A DEVIL IN DISGUISE

He is twenty-seven years old, a graduate of business management who works in the business

district downtown. He has been enjoying his last couple of weeks for it is holiday, yet he has

nowhere to go, he spends most of his time in his apartment reading literature, playing chess

online, and painting. He is what you can call a man of many trades, yet he refuses to let anyone

into his world, he identifies as a man of solitude for his heart couldn’t bear to love due to his

many passions, and due to the fact that his soul couldn’t sustain excessive socializing for

meddling with people is an act committed by those whom are truly merry at heart. He woke up

feeling lethargic having slept only a couple of hours. He drags himself out of his bed slowly,

wears his slippers and heads to the bathroom. He takes a shower, then does his morning skin

routine, applying his favorite lotions and washing his face well. Moving out to the dining room,

he opens up the window panes of the house, rays of sunlight brush his face as he takes a quick

peak on the street below where society is seemingly has just began to retain life. He brews a cup

of coffee and sits on his sofa to read today’s newspaper. On the front page is written in large font

“the head minister is set to be trialed for fraud today and the public awaits justice”; he reads the

article enthusiastically for the case of the prime minister is the prime subject on the streets. The

general fuss is due to the fact that the minister, a man of sixty has been exposed by many

members of his political circle to be capitalizing upon public funds for the purchase of lands in

the countryside, and after six months of court hearings, the verdict is going to be announced

today at the high court.

Johan wraps the journal, wears a tracksuit and heads out for a jog. To him, exercising is not

only a mean to sustain once’s shape and health, but a spiritual act through which one cleanses his

soul and dispenses of the ills in his mind, and he seldom goes for morning runs, often on an

empty stomach to catch a good sweat. Running through central park, he noticed a couple of

children chasing a rabbit with sticks in their hands, he diverged from his path and went running

towards them; “stop right there! What do you think you are doing? Why seek to harm a harmless

animal” he knelt down, the pitch of his voice deepened “would you like me to chase you around?

Would you like me to beat you down with a stick?” his facial expression went back to normal

and he added’; “I am only joking of course, now go play a game suitable to your age, hide and

seek or something, I don’t know, but I better not catch sight of you chasing an animal ever

again”. The children stood frozen throughout his entire monologue and went away running after

he finished. He went back home, and the first thing he did is to put his clothes of exercise in the

washing machine, he then situated himself on his sofa and turned on the tv to follow with the

trial of the prime minister which was being aired on national tv. After a couple of hours of open

hearing, the judge declared that the accused is innocent and that he will be suspended from his

function for a couple of months until the case is cleared. Johan let out a deep sigh, his eyes

fixated on the white wall before him, he sat motionless for a significant duration of time, then

stood up to head to his room where his canvas is located. He quickly prepared his water colors,

fetched out his brush, and stood before the canvas contemplating what he is going to paint. He

began throwing red and black colors furiously on the canvas without a thought crossing his mind,

his motion rapid and strong, he thrusts his arm back and splashes the colors with utmost umph.

After half an hour, he moved back a little and stood before the final picture; a man on his knees

with a bullet hole on his forehead with blood sprouting wildly out of it. He smiled brightly, put

down his painting equipment and went out of the room. To paint to him is to picture one’s

innermost repulsive emotions, and to draw images of the human condition which are distant,

often, far from reality, yet sometimes a reflection of it.

