Appearances can be misleading ( A true life story of an innocent police office about to be sentenced to death)

Good day Steemians, I have two related true life stories for you today.

Johnny was in real deep trouble of his life. He was standing in a court room in Jakarta waiting for the judge to give out his sentence. He is charged for being in possession of large quantity of Cocaine and if found guilty as charged, will have to face the ultimate penalty which is death. The problem was that Johnny was innocent of the crime of which he is being held. The hard drugs was found well hidden inside a babies sanitary diapers in a bag he had agreed to carry through the Jakarta International Airport (Soekarno-Hatta) belonging to a young woman who had appeared to have her hands preoccupied with twin babies and some luggage. As they were about to pass through customs check, some sniffer dogs became very restless targeting the woman’s bag Johnny was carrying. Once the security officials singled him out for special attention, the woman and her kids disappeared like ghosts!

He tried to explain his innocence and how he was trying to help a stranger who appeared to be in need of help to the judge in his trial which appears to be going very fast lasting for just 55 minutes, however the prosecution attorney countered his pleas stating that in current happenings in the world, it is only a stupid person who can really be cajoled into carrying anything through a security checkpoint for a total stranger, more especially, in this current world ravaged by terrorists. The attorney further pointed out that from where Johnny comes from in Dublin, he was a police officer in charge of Narcotics. As a law officer, he cannot claim to be so naive as he is pretending to be. However, Johnny’s only counter argument to all these accusations has been “Appearances can be misleading”. As he said that, the judge immediately gave him a very intense and strange look.

At that moment, things were really not going on well for Johnny in this fast trial. All these while, his only witness has been an elderly passenger from Mexico who during his testimony at the trial appeared unkempt and a bit drunk. He agreed to have seeing the woman ask Johnny for help of which he accepted by taking her babies bag, however he added that by then, it appeared that Johnny and the woman with kids were travelling together. Once more, Johnny’s defense was “Appearances can be misleading”

Ironically, in a flashback, he remembered the first time he had heard the expression “Appearances can be misleading” which was in the early nineties when he was a teenager going through a hippie punk rock phase of his life. He had so many body piercing, wore mainly black overall and always was found with a scary looking jackknife in his back pocket… All the kids in school were scared and avoided him.

One early morning as he was walking alone to school, reciting a song to himself, he heard a commotion. At the top of the bridge, four kids were busy bullying a new student who appears to be a foreigner. They were very mean and about to throw the kid into the river and the poor kid kept crying and pleading that he cannot swim!

Sensing the danger the kid was in, Johnny immediately intervened. Initially, the bullies wanted to fight it out with him, but he was quite huge and taller than the 4 of them plus his scary jackknife was quite visible and from his looks, they believed he was eager to use it. So they had to drop the little boy they were bullying and ran off to find another victim. Johnny asked the kid if he was alright and the boy straightened his cloths and starred intensely at Johnny and said “Appearances can be misleading!”
Johnny asked why he had to say that and the boy answered, “Well, everyone in school thinks you are dangerous. Some kids even rumored that you stabbed a teacher once as such; you were the last person I had expected to save my life. Thank you very much, I would have been thrown off the bridge and drown if not for you. From where I come from, you owe the person who save your life an eternal debt which you must spend the rest of your life paying the person back. My name is Agus, and for the rest of my life I will never forget what you did for me. He then shook Johnny’s hands and left.

Back in the Jakarta courtroom, Johnny gave a cynical smile as he recalled that his childhood episode. Some 27yrs after he had saved an Indonesian kids life, he is now a 40 yrs old police man about to be condemned to death all because appearance can be misleading.. He suddenly snapped out of his reflection when the judge banged his gravel three times as it was time for the verdict!

This is where I shall end the first story. Here is the second story…

Judge Agus couldn’t belief his eyes when Johnny was brought to his courtroom. 27 long years has passed but his appearance has not changed much, as such Agus recognized him at once. He listened patiently for 55 minutes and then banged his gravel three times for his verdict. “Mr. Johnny, appearances can indeed be misleading” as such, you are not guilty as charged…Therefore you are free to go”

And this is the end of the story…

Lesson...
My loving steemians, its obvious I do not need to say much about the lessons this two short stories has to offer, but always remember, as we live our lives, we should always have in mind that we should strive to do something memorable for someone, even a total stranger who may not be able to pay you back at that moment, but be assured, they will pay you back in hundred folds in future. Kindness is not a debt you pay but an investment. Let us always be there for one another and in the spirit of steemit let us imbibe the habit of all for one, and one for all…Finally, let us carry one another along especially our new members so together, we all can succeed in this great and wonderful community...

Be aware that I am always available to guide and help anyone especially minnows ( new members) who need my help, guide or support…
Can’t stop loving my fellow steemians…

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Do you always have time for your family?...read up my emotional short story on Family versus office plus other articles related to health and inspirational stories.
https://steemit.com/story/@kenhudoy/a-bitter-truth-of-life-family-vs-office-a-short-story-that-touches-the-heart

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