(Based on True Event)
I
“Good afternoon, Mr. Habwan.”
A journalist entered the lawn of Mr. Habwan, an informant.
“So, you really came here.”
“You were expecting us not to come, did you?”
“What do you want?” asked Mr. Habwan, looking away and tending his flowers.
“You know exactly what we want, Mr. Habwan.”
Mr. Habwan put down his watering can and stood still for a moment. He took a deep breath and
looked at the journalist.
“I-it is very painful to talk about ‘it’. Every night, I cannot sleep well because of that one day. The day
that changed my life.”
“Mr. Habwan, with all due respect, we came to your house for some information about what
happened that day. We only want an answer from you, from your perspective.”
“Why don’t you ask the police? Isn’t their investigation not enough for you?”
“Their investigation is only a mere chronology of what had happened that night. Many details are
not clear.”
“And what makes you think that you will get clearer details from me?”
“We… are not sure,” said the journalist. “But we have no other choice than to try.”
“So you and your cameraman friend are here because of luck?” Asked Mr. Habwan.
“Yes…?” Replied the journalist hesitatingly.
“Hmmm….. You are either very brave or stupid to have the guts coming over here and ask about
‘that’ incident. But, for the past few months, many journalists like you have been eager to interview
me and some of my friends. Very well, I shall give you what you want if that could get people like
you off my tail.”
II
The nights were very bright with the light of the stadium. Many people were attending the soccer
game that was about to occur. After a long day of work, I decided to watch it with my family;
spending time with them. I entered the stadium entrance and sat on our prospective seats. My wife
sat beside me on my right and my son on my left, while my daughter sat beside my wife. The people
started as the clock was minutes away from 7 p.m. when the game was about to start.
“Dad, when will the game start?” Asked my son.
“Any minute now,” I replied.
“Did you buy any snacks, dad?” Asked my daughter.
“Oh, of course, I did. Here.” I gave my daughter some chips and a bottle of tea.
“This is amazing, darling. Thank you for bringing us here,” said my wife.
“Anything, my love,” I replied.
Everything was great. I remember that I saw two fans from the opposite team arguing. Yet, I
shrugged it off and focused on watching the game. I believed that the police would do something
about that if things went south.
The game was great. Two teams were countering and defending each other. We were there
supporting neither team but for only the excitement of the game itself. But, in the middle of the
game, things were happening differently than we would like them to.
III
There was an argument between the referee and the team player regarding the foul play of one
team. One of their members was injured pretty badly, and the referee only gave one of the
teammates of the opposite team a warning. No cards were given whatsoever. The fans were furious
about this, yet the fans from the other side of the team told them to shut up about it.
The fight between those two was triggered and followed by the others as well. Punches and kicks
were thrown and everything turned into chaos. But that was not the real problem. As the fight got
worse and worse, the police threw tear gases into the crowd in order to “defuse” the situation.
Because of that, everyone was running through the exit. The police were relentless in shooting the
tear gases. The problem was not with the fans anymore but with the police throwing them tear
gases. The people have gathered accidentally because of the tear gases. It made many people, from
children to adults, suffocate from the pressure of the crowd.
In the crowd, both my children and my wife took a direct hit from the tear gases. They were dying
and I was desperately carrying them by myself. Luckily, there was one cop who helped me carry my
family. It felt like God gave me a lending hand and for a moment I felt that they would be safe. But,
as we got out of there, the damage had been done. The pressure from the crowd and the tear gases
caused my family’s lungs to collapse and they died due to asphyxiation. I was the only survivor of my
own family. The tear gas also hit me, but I managed to survive. My life turned gloomy that day. I
could not even sleep for a second.
IV
” And I swear from that day on, I will never watch soccer for the rest of my life,” said Mr. Habwan,
ending his story by drinking the tea that he made earlier.
” Is that enough for you? DO YOU STILL NEED MORE?!” Yelled Mr. Habwan to the journalist.
The journalist was stunned for a second to hear the story of Mr. Habwan. ” No Mr. Habwan, that
would be enough,” replied him.
“In the time of chaos, the people who were supposed to protect and serve became the root of its
problem. Yes, I am still grateful that one policeman saved me that day, but a lot of them I saw were
busy shooting rather than calming the people down. In the midst of panic, they made it even worse
than it should be. But, the main problem is how humans can make a game into a serious matter of
life and death without thinking of the collateral damage that might happen. If people were calm and
reasonable, I would have been with my family right now. But, I guess it is too much to ask for
humanity. Now, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!” Added Mr. Habwan, ending everything.