Anne Sophie’s First Gun

Anne Sophie was from town, called North Bend, WA. She was 55 years old female, single, religious and kind person. She was working as sales manager in Jimmy & Johnny kids clothing store with co-worker,  Peggy. Both ladies were happy in managing this small and sweet clothing store.  Their days were passed in assisting parents to find right size cloths for their kids. For Anne, seeing kids’ delighted face after getting the cloth they want was most fascinating thing in her life.

Anne was a religious lady. She used to attend Sunday service at North Bend Catholic Church regularly and she was active member of group called, Community of Peace. Community of peace’s objective was to advocate gun-free society for non-violent and peaceful American society. They arranged workshops at various parts of city to urge people to  go gun-free. Anne was living quite fulfilled and satisfied life, till 7/26..

On 7/26/2013, one man has killed nearly 10 people in  Columbia mall. On noon of 7/26, Danial Kurbrik, 26 years old man, rushed into the mall and started firing his 12 gauge shotgun, incessantly in all directions, killing 10 and injuring 27 innocent people. He killed people, he did not know. People had no idea about the man who killed them. They happened to be at wrong place & wrong time. Danial shot himself after shooting.. Mysteries of his mind were gone with him…

 
This incident shocked Anne. Death of innocent people, makes normal human being sad but for Anne things were more personal. Columbia Mall was regular mall, like  her mall. There was a connection. “How if some crazy person like Danial,  gets into my Mall, into my shop and start shooting as happened in Columbia Mall ?? “ This thought shudder Anne.

As per his neighbors and friends,  Danial was charming young man, who never hurt anyone. He was frustrated mentally and on 7/26 he vented out his inner frustration at Columbia mall, by killing innocent people and killing himself. These sort of volcanic urges are supressed within person. They keep churning violently inside and finally burst out.  Turbulence of mind was hidden behind innocence of  his face.

After knowing this, Anne got more anxious  “ How if someone with,  this sort of frustration, suddenly come in front of me at Mall and start shooting me ??? “Fear has penetrated into her mind. She kept thinking about Danial  and her fear grew stronger enough to impact her belief system.

 

Anne started suspecting everybody. People passing through her shop or . moving in mall, every body was on Anne’s radar. She stopped enjoying kids’ delighted faces, rather focused on their parents’ attitude.

In this mental conundrum, she spotted Kevin. Kevin was young man, working as janitor at North bend mall. He used mop the floor and collect the garbage. He was reserved man and mostly avoided mingling with others.

Anne’s radar picked him. Anne saw him smoking (she never liked people smoking) and ” that janitor boy.. he never speaks to anybody.… he is  so awkward ..  Is he OK !! what’s happening in his mind !!! “

 

For Anne, Kevin’s sharp eyes, smoke-emanating lips and tense face, it was trigger for greater suspicion “he is looking everything so sharply.. look at his angry eyes.. Is he planning something dangerous ??. what he is upto ??”Kevin finished his cigarette and briefly looked Anne. Anne quickly turned her face away. Kevin left , leaving  Anne burning in anxiety..

 

Days passed but Anne’s fear for Kevin did not dissolve. The another day, Anne was heading towards her shop. It was sale-sunday and Mall was full of people. Suddenly Anne saw Kevin coming towards her.. She tried to change her way, but could not due to congestion. Kevin was approaching her with same sharp angry eyes and intense wolfie face.. As Kevin approached closest, he opened zip of his jacket and his hand was pulling something from inner pocket…”is it shotgun “  Current of fear froze Anne’s whole body.. heart started thumping very hard and senses shattered for  a moment…  

Luckily it was cigarette lighter.. Kevin lighted his cigarette and disappeared in mall crowd.. Anne was exhausted by this horrible incident.

When she reached office, she collapsed on chair.  She talked about Kevin to Peggy. Peggy was as scared as Anne. She described number of people she was suspecting to have traits as Danial Kubrick. This has just added Anne’s anxiety exponentially. 

Anne could not sleep that night. Kevin’s sharp eyes, smoke and intense face, bothering her. She got hallucination of Kevin rushing into her shop and shooting vehemently… bullets piercing kids’ cloths….. Anne could not bear this scary thoughts and she got drank heavily but incepted fear was much stronger than Vodka.. .… Next morning she got up late and missed her Sunday service at church.

Anne’s ingrained perceptions were changing and her belief on  gun-free society were getting feeble. She  was seeking protection.. “If he suddenly drops into my shop and start shooting, how would I protect myself, my shop and my consumers ?? World has became very dangerous and one has to protect herself… what should I do.. ??  I can protect myself.. only if I have …… GUN as Kevin had.. “

She stopped .. what the hell she was thinking !! Gun.. Anne with Gun… whole her life she had advocated Gun-free society. She had written numerous blogs against fire-arms and supported anti-gun laws.. and now she wants to have gun for herself…  “what rubbish” she thought..

But her mind argued

“ When society has person like Kevin, Gun can protect you… if one of ten person killed at Columbia Mall, had Gun, Danial would have been killed before he killed anyone.. If I have gun, I can shoot Kevin before he shoots me..  “

And this thought stayed with Anne.. It kept re-occurring, no matter how many times Anne tried to suppress it. Anne, fierce anti-gun lobbyist, started liking idea to own gun for her protection…

 Now Anne is sitting in her kid’s cloth store. Amidst c Toy Story characters  and Disney princesses, she is looking at her first Gun.. loaded with bullets.. “ Now I am safe. The moment I feel slightly threatened by Kevin, the moment I feel slightly unsafe,, I will pull the gun from my purse and shoot.. the bullets will pierce Kevin’s chest and kill his heart forever, making me secured for ever…Now I am safe.. my Gun will make me safe.. “

 

Anne did not recognized that her gun made her safe, but made world more unsafe..

Gun has entered into Anne’s house and it’s going to stay and who knows in future, who is going to use it and how ???? . May be Danial’s mother bought shotgun with same intension.. to protect herself… !!!!

An eye for an eye makes world blind.. is it true for Guns as well !!

A gun for a Gun makes whole world _______ ?