Answers.com Creative Writing Challenge Entry - Not on the Dark Side

"Here, senor," the burly waiter placed a bowl of white gazpacho on my table. I was not even looking at him, my thoughts were somewhere else. I stared at my own reflection in the window pane of the La Torres restaurant. The street was dimly lit and the drizzle that began half-an-hour ago or so did not show any signs of letting up. I could not see very far and with a heavy sigh, turned to my waiter.

"Will that be all, senor? "

" Yeah," I did not have the appetite to drown all the soup. I was anxious, and alone.

The TV in the restaurant was showing a documentary on the Lucasfilm opus , Star Wars. The fug atmosphere of the small budget eatery was alive with talk of characters from the movies; Princess Leia, Han Solo and of course, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Everyone had a favourite, me too. I liked Chewbacca, the simian pal of Han, and co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon.

'I am not going to be on the Dark Side of the Force,' I kept telling myself, while I watched it. It made me feel better.

I remember I stole money from my father's wallet to bunk school and watch Star Wars. Billy from the garage down the road saw me at the theatre and squealed on me to my father, in spite of me offering to wash cars for free for a week after school to make him keep quiet. The image of the imposing frame of my father as he peered down at me through his bloodshot eyes on the stoop, when I came back home that day, still gives me horripilation.

Apart from the relationship I shared with my parents, my salad days were wonderful.

I had never stolen anything before that. Or after, until now.

Casey, my contact came in soon after I had finished the soup. He smiled at me; I did not like it. I didn't know whether he was proud of me or just enjoyed seeing me all edgy about the whole thing.

"Have you scanned the files?"

I was taken aback, I thought he'd like to be more secretive about my 'mission'. But I could understand his excitement. The papers that could prove the embezzlement of campaign funds for Senator Henry Lawson's re-election campaign by his own cronies would make a great scoop for The Cincinnati Enquirer, and the agog look on his face could tell that he saw this as a springboard for his career. Though I knew I was not quite close to Senator Henry, I had to do something to stop the activities of the proverbial fifth-column in the Ohio state administration, headed by John Wessels, before they could jeopardise the chances of one of Ohio's finest leaders in recent times. The fund-raisers would not be too happy with him if they find out their money was not in good hands and his image would take a mighty blow.

Sadly, I was one of them. But Maggie's words had stung and she really made me feel ashamed of what I had done. No, I am not going to be a part of this, I said. The truth had to be brought out. But I needed help.

Casey was a very bright reporter, and though a greenhorn in the field of investigative journalism, I knew he had his father's talents. He had recently investigated a case of a suspect involved in a parking lot shootout and tracked down the absconding criminal before the cops could even get down to checking him out. The lad sure had it in his genes.

"Yes I have," I handed him the USB drive.

"This will go a long way to help Senator Henry."

I nodded. Anything to help a good man.

We did not talk much in the restaurant. Casey grabbed a tortilla de patatas and we both headed out of there.

"Well I gotta split, I need to work on this. Thanks a lot, Hal!"

I saw him cross the street and disappear behind the new Thai restaurant that had opened opposite La Torres. It looked really grand, with the miniature pagoda next to its foyer, that reminded me of the one I saw at Kew Gardens when I went to visit Becky in London last fall.

'I'll have to tell Casey to meet me there the next time,' I thought.
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