Anton still remembers that incident vividly. At the time, he was in his fourth semester, busy with lectures and student activities. His younger brother, Dika, was already in his second year of high school. Dika often hung out with his friends, one of whom was Raka — the son of the city’s Police Chief, a man known for being strict and fair.
One afternoon, Anton heard a story that surprised him and, strangely, made him feel proud.
That day, Raka was giving his friend a ride home from school. The streets were busy, and maybe because they were in a rush, he forgot to wear a helmet. Unfortunately, there was a traffic checkpoint at an intersection. A traffic officer signaled for them to pull over.
“License and registration, please,” the officer said firmly.
Raka handed over his motorcycle license. His face turned pale, not so much because of the ticket, but because he knew this might reach his father’s ears.
“You’re not wearing a helmet. I’ll have to issue a ticket,” the officer explained.
Raka took a deep breath. “Sir, may I call my father first?”
The officer looked at him for a moment, then nodded. “Go ahead. But the ticket still stands.”
Raka dialed his father’s number. After a few rings, the call was answered.
“What is it?” came the deep, authoritative voice from the other end.
“Dad, I got stopped. I wasn’t wearing a helmet,” Raka said quietly.
The officer standing next to him heard the voice and froze. When he realized who was on the line, his expression shifted to one of nervous respect.
But Raka got a reply that made him even more nervous:
“Then take the ticket,” his father said flatly.
Raka blinked. “But, Dad—”
“Raka! You were wrong. You embarrassed me. A policeman’s son breaking the rules? Tonight we’ll talk at home!”
The call ended. Raka hung his head, and even the officer looked surprised — clearly not expecting such a response from his superior.
In the end, the ticket was written, and Raka rode home with a red face.
That night, things got even worse. His father scolded him:
“You think I can just erase your mistake? You should be setting an example, not breaking the rules!”
When Anton heard the story a few days later, he could only sigh.
“What a shame,” he thought. “People like him — officials with integrity — are getting harder to find these days.”
He couldn’t help but wonder — maybe the city would be a better place if more people were like Raka’s father: strict, fair, and unafraid to do the right thing.
Photo by Michael Förtsch on Unsplash
