeah. They said he wants to talk to me.”

Sam: “And what did you tell them?”

Megan: “Well, at first I was doubtful of my decision and wondered how I would be able to confront a man who caused such a tragedy.”

She looked up at Sam. His blue eyes were locked with hers.

Megan: “Then, I thought of you and realized it would be the right thing to do.”

She smiled.

Sam: “So, when are you going?”

Megan: “First thing in the morning.”

Sam: “Ah, I see.”

Megan: “Sam?”

Sam: “Yeah?”

Megan: “You’ll go with me…won’t you?”

Sam smiled.

Sam: “Of course.”

Megan: “Good.”

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