HANDS UP!

Oliver was still sad. His mom hated him from birth, and the doctor called it postpartum depression. Why was I born to suffer like this? He asks himself. Sorrow clouded his mind like a fog. He couldn't think about anything else. He kept sobbing, his heart aching badly. Mr. Myles sat close to his suffering son.

'I am sorry for everything. I was the cause. Being nothing, but a broke black man, couldn't help me. I had nothing to my name, I still have nothing.' He joins his son in crying. Both Father and son cry deeply. They cried for sometime then they dosed off beside each other. It was a phone call that woke Mr. Myles up.

'Hello, Ryan.' Mr. Myles answers the call.

'Hello, bro,' he greets. 'It's time: The drug traffickers are leaving the country tonight. If you've the money come to the park close to the airport road. Be quick, we leave at 22:00.' Ryan states.

'I'll be at the park, with the money.'

'Okay, see you at the park, then.' Ryan ends the call.

Mr. Myles pecks his son. He wears his jacket and holds up an attaché case. He removes $40 000 and keeps the rest back into his secret attic in the roof.

'Lord, please forgive me.' He prays before he goes out to meet Ryan in the park. It starts raining heavily; it was like the heavens were trying to warn Mr. Myles. He stood under a shade to avoid getting drenched. Luckily for him, he sees Ryan's car, a coupe, just going towards the park. He signals him and he stops just in time.

'Hi.' Ryan opens the car door.

'Hi Ryan,' Mr. Myles enters in a hurry.

'You got the money, no?' Ryan looks at him with a frown.

'Of course, I've the money.' Mr. Myles dips his hands in his pocket and brings out 4 wads of dollars, '$40 000 cash.' He gives Ryan the money.

'Nigga, no man gonna know you got so much bucks on you; you live basically like a pauper.' Ryan says.

'I've been looking for a safe place to invest this money – I trust this is the best investment I will make.' Mr. Myles says.

'Yeah, this gonna be your best investment. 40 large is no small money. You gonna keep your hopes high. I will pay you your money in full, if this doesn't work out. I promise.' Ryan assures and Mr. Myles comes out the car.

'Thank you, my brother.'

Ryan starts the car and hits the road.

Mr. Myles returns home and to his problems. He sits on the chair; his heart throbbing. Only $40 000 was remaining from all the money The senator had paid him. He decides to do something meaningful with the rest – Getting a car and starting a cab business. He wanted to work hard so he could give Oliver a great life.

Suddenly, the door's knob turns slowly after a series of squeaks. A masked man sticks his head into the house, and looks around. He could smell the strong scent of roses that lingered around the air. Inside was warm. Mr. Myles just sat carelessly on the Couch.

'Keep your hands up!' The masked man yells pulling out his gun, and walks to Mr. Myles. 'Where's the money!'

'What money?'

'Bring out the money, or I'll shoot!' The masked man yells again.

'Okay… I will show you the money. It's in my room.' Mr. Myles walks to his room, while the robber follows, quite a distance behind.

As soon as Mr. Myles entered the room, he disappeared – the masked man couldn't find him. The robber moves deeper into the room, the tension growing; 'Bam!' Mr. Myles hits the masked man with a vase. Then, he struggles for the gun, throwing heavy punches at the robber. It was a scary struggle. He was about to get a good grip of the gun, subsequently the gun was fired. The gunshot was very loud alerting Oliver. It took sometime before Mr. Myles fell on the floor. His blood was all over, on the floor.

Oliver woke up as soon as he heard the gunshot. He runs to the direction of the sound – Mr. Myles room. When he reached his dad, he was bleeding badly and the robber was gone. Mr. Myles was injured on his leg.

'Dad, what happened?!' Oliver asks surprised.

'Get the money… from the attic in the roof. Run with it; you're better without me.' Mr. Myles says feebly.

'Dad, I don't understand what you're saying. I'm calling the ambulance.' He picks up his dad's phone and makes the call. Soon enough, the ambulance comes by. They took him to the hospital. Oliver hops into the ambulance, sitting beside his dad. It looked like life was getting worst. Every day was a problem of its own.

Oliver ran beside his father, as his father was taken to the emergency ward,

'Tick-tock, tick-tock,' time passed by and no news about Mr. Myles. Immediately, the doctor comes out of the emergency room.

'Hello, doctor, I am Oliver sparrow, the son of the patient in the emergency ward. Please, how's my father doing?' Oliver asks impatiently.

The doctor looks at Oliver and says.

'The patient may never be able to walk again; his thigh bones are shattered by the bullet. He will be able to work if a special surgery is done, and that is worth $36,000. We're surprised a bullet would do so much damage. According to the ballistic identification, it is believed to be a rare bullet, only sold by a secret organization. We can only do our best to save a life.' The doctor says, and leaves.

Oliver was weakened by the terrible news he had heard. He didn't know where to get such an amount of money from. He could remember the few words his father said before losing consciousness.

'Get the money… from the attic in the roof…'

At least, if I found this money, I would pay a bit of the hospital bills. Oliver thinks to himself. He decides to go home and search for the money thoroughly. He takes the first bus home, and on his way home, he met with Charles.

'What's up, bro?' Charles asks.

'My dad got shot. I'm doing anything I can to help.' Oliver explains as quickly as he could.

'Did you say; your dad got shot?' Charles asks thoughtlessly.

'Of course… I got no time for chit-chat.' Oliver walks away.

'Wait! I might know the culprit.' Oliver stops.

'Rodney, Scorpion X's son, rented a gun from my boss, earlier. He said he wanted to use it to scare a guy who has a crush on his girlfriend. I knew he was up to no good.' Charles reveals.

Oliver wasted no more time. He reached his home, and looked for any clue on the roof in Mr. Myles room. He saw something that looked like a handle on the roof. With the help of a chair, he stands erect, and tries the handle and it opens up. There was a box, a briefcase. He lowers the briefcase down, and opens it. In the briefcase was $40,580. Oliver could not believe his dad had hidden such an amount. He immediately took it to the doctor.

'This is the money. You can now carry out the surgery.' Oliver speaks to the surprised doctor, who never expected him to pay such an amount, in such a short notice.

The doctor hands the money to the cashier, and takes with him some nurses to the operation theater; and the surgery commenced.

Sometime later, Mr. Myles opens his dark brown eye. He saw his amputated leg being carried out, and he was shocked to see a metal piece in place of his leg.

'What happened to my leg?' He shrieks.

'That was the only option we had for you to work again.' The nurses tell him.

'And who paid for it? Or is it free?' Mr. Myles asks, confused.

'Your son did.'

'What? Which of them…?' Mr. Myles says, aggravated.

Oliver comes into the room.

'Dad, you're okay; thank God.' Oliver says cheerfully.

Mr. Myles had a frown on his face. Oliver had just used the money he wasted his energy on saving from the grasp of the armed robber. He even got shot. He received the pain and still lost the money – The armed robber would have taken it peacefully.

'Where did you get this money from?'

'Dad, you didn't tell me you had such amount of money hidden. Thank God the money was there.' Oliver says innocently.

'Oliver, are you aware you've thrown away our ticket to a new life. You would have left me with no leg. I'm as useless now as having no legs.'

'No, father; I can't leave you. You're all I have.' Oliver says.