The Power of Light - A Richmond Super Story

His Crooked Nose

Sitting outside in the hospital waiting room, all I could think about was what might happen. The Doctors seem to think she's going to be okay, but there's a worried look on their faces, and their eyes don't seem to believe the words tumbling out of their mouths.

My dad has been doing paces up and down the hall for the past half hour, muttering nonsense that I don't understand. As he reaches the end of the corrider and in mid-spin, a door next to me opens swiftly, and two policemen step through. Neither of them had been at my house earlier.

"Mr.Jones?" One says in a deep voice.

My dad looks up, as if he was broken from a trance. A worried crease over his eyes, he examine the two men.

"Yes?"

"We have some info on the attack, if you would come with us." They beckoned towards the door.

"Oh, yeah, of course." He says, starting to walk towards them.

I stand too, eager to hear any news.

"Oh no, Sonny, you stay here." One of the men say, holding out a hand as if to say 'stop'.

My dad looks from the man to me, looking dazed for a moment, and then firmly, "I think he should come."

"I'm not sure it's suitable for such a young age."

"Young age," My dad scoffs,"My son deserves to know what happened."

The man shrugged, "Sure."

Leading us through the reception area, the man steps into a small office.

"Sorry for the lack of chairs... we didn't consider you coming." The man says, looking towards the lone chair on one side of the desk.

"It's okay, I'll stand."

"No no, you sit, I'll stand." My dad offers.

"No, you sit." I don't want him to faint or anything if there's bad news. My dad obliges and sits down, facing the man, as I lean against the wall.

"So, tell me... any news?" My dads attempt to appear calm is ruined by a nervous stutter, and his constant blinking to keep back tears.

The man looks at my dad without expression. I can't tell what he's feeling, no signs of symphaty or sadness draws from his face.

"We have video surveillance of the attack. We know what the attacker looks like, and we have people out looking for him as we speak."

My dad looks relieved as the man talks, seemingly forgetting about his wife in critical care for a moment. "So you're gonna catch him? Tell me you will."

"We will do our best. We hope to have him soon. We have this picture here," He pulls out a photo from a folder on the desk. In it, it shows my mother, pushed up against a wall, and the pusher, the attacker, looking up towards the camera. A worried look seems to have fallen over his face, as he realised the camera could see it all.

Luckily for him, his hood was up, throwing half his face into shadows, but still, his face would stick out in a crowd. A large crooked nose, as if it had been broken once too many, small beady eyes, with a large gaping mouth, open in shock of seeing the camera.

My dads eyes widen at seeing his wife being attacked, and tears once again begin to form.

Suddenly looking angry, he glared up at the cop.

"You better find him. He can't be out in the streets!"

"We will do all we can."

And with that, we leave the small office, out through the reception, and head back to my moms room. I take a seat by the window, looking out at the raging storm, as a crack of lightning splits the nightsky. My dad is still at my mothers side, talking to her, but she's out cold. Once more, we are told by a doctor not to worry, that they're figuring things out.