Social Short Story – Euthanasia – A crime?
Photo credit: jeltovski from morguefile.com
Overnight, Thomas became the talk of the town. His name was on everyone’s lips as they discussed his shocking actions in hushed tones. But society shunned him even his daughter stated hating him.
Thomas is in prison because he killed his wife. Thomas is not a criminal minded person or a killer. He is basically a soft, sober and educated gentleman.
A few months ago, Thomas was an epitome of a person with a caring and helping nature. Neighbors often saw Thomas tirelessly sit at his ill wife’s bedside nursing her so they were shocked at the sudden turn of events. Questions like “What happened suddenly with Thomas?” “Why did he kill Maria?” were on everyone’s lips and minds.
Thomas killed his wife and confessed his crime. It was not a cold blooded murder. Some people are eyewitnesses to this crime.
Thomas didn’t speak word after his confession so nobody was aware of his intentions behind committing the murder. Even Jenny, his only daughter! She found it very hard to believe that her mother had been killed by her father. And the question kept repeating in her mind; “why?”
Tomorrow will be Thomas’s last day alive as the court has declared the death penalty for Thomas, so Thomas will be hanged till death at dawn the day after tomorrow. Since his confession and subsequent arrest, Thomas has been confined in dark room inside the prison. This room is always used for hardened criminals. The room has an extremely bad odour which is very oppressive and nauseating. A normal person can’t sit for more than five minutes in this room as it is very dingy, small and stinking.
Thomas sat on an old chair in the middle of the room thinking about his beloved Maria. Each and every moment spent with Maria flowed in his mind. He loved her so much but felt guilty the moment he killed her. He couldn’t bring himself to look in the mirror after taking her life. Thomas didn’t utter a word during the trial apart from stating that he is guilty. He sorrowfully accepted his crime. The media hounded him daily with questions as the trial progressed. The public who came to witness the trail also tried to provoke him to no avail.
As Thomas was reminiscing in his prison cell, he suddenly heard someone call his name in a fearful voice. He turned in the direction of voice and froze as his eyes scanned the face of the person who came to meet him. It was his daughter Jenny. Thomas’s heart broke as he looked at Jenny’s dejected face, her eyes red-rimmed from crying; she looked at him as though he is a criminal but her expression changed as she looked closer and saw a defeated and repenting man.
Jenny accusingly asked Thomas “Why did you do this? You cruel man!”
Thomas looked at Jenny and replied “I am filled with remorse and I want to repent. Before I die I want to tell you something. After that you decide whether I am guilty or not?”
Jenny shouted angrily “No I don’t want to listen to your lies anymore. You are so ruthless and cold blooded. You didn’t even think before you committed the crime. You killed your beloved wife.”
“Jenny, listen to me, I am going to die tomorrow. And the truth behind the murder will be buried with me. I don’t want to die without telling you the truth behind this crime. I request you to please listen to me once.” Thomas pleaded.
After thinking for a moment Jenny nodded her head indicating she is willing to listen. Thomas took a deep breath and began speaking about the crime “After your marriage we decided to go for a holiday but suddenly your mother collapsed on the floor. We consulted a doctor immediately. The doctor advised us to conduct some tests. The tests revealed that your mother had cancer and it was terminal. We were very late in consulting the doctor as she may have been saved had we consulted him earlier. But the cancer was already at the fourth stage and there was no hope to live as it had spread to other organs. In spite of this, we started the medical treatment immediately but the side effects of the daily medications starting reflecting on her body. She became very weak, often bled from her mouth and the doctor informed me that she may not live for long.
She was in excruciating pain towards the end, unable to sleep, eat, stand or sit properly. Chemotherapy resulted in massive hair loss. I couldn’t bear to see her suffer daily pain, nausea and weakness. The treatment continued for a while but eventually the doctor also lost the hope. The cancer completely destroyed Maria and me. She suffered physical pain and I suffered mental pain as I helplessly watched her struggle to overcome her weakness to even stand.
