J

Jim 4

9 YEARS AGO

- Jimmy, stop that!

- Don't call me Jimmy. And just shut up and let me do this.

- You are hurting him. Stop, please!

- Shut up, Angela! He got himself into this.

- Noooo! Stop!

- Aargh! Argh! Take that, Mike. Next time watch your step and maybe I'll skip this part.

Mike had been too close to Angela, Jim's girlfriend. I remember that day. I used to hang out with Jim when we were younger. I didn't have any friends my age and he was family, so I spent a lot of time with him. Jim has always been a very aggressive person, he resolved everything with anger and violence. The issue with him was that his methods of 'torture' were on a whole another level for a 15-year-old.

I didn't understand how Mike survived that day. Jim beat him with a metal pipe more than 20 times. Mike's face was bleeding, he couldn't see because his eyes were so swollen. Mike breathed heavily, almost like he was a 90-year-old on his deathbed. I thought about calling an ambulance but Jim didn't let me. He told me that Mike deserved it. I was so confused. Why does any person deserve to get beaten? Jim's response simply was: "His punishment is due to his own mistakes, now he'll learn".

- Listen, sometimes people get what they deserve. The world isn't always as pleasant as it is told to be.

- Jim, I am breaking up with you! - Angela shouted uncontrollably, crying over Mike.

- I do not really care, Angela. I hope he dies.

Those words were really impactful for me. Who are we to decide or even hope someone dies? Nobody on this earth should be able to decide another human's faith. Jim was very cruel. We don't know where we send the people that we kill. Why should we do it then? This is the only idea I had clear was unethical in any context.

As we were running away from the crime scene, I asked Jim if he genuinely hoped Mike was dead. "It is just an exaggerated expression, I do not hope but I wouldn't feel sorry either.", he responded. That made me more confused. How can he say something that extreme and not even care? Mike could really die after what Jim did to him. I thought this was very inconsiderate and unethical on Jim's part.

Days have passed and Jim didn't manage to escape his punishment. The police discovered him easily. He was going to juvie, at the age of 15. My parents asked me about what happened, and why didn't I tell them. I just remained silent. Jim told me he would kill me if I opened my mouth.