It is a Saturday evening, the streets are crowded, the air is cool and the moon is shining
bright; he brings out his best cashmere suit, wears it, and throws a brown silk scarf over his neck.
Going out, he walks steadily without casting an eye upon the people passing around, his lips
tightened, and his head empty. He reaches “Este Noche”, a renowned night club located at the
heart of the city; he enters, looks around to see whether an acquaintance is present at the place;
jazzy music is being played loudly, and the club is half empty. He seats himself at the bar
counter, and the lady bartended quickly notices his presence; “evening sir, what would like to
drink tonight?” “Rum and pineapple cocktail, and please put a lot of ice in it”. The lady turned
around to make the man’s request, yet he kept on staring at her intently, scrutinizing her from her
feet to her head; “look at this doll, she probably works here to pay her college tuition, yet I bet
she loves middle aged affluent man, that is why she is here, her work is only a means.” he
murmured to himself whilst shaking his head left and right. He lights a cigarette as his cocktail
gets put before him and pays the random chatter around him no mind. Two young girls sit
besides him in tight skirts and revealing tops, one of them looked at him with an alluring smile
on her face, yet he quickly shifted his glance to stare in the void. The club for him is a place
where one unveils the monster within, where he unleashes his instincts to roam free, defying the
moral restraints tying him to be a righteous social element; it is a milieu exclusive for human
demons. Yet, you may wonder why he, a calm and collected man in his mid-twenties, goes to
such place, meddles with nobody, and only sits confined into a corner drinking his alcohol.
Despite his straightforwardness, he is an eccentric man who finds refuge in places of fuss and
chaos, and whenever he is scheming for a wretched act, he chooses Este Noche, a place where he

can unshackle his alter ego, and let his mask of sanity slightly slip. Back home, he situates
himself before his scattered papers on his desk, brings out his diary and begins writing a poem.

“These bitter days I pass
Flies scattered around a stinking corpse,
The days behind I mourn
The days ahead I avoid,
Your voice is plaguing me
My mind infected with remorse,
I do it for you mother,
Time is my foe
And justice is my choice”

He recollects the memory of his mother whilst revising his poem and tears begin to flow
from his worn-out eyes; he remembers how she was taken from him in a blink of an eye after
years of suffering with his abusive father, and the night she lost her lasting battle with cancer,
and how she had to battle the merciless illness alone, with an infant child by her side. She was
never given any governmental compensation by the authorities following her husband’s
departure, Johan’s father, whom he knows little about for he was a drunkard who brought little to
the household, and who abused her unjustifiably. She raised him alone till he reached nine years
in life by working in houses as a maid, where she was often mistreated and paid little. He gathers
himself, burns out the candle on his desk, and goes out to bed; yet, he couldn’t sleep for he
recalled the case of the prime minister and the fact that he is roaming free after committing the
most abominable act a head of state could commit, to snatch from the money of the people,

whom they work for tirelessly in a society whose structure is initially foul. He remained awake
till dawn, scheming how he could lure the man into his hands for the fact that he lives in the
capital like himself, an easy prey supposedly, but he must be guarded at all times for a powerful
man is a coward disguised in a suit of virtue. The next morning and right after breakfast, he
called one of his acquaintances, a man working at the city hall, and asked where the minister
lives, claiming that he is asking because a friend who works at the American embassy wants to
pay him a visit. He sat thinking of a way to catch the man, considering places he may go to, yet
could find none. He then resolved to take his car into the outskirts of his house and perform the
act the classic way.

The clock struck eight in the evening, he stood up from his sofa where he was reading
Kafka’s “The Trial”, and went to his closet. He fetched a dark linen suit, and his favorite long
winter coat. He stood before the mirror having worn his outfit, and put on his leather gloves
whilst looking at his reflection intently. He then went out to his bedroom and fetched his mask
from under his bed, wore it on his face, and went to see himself again in the mirror; the mask
covers his face well, only his chin appears with black dots making his pupils which glitter
sharply like diamonds out of the eye lids of the beige mask. He removed his mask, combed his
dark hair back well and wore his favorite louis Vuitton fragrance, his face clean and shiny, and
his countenance neutral. Before leaving the apartment, he hurried to the kitchen, and fetched a
piece of rope and a roll of duct tape from the drawers. He went outside, the streets are near
deserted for it is a Monday evening, only the local security caught sight of him; he went inside
his car, turned on the engine, and began driving slowly till he got out the alleyways of his
neighborhood. The house of the minister is located on 9th avenue street, at an area of the city