One day I was reading the newspaper to Maria. In the international news section there was an article on Euthanasia which is legal in countries like Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia and Luxembourg. When Maria heard this news she looked at me with eyes like that of a vulture as asked me if I can do something for her. When I looked into her eyes, she continued asking me if love her. I was surprised at her question and asked her why she was in doubt? Then your mother replied that if I really love her, I should fulfill her last wishes. Initially I didn’t understand so I was very happy to hear this and I promised her I will do whatever she wishes. To this, your mother replied that since she doesn’t have any hope remaining to stay alive, and since she is in terrible pain with her whole body burning because of after effects of chemotherapy and medicines, her days and nights had become horrible and she cannot bear to see me also suffer because of her, so she wants to end everything.
I was very upset hearing her words and I told her not to think this way. But her reply was a question to me as to what would I have thought had I been in her place? Wouldn’t I have said the same thing? She then pointed to the article on euthanasia which was open on my lap. I felt my body turn cold as I understood she wanted to die….. I shouted at her as her request sunk in, I asked her how she could think this way. I asked her if she was mad. I asked her how she could have such irrational thoughts and finally I refused. I told her I will never do what she wants and I told her never to think about it again.
She tried to convince me a lot by saying that it is legal in some countries and they accept it we so we should also consider it. She then proceeded to emotionally blackmail me with love and sentiment by telling me that if I really love her I will relieve her from her unbearable pain. But I couldn’t bear to listen to her arguments and I broke down as I begged her once again not to think this way. After that day every morning when I enquired about her sleep and her pain, she replied in a brusque and annoyed manner that I don’t really care for her and I don’t understand her pain. Apart from the cancer which was eating her body, your mother also collapsed mentally and became very depressed.
In the last days of her life she stopped cooperating with me, preferred to be alone, and gave up on live. Nights became horrible for both of us as I often woke up hearing her screaming in pain. Since I refused to help her, she tried killing herself many times in vain as I was always there to save her. Each failed attempt pushed her further into depression and she cried horribly in my arms as she tried to convince me to help her. She told me I will get salvation if I relieve her from her pain and it will be an honor for me. Your mother lost hope in the last few days before her death, so did her doctor but I was not able to lose hope, as I still believed in god and was so sure some miracle will happen and she will live a long life completely cured of cancer.
On that fateful day, when we visited the hospital, the doctor told us that there was no improvement and chances to live were less. After examining her, he asked the nurse to take some blood samples and he asked us to wait. As we waited, she lay helplessly on the bed looking at me with pained eyes, crying and requesting me to give her salvation. I couldn’t bear to look at her. I thought about her request and weighed my options. Some countries have legally accepted Euthanasia while others oppose it. Watching your mother’s helplessness made me question myself that if death is better than life then what would I choose? Lots of thoughts kept churning in my mind. Finally after giving a lot of thought to the matter, I decided to give her salvation. I hoisted a pillow and looked at her.
As she realized what I was about to do for her, her face lit up with a serene smile and her eyes glowed with happiness. My hands were shivering and I felt as though someone was pressing a heavy load into my heart. I kissed her on her forehead and slowly lowered the pillow to her nose gradually increasing the pressure with all my strength. Within a few minutes, her body went limp. Just as her body gave a final jerk, a nurse walked in and saw us. She let out a cry as a result of which other hospital staff ran into the room and caught hold of me. They called the police and on their statement the police took me into custody.
As they led me out of the room, my eyes were fixed on Maria’s serene smile which radiated her lifeless face. I accompanied the police with mixed feelings of happiness and sorrow. As we were about to leave the floor, the doctor rushed towards me with a new blood report and gave me the news that Maria was out of danger. My body was immediately racked with guilt but it was too late. I accepted and admitted my crime. I don’t care what people think about me but at least you should know the truth so that I can die without any burden.”
Jenny looked at him and said remorsefully “Sorry dad I said so many bad thing to you without knowing the facts. We should inform the court about the real reason behind your crime.”
Thomas replied “No I feel I am a criminal. I killed you mother and the right justice is the gallows for me.”
The next day every news channel discussed Thomas’s alleged crime and his forthcoming hanging while the newspapers ran detailed articles about euthanasia and their interpretations of Thomas’s actions. Jenny however felt her father was wrongly accused and this was not God’s justice.
–END–
