The Ballad of Chris Lynch

They charged him with felony assault because of the kid’s injuries. Chris, being responsible, turned himself in as soon as he heard the news. He thought that would work in his favor, being responsible, but the kid’s somebody knew somebody and so they gave Chris a $20,000 bond. No one could pay it. His mom was on a two-month bender and his grandma was out of sorts worried about Chris’s little sister. His dad took his call, but being the one Chris got his responsibility from, he said he felt like it would help Chris grow up to finally answer for his actions.

He stayed in there eight months before the DA remembered Chris was alive.  They dropped the charge to a misdemeanor and gave him time served but he was never the same after that.

“All I ever did was hit that kid two times,” he would say, and try to change the subject.