where only the most distinguished reside in lavish property, in villas and mansions of marvelous
design. He drove without turning the radio on, his eyes fixed on the road, with full concentration
on the task ahead; he fears failure for it may mean a lifetime in prison, or worst case scenario,
being shot dead by one of the minister’s circles for as mentioned before, these people hold life
dearly, refusing to let go of their luxurious lifestyles and purging anyone who may threaten their
reign. Reaching the area, he spotted the house and parked his car two buildings away from it, and
sat awaiting the appearance of the minister who possibly is on an expedition outside to one of his
frequently visited fancy restaurants for dinner. In his state of anxiety, he began smoking cigarette
after cigarette, the sweat trickling down from his forehead, and his breathing heavy.
He spent two hours locked in the car until the minister appeared parking his Mercedes
before the gate of the villa. He drove slowly towards him, and parked right behind him. 

Noticing him dismounting his car, the minister who wore a grey suit stood by the side of the road
gazing at the suspicious car. Johan dismounted his car hastily with a bright smile on his face;
“minister! Oh my goodness, I have been awaiting you for a while” advancing towards him, the
brows of the minister tightened as he stood in amazement for the enthusiasm of the man startled
him. Johan advanced hurriedly to him, his back arched, and he extended his hand towards him;
“I am one of your biggest admirers, I am terribly sorry for what you underwent in court. My
name is Johan!”. The minister extended his hand slowly whilst wearing a countenance of
surprise on his face; “Good to met you Johan. Ah! Don’t think of it, one is often tested when in
such a delicate position, justice will eventually prevail”. “Oh it is most despicable to accuse such
an honorable man as yourself sir, I am terribly sorry” Johan’s heart began racing, and he begun
to slightly lose control over his voice, the minister noticed sweat on his face, and the young man

uttered in a trembling tone; “would you mind giving me a minute of your precious time sir? See,
I work in the business district and my firm is facing a dire legal problem, and I would love if I
could hear your advice for I am the vice director”. “Why not, but please make haste for my wife
is awaiting me for dinner” answered the man. The two walked shoulder to shoulder away from
the minister’s car whilst Johan began scanning their surroundings, the street is pitch dark, only a
couple front lamps are lighted; he extended his left hand to his side pocket as the two marched
forwards. He then abruptly threw himself at the minister, closing his mouth shut with his hand
and pushing him towards his car; “shush, shush! I just want to take you on a ride with me”. 

He quickly outmuscled him for he is of strong physique comparatively to the minister whose age is
advanced and body is frail. He opened the main door, and pushed the minister to the passenger
seat whilst still holding his mouth close, the face of the minister reddened as he began letting out
groans. He quickly shut the door of the car, and began taping the mouth of the man, then tying
his hands behind his back with a piece of rope. He finally closed his mouth shut and fixed him in
his seat; “I bet you could not see me in the dark for I barely could see your face too”. He fetched
his mask from underneath the side of his coat; “now you will meet the real me, tonight is your
judgement day in this life, and later? well I don’t know if God will bestow the same judgement
upon you, but someone has to do it here, right? right?” he said cryingly. He began driving the car
away from the block whilst adjusting his hair by throwing it backwards; he drove through
clandestine roads of the city to evade sight and suspicion until he reached his neighborhood.
Entering it, he drove slowly whilst studying the alleyways, and as he reached the building of his
apartment, he looked around to see if security is there, and luckily, there were none. He quickly
dismounted himself from the car and moved towards the side door to open it, he brought out the
minister by force whilst the man still groaned. He kept on pushing him through the staircase of

