A Villain Knight

Call me a villain or a knight, that’s up to you, for it makes no difference to me. However, I had to do it. I had to make the ultimate and despicable calls because nobody wanted to do the dirty job. Everyone was fearfully worried about keeping their hands squeaky clean as if those bastards did not deserve my wrathful punishment. Everyone was so terrified of looking those sinners into their widely opened and lying eyes to deliver justice. I’m not sure why me handing down true justice was sinful. Maybe it was a bad thing, maybe it was something that’d be condoned or condemned, but if I didn’t do it, who else could’ve done it then? According to my rulebooks, those monsters deserved what happened to them. Somebody had to do God’s work. Wouldn’t it be best plucking out a few rotten apples before they spoil the other fruits? I think that’s what true justice means. There’s a saying that always stuck with me. It’s says, very few must pay an ultimate sacrifice, so that many can enjoy the best things that life has to offer.

So, the day I decided to send those bad guys to their early graves and permanent hellish residence, they were beyond redemption. They brought the wrath to themselves and for that, they should’ve gotten more than a bullet in the head. I had to pull the trigger; and hadn’t I done so, hell would’ve broken loose, and our town would’ve burned down to the ground. I couldn’t let that happen unless I’m six feet under. If I had committed a crime, it was truly justified.

This is how the story goes... In a small town of Hillside Pleasant View, where everyone knows each other by names, life was like living in paradise. We lived a very simple and productive life. There was no greed or crime. There wasn’t any class separating us from one another. We were completely living in serene harmony, together respectfully. We had passion, compassion, and understanding among us, for the community worked together in all aspects of life.

Everyone shared pains and happiness together as one, as a community, as a family. We were a small community of descendant families, where a once small village, then turned into a city, then into a big township, I grew up, and loved passionately. It was a very secluded and private place to live in. Outsiders always frowned upon and would never get warm welcomes. Every property in this town occupied as residential or businesses complexes only by residents of Hillside. So, being accepted into our town was like drilling a dry rock seeking water. The town’s list only incremented or decreased due to nature, when life comes to being or another one would be taken away. That nobody could ever fight. Therefore, it was nearly impossible for someone to get a visitor visa, let alone a residential permit of my town. Even a marriage with outsiders was forbidden. I wanted to keep our town that way because everything that’s required for our simple way of living was available. That’d minimize chaos among people. It’d guaranteed safety and prosperity. It’d safeguard our paramount privacy and security. We all lived minimal lifestyle, working hard to give food and shelter, the basic necessities needed. Thus, class separation and luxury life were forbidden, as that’d introduce and create more chaos between us. Because those are the root causes of evil, next to money and power. But when everyone’s bestowed on with the same expectation and responsibility, the fight for the commonwealth happiness of all people becomes very important.

Hillside Pleasant View was like an independent small town, where we governed ourselves as a nation, without any interference from others. One day, a disturbance occurred that altered our way of life forever. We’re told that a couple of outsiders were coming to town, who were proposing a better life for us. I couldn’t fathom the idea, for we needed not any better life than we’d had in our town. The bad news, nonetheless, came because all of a sudden, there were two top township officials, who became greedy.

They broke our codes and made deals behind our backs. They falsified paperwork and signed them without our consent, and then, for mere formality, they called for a town hall meeting. The meeting was just a pretense, so that’d make people feel they had a voice to vote on the changes that were promised to come, which had no effect on the final outcome, regardless. Everyone attended the meeting to voice their sidings.

Overnight, we went from people who lived peacefully without any complications or worries, to people whose voices were suddenly suppressed to benefit outsiders. So, since the bad news broadcast, however, I had done my own investigations. I’d been poking around about the merits of the newcomers. Since the news was sold perfectly, to my surprise, I discovered that almost everyone in town was nearly inclined to go with the proposed changes. I was really baffled hearing it. That meant everything that our fathers and mothers fought to sustain was going to just change with a snap of a finger. That means having to worry about our daily lives, customs, and traditions. I couldn’t fathom seeing my town overrun by people who became disgraceful. All this was because of the two particular officials that were elected to serve the people. But, they only cared about their self-preservation. The two officials were bought off by the outsiders, and they turned around and bought a few other key people in town, by either threatening them or bribery. After discovering their shady business, I consulted almost with everyone. But, nobody dared to listen to my ideas. I informed many people, but I found not even one person on my side. So, I set myself on a mission to kill the two people sitting in power. Somebody had to stop this—them. They soiled and brought the seeds of greed to Hillside Pleasant View. But, I could not stand aside and let that happen. Never! Many nights, I hid behind the City Hall office and listened to the many conversations held between the insiders and outsiders. They discussed many topics that would alter our daily lives.

But what disturbed me most was the first order of business on their priority list was creating classes between us.

They wanted to use the tactics of divide and conquer. So, I discovered that none of those deals were meant for us. But instead, the benefits were only for a very few, which going to give them controlling power. The main reason our great-grandparents established this town was to avoid these kinds of conflicts by removing money, and power from the few. It’s still a mystery to me how the two officials slipped through and made deals. All the promises were lies. I immediately notified the town people, which I was almost disowned and disbarred to never speak ill of anyone in charge. At this time, all I felt was betrayal and rage. I took it upon myself and decided to kill the two people. After exhausting all my options, the only solution that came to mind was taking the law into my own hands. Then I became the outlaw, lawlessness that decided to commit a crime in the best interest of many. The day I shot the two bad guys in the head, I had my evidence to present. To my defense, I had given them so many chances to come clean. At that point, all I ever wanted was for them to tell the truth in public. But it turned out that they had their own plans to shoot me in cold blood. When I figured that out, I had to act fast, and shoot them first. After they were dead, I surrendered myself and the evidence I had on me. The list also contained other residents of Hillside Pleasant View, who conspired with the two officials and outsiders. Some people were bribed and others were threatened to go along with the original plans, which could’ve destroyed our town.

Regardless, in my eyes, they all committed treason, they must pay for their crimes. After knowing there were many sinners, who were living in paradise, hiding in plain sight, I made it my main and only mission to get them out, too. So, I became the defender of Hillside Pleasant View. Now, I don’t even know if I am the villain or the knight. But, restoring security and prosperity is my top priority. They can call me a villain or a knight, for it makes no difference to me. However, I’d never stop!