Fear and Courage
It was your typical Tuesday for Kevin Anderson. He would wake up at six, take a fifteen minute shower, eat a quick breakfast, and then heads off to his lackluster job. In this economy he knows he and his wife can not quit their jobs, what would their family of three children do? Kevin gets into his car and starts to drive into the city. He notices a man coming out of the bank. The man looked uncomfortable like he was hiding something.
“I wonder where he’s off to so fast…” Kevin whispered to himself. Kevin did not have time to ponder on the subject anymore; he had to go to work.
Eight tedious hours of work later, right when he was getting into his used car his wife called him.
“Hi honey. How was work today?” his wife asked with an insipid tone. She has not been the same since she lost her job as a stock broker in 2008 and had to get a new job at a daycare facility.
“Same as always, how about you?” Kevin asked with little interest.
“The babies wouldn’t stop crying, one of the preschoolers kicked me in the shin, and I am pretty sure that one of those brats barfed in my bag, but anyway that’s not why I called you.” she curtly replied.
“Why did you call me then?” He asked curiously.
“Can you go to the bank and withdraw some money so we can buy some food for dinner tonight?” She asked.
“Ok I will, I will see you at home, I love you.” Kevin answered, she hung up.
Kevin was surprised by this request. He thought that they were just lower on money then they usually do, not have to withdraw money from the bank for just dinner. He walked into the bank with a poor attitude, but luckily there were not many people in the bank on a Tuesday evening.
“Hello sir. How can I help you today?” said the young enthusiastic bank teller.
“I would like to…” Kevin stopped suddenly and looked over at the man at the station across from him. He could swear he recognized him from somewhere but could not put a finger on it.
“Umm excuse me sir, but do I know you from somewhere?” Kevin asked cautiously.
“Mind your own business!” The mystery man said quickly.
That was all Kevin needed though. The man turned in Kevin’s direction and aloud Kevin to see his face. It was the uncomfortable man he saw leaving the bank earlier that day on his way to work. Then Kevin examined the rest of the mans body and saw a gun hanging out of his sweatshirt pocket. Unfortunately for Kevin, the man saw Kevin see the gun and pulled it out faster then a cheetah running in the desert.
“FREEZE EVERYONE ON THE GROUND!!!” screamed the robber. “Take out all of your wallets, cell phones, and anything else that can help you escape, if you do not cooperate, I will shot your brains out!!!”
Everyone did as the robber told them to do. Kevin was on the ground first to say the least. Kevin did not think he had ever been in a situation that had caused this much fear and stress. But then he thought he heard a beeping from the enthusiastic bank teller. She was using her phone. Kevin could see the numbers she was dialing, nine, one…
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!” yelled the robber at the bank teller.
“n-n-nothing…” whispered the bank teller.
“I warned you.” claimed the robber. Those were the last words the bank teller had heard, the robber shot her right in the temple. Blood was rushing every where, screams filled the room, but Kevin was silent and so was the robber. The robber looked as though he could not believe what he had just done. Kevin started to think of the bank teller again, wondering what her family will do when they hear the news. He thought of how in only the few minutes that he knew her, she was the bravest person that he had ever known. What if that was him, the one to save everyone here, a hero instead of an average Joe. He thought of his family, they are barely making it as it is, what would they do if he was gone? Kevin looked up at the robber again and then began to stand.
“Get back on the ground fatty, you know I am not playing around here!!!” said the robber with less confidence then before.
Kevin contemplated what to say, “Y-y-you know you don’t have to do this right?” Kevin whispered in a shaken voice.
“You don’t know me! And besides it’s a little too late for that now, get back on the ground or you know I will make you!!!” the robber said.
“Even if things look bleak, there is always something you can do, besides…” Kevin began saying, before the sounds of sirens cut him off. Kevin looked down at the still bleeding bank teller to see that her phone called 911 in time.
“H-h-how could this happen, everything was working out so well… your coming with me!!!” the robber grabbed Kevin dragging him outside with a gun pointed to his head. The robber opened up the large bank doors to see four police cars outside ready to stop him, but they saw Kevin and immediately put down their arms.
“This is how its going to go.” explained the robber “You are going to let me go with no penalties, and let me have the money. Or I will kill this man right hear right now.”
Kevin didn’t know what to do. The robber was grabbing him so tightly he could barely breathe. That’s when it hit him. Kevin “passed out” so the robber had to let go of him. This gave the police enough time to take him out.
About an hour later things calmed down and Kevin was on his way home. Afterwards, the police were asking him questions and people were thanking him, he made sure that he did not get all the credit by reminding people of how brave the young bank teller was, and how he was scared speechless until he finally found the right words to stand up to the robber.
He started to see his old home and for the first time in a long time, he smiled. Then as he got closer he noticed that his wife was standing in the driveway. He could see as he got out of his used car that there were tears in her eyes as she approached him.
