All Things Considered

by James Donald Falato
(Tucson, Arizona, USA)

If my partner just knocked and didn’t barge in like he did, I would’ve asked who it was and things would’ve been different.
If he just called out that it was him that was coming in, I’d’ve at least known who it was and things would’ve been different.
I mean, I’d’ve knocked. I’d’ve called out it was me coming in. I’d’ve expected my partner that’s sitting in a two bit hotel room waiting for me after we just robbed a bank to be on edge because the cops might break in any minute and I’d’ve let him know it was me coming in.
That would’ve made sense.
But no. He barges in without any warning. And I put three bullets in his chest before I knew it was him and he’s dead before he hits the floor.
So, now I’m serving twenty-five years to life for killing a bank robber. And another ten years for the robbery itself.
But when I think about it, I’m getting three meals a day, a bed, steady work in the prison laundry with Sundays off, television time, a movie twice a month and I know for certain I don’t have to worry about anybody barging in on me unannounced.
All things considered, what my fool partner did was the best thing that ever happened in my life.