the building without turning the lights on until he reached his apartment door; opening it, he
pushed the man in and threw him on one of his sofas in the living room.
“Excuse me a minute, I need to get a cup of water for I feel parched. Goodness me are you a
big man!” he began walking towards the kitchen then returned; “would you like a cup too? Not
really, you are not worthy of mercy, you are the kind to keep one begging for a sip of water in a
somber chamber whilst playing cards”. He returned, removed his coat, threw it over his sofa, and
sat slowly. The pitch of his voice changed as it wore a layer of anger, his mask still tightened to
his face; “well here you are monsieur le ministre, you know I’ve been thinking about you over
the last few months for you are an interesting man. Yes, an interesting man indeed. You know?
A wild rat is one sneaky little animal, it may invade your house and viciously bite through all of
your belongings. A queer animal, right? an absolute parasite of a creature. Yet that same stinky
rat once he gets out to nature, he puts himself out of his league, and becomes subject to even
more vicious monsters, and when caught by a fox, he repents for all the sins he had done to
ordinary human beings, but alas! A fox is a far more monstrous force despite the guise of beauty
he wears”. He paused for a second; “oh I forgot to take off the tape minister, pardon me” and he
stood up to remove the tape off the man’s mouth. Gasping for air, the minister cried out; “What
are you doing you devil? Who do you think yourself are? I swear if I get out of this position, I
will render life hell for you and your whole family! How dare you scum do this to me!?” and he
shook his body convulsively trying to get himself free. Johan said in a calm tone; “Oh I am
nobody sir, you are the esteemed one here, I am but social scum as you say and think, yet I am a
vessel of celestial justice, and I have been burdened to be the one committing this act on behalf
of the entire nation.” and he smiled widely. “What do you want from me? Money? If that is what

you want then bloody say it! Just let me free, I’ll go back to my house and get you whatever you
desire, and I swear I will forgive you for this intolerable act!” said the minister with pleading
eyes. “Look at you begging me like a stray puppy seeking shelter, look at your power and might
crumble right before you, cunning b*****d! Your like are the reason why we could never go to
our beds in peace, you render our lives hell then head back to your heavenly hideouts! But today,
today is a different day, and as I welcome you into my world, you will ultimately fathom that to
betray a human being is a wretched crime, but to strip him of what belongs to him is an act
which justifies for him the urge of taking a vicious bite at you”. 

Johan got up from his seating position, and began marching around the miserable man until he stopped by his shoulder, he puts
his hand on top of his neck and says in a whispering tone; “You see, I know, and all of us know
that you got away with a many discreet crimes, and that what you’ve been caught for is nothing
but the tip of the iceberg. I know that you perceive us, people of this nation as a pathway towards
wealth, power and might, and that you value your status above everything, and that you seek to
extend your stay at the top of the mountain for the sole purpose of draining us of what belongs to
us. But oh, were you mistaken, because the wrath I gathered from our people is so great and
insuppressible, you should consider yourself lucky you are not being hung in public with people
racing to cut out your limbs for trust me, if they caught sight of you, your punishment will be far
worse than that of Christ himself and we will be deemed more abominable than the Jews!”.
“Hung? What do you mean hung? You cannot commit such an inhumane act, no you cannot,
there has to be something in your heart to restrain you from that! You’re a good young man I
could tell, just tell me please, what could I do for you? I could send for my assistant to fetch you
anything you want, and by God I won’t tell a word about what happened between us”. “You
think all what we the wretched of society desire is money, you think that you could purchase the

fealty, the soul of one with money. You think that any barrier in life could be overcome with
money, we are but a currency for you, deficient and vulnerable to the extent that you could push
us wherever you desire, the way a chess master mobilizes pawns on a chessboard!” he stood
frozen for a while, his cheek twitching with anger, he then added in an aggravated tone; “Alas!
Where were you when my mother was bloody seeking help? Where were you when we were an
impoverished family living on the verge of beggary? Where were you when my mother was
undergoing chemical therapy? Where were you for heaven’s sake!?” he stopped again, this time,
tears began trickling down his cheeks as he stood with his fists tightened. He let out a long sigh;
“we never desired anything from you but integrity! For you to take accountability over the votes
we gave you, and for you to honor your position, serving us well, and being an example for the
upcoming generations. That is all we desired, but you failed us, you betrayed every single one of
us, even the children whom are yet to form their aspirations in life, you stabbed them right
through their chests!”. “Where are you going? Please let me out of here, and I promise I will
compensate you and the bloody people for all my mistakes!” the minister cried as Johan left the
room.

