Just taking a man at his word.

I am writing this from a safe place, a place I hope the police won’t find me. Right now I’m the main suspect in the biggest murder case to grip America for weeks. Right now there are hundreds of police looking for me, desperate to be the hero, the one who finds me, to appear on the news as the cop who caught the RnB star R. Kelly’s murderer. I know what you are thinking, how on earth did I manage to murder R. Kelly and why the hell would I want to? Well let me tell you my story and then I think you’ll agree that although I did indeed cause the death of Mr Kelly, I can in no way be held accountable for the tragic circumstances that led to his death.

It all started about 8 hours ago when I found myself in a lift in a plush Las Vegas hotel with the one of the most influential R and B artists of the last 25 years. I didn’t have a clue who he was but I guessed from his entourage he was someone famous. Anyway I nodded my hello as I entered the lift and then minded my own business but R. obviously felt chatty. He asked me where I was from and when I said the UK he went gaga over my cute British accent. He absolutely insisted I went up to his penthouse suite for drinks.

So there I was standing on the balcony enjoying the view, champagne in hand and chatting to this man who I vaguely remembered had a big hit in the mid 1990’s. He seemed a pleasant enough bloke and was only to keen to give me a recital of his big hit when I asked him about it. He put his heart and soul into it, belting out the lyrics with gusto. 

I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I'm leaning on the everlasting arms

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

[Chorus:]
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away

He sang it to so powerfully, with so much emotion, so much belief that when he hit the chorus I was completely enchanted by this man. I trusted him, I had faith in him, he seemed genuine, I guess I was brainwashed. So... I gave him a gentle nudge.

R. Kelly was wrong, R. Kelly couldn’t fly, he couldn’t touch the sky, he could fall, he could pick up speed, he could hit the ground with a bump. His entourage went mad and in the ensuing panic I managed to get away. The realisation of what I had done was slowly beginning to dawn on me. How stupid had I been being taken in by a trickster and a charlatan like him. Of course he couldn’t fly, none of us could, we’re not built to fly. So why did he keep going on about it. You know if people say things enough times with enough conviction then people will believe them.

So I did kill R. Kelly, but murder? No, I was just a little too trusting for my own good and taking a man at his word.