“What’s wrong?” Kevin asked with concern.
“I saw the news, I don’t care if you think that the bank teller is the hero, I know that you are my hero, and I love you more then ever before.”
“I wonder where he’s off to so fast…” Kevin whispered to himself. Kevin did not have time to ponder on the subject anymore; he had to go to work.
Eight tedious hours of work later, right when he was getting into his used car his wife called him.
“Hi honey. How was work today?” his wife asked with an insipid tone. She has not been the same since she lost her job as a stock broker in 2008 and had to get a new job at a daycare facility.
“Same as always, how about you?” Kevin asked with little interest.
“The babies wouldn’t stop crying, one of the preschoolers kicked me in the shin, and I am pretty sure that one of those brats barfed in my bag, but anyway that’s not why I called you.” she curtly replied.
“Why did you call me then?” He asked curiously.
“Can you go to the bank and withdraw some money so we can buy some food for dinner tonight?” She asked.
“Ok I will, I will see you at home, I love you.” Kevin answered, she hung up.
Kevin was surprised by this request. He thought that they were just lower on money then they usually do, not have to withdraw money from the bank for just dinner. He walked into the bank with a poor attitude, but luckily there were not many people in the bank on a Tuesday evening.
“Hello sir. How can I help you today?” said the young enthusiastic bank teller.
“I would like to…” Kevin stopped suddenly and looked over at the man at the station across from him. He could swear he recognized him from somewhere but could not put a finger on it.
“Umm excuse me sir, but do I know you from somewhere?” Kevin asked cautiously.
“Mind your own business!” The mystery man said quickly.
That was all Kevin needed though. The man turned in Kevin’s direction and aloud Kevin to see his face. It was the uncomfortable man he saw leaving the bank earlier that day on his way to work. Then Kevin examined the rest of the mans body and saw a gun hanging out of his sweatshirt pocket. Unfortunately for Kevin, the man saw Kevin see the gun and pulled it out faster then a cheetah running in the desert.
“FREEZE EVERYONE ON THE GROUND!!!” screamed the robber. “Take out all of your wallets, cell phones, and anything else that can help you escape, if you do not cooperate, I will shot your brains out!!!”
Everyone did as the robber told them to do. Kevin was on the ground first to say the least. Kevin did not think he had ever been in a situation that had caused this much fear and stress. But then he thought he heard a beeping from the enthusiastic bank teller. She was using her phone. Kevin could see the numbers she was dialing, nine, one…
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!” yelled the robber at the bank teller.
“n-n-nothing…” whispered the bank teller.
“I warned you.” claimed the robber. Those were the last words the bank teller had heard, the robber shot her right in the temple. Blood was rushing every where, screams filled the room, but Kevin was silent and so was the robber. The robber looked as though he could not believe what he had just done. Kevin started to think of the bank teller again, wondering what her family will do when they hear the news. He thought of how in only the few minutes that he knew her, she was the bravest person that he had ever known. What if that was him, the one to save everyone here, a hero instead of an average Joe. He thought of his family, they are barely making it as it is, what would they do if he was gone? Kevin looked up at the robber again and then began to stand.
“Get back on the ground fatty, you know I am not playing around here!!!” said the robber with less confidence then before.
Kevin contemplated what to say, “Y-y-you know you don’t have to do this right?” Kevin whispered in a shaken voice.
“You don’t know me! And besides it’s a little too late for that now, get back on the ground or you know I will make you!!!” the robber said.
“Even if things look bleak, there is always something you can do, besides…” Kevin began saying, before the sounds of sirens cut him off. Kevin looked down at the still bleeding bank teller to see that her phone called 911 in time.
“H-h-how could this happen, everything was working out so well… your coming with me!!!” the robber grabbed Kevin dragging him outside with a gun pointed to his head. The robber opened up the large bank doors to see four police cars outside ready to stop him, but they saw Kevin and immediately put down their arms.
“This is how its going to go.” explained the robber “You are going to let me go with no penalties, and let me have the money. Or I will kill this man right hear right now.”
Kevin didn’t know what to do. The robber was grabbing him so tightly he could barely breathe. That’s when it hit him. Kevin “passed out” so the robber had to let go of him. This gave the police enough time to take him out.
About an hour later things calmed down and Kevin was on his way home. Afterwards, the police were asking him questions and people were thanking him, he made sure that he did not get all the credit by reminding people of how brave the young bank teller was, and how he was scared speechless until he finally found the right words to stand up to the robber.
He started to see his old home and for the first time in a long time, he smiled. Then as he got closer he noticed that his wife was standing in the driveway. He could see as he got out of his used car that there were tears in her eyes as she approached him.
“What’s wrong?” Kevin asked with concern.
“I saw the news, I don’t care if you think that the bank teller is the hero, I know that you are my hero, and I love you more then ever before.”
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