The latter had gone to his study, he quickly removed the mask, opened the window and
began sobbing ceaselessly whilst letting out sighs of exhaustion. He lighted a cigarette, and sat
on his desk chair for a while whilst the man was crying for him to return in the living room.
“Here you are! Thank God! Now please listen to your heart and let go of me, I am but an
exhausted old man who is reckless and repulsive, I am aware I do not deserve mercy, but man is
bound to make mistakes and I intend on repenting for them!” cried out the minister as Johan
returned to his sight with his expressionless mask on. The young man stood before him with
tightened lips and wide-open eyes, then he moved away again, this time towards the kitchen. He
opened the bottom drawer slowly, took out an extended piece of rope and cut it short.

Returning to the living room, he fetched a small wooden chair from the balcony. As the
minister noticed Johan holding the rope and the chair, he cried out frantically; “No! You cannot
do that! Have some sense and be a bit human, we are not animals to massacre each other for
Christ’s sake! Listen to me kid!” he fell from the sofa down on his knees, the tears flowing from
his eyes; “I know you despise me with passion and that you hold great pain in your heart, I could
tell, but you could not be so heartless as to kill a weak man like myself! I pray for you listen to
your true self and spare me; I swear on my mother’s grave that this night will be erased from my
memory as soon as I walk out of that door!”. Johan remained silent for a minute, he then said
whilst refusing to catch sight of the old man and in a tender tone; “No use crying sir for I live
alone on these two stories, nobody will hear your wails, please stay calm”. He then got up over
the chair and tied the rope to the ceiling after having tied the bottom of it into a circle. Moving
towards the minister, the man continued to cry out loud “Don’t do this son, please do not do this,
I beg of you! Don’t this for the love of God and for the soul of your deceased mother!”. As soon
as he uttered the word “mother”, Johan grew infuriated and casted a cold glance into his eyes. He
forced him to stand up and kept pushing him towards the guillotine; “stand up on this chair, and
please do not make any fuss about it, or else I will bring my dagger over and give you the worst
and slowest murder humanity has ever known. The minister stood up on the small wooden chair
whilst sobbing excessively, his hands shaking, and his hole body trembling with fear. Johan
extended his arms as to put the guillotine over the man’s neck whilst staring at the wall, he kept
on avoiding the old man’s eyes. “Please get me down from here! I am losing breath, I will suffer
a stroke either way, just take me down son, have mercy on me!”. Johan stood before the chair for
a while not moving a limb and staring in the void, a thousand thoughts crossed his mind, and he

recollected the memory of his mother coming back to work absolutely worn-out, having earned a
few pennies with which she could barely secure dinner. The old man continued to cry out, yet his
tone suddenly changed, and he burst out; “How dare you do this to me you scum! The least I do
is far more valuable than your whole life all together, I swear if I’d get free I would-“ the man’s
speech was cut short as Johan kicked the wooden chair from underneath his feet. The old man
shook convulsively as the rope tightened around his neck, his windpipes slowly being closed, the
blood in his veins being cut of circulation; his feet shook restlessly in the air whilst he tried to
reach his hands over the rope suffocating him. Johan kept on standing right besides him without
making a movement, the man kept on letting out loud gasps which slowly faded with every
second that passes until his motion stopped, and his arms began limping down his waist. Time
ceased function, and a terrible quiet took over the room as the air grew stiffer than before. Johan
slowly removed his mask off his face, the latter covered with sweat; he stood gazing fixedly at
the wall before him, then he let out a deep sigh whilst dropping the mask down on the floor.