The Wounded Man

It was past 10 in the evening and George was asleep. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. "Tac tac tac" George was awaken and felt nervous as to what was that. Johny came to the door and keep barking. George didn't turn on the light and just keep having a gesture for johny to keep quiet. "Arrrggghhhhh" George remains quiet and just keep on observing the strange man at her frontdoor. "Help, heeeellllppppp," says the man that even struggle saying the word help. George came to her senses that the man was in need of help. She hurriedly open the door, with her knife at her right hand just incase of unwanted circumstances. As she open the door, she saw the man holding his left shoulder tryin' to stop the bleeding. George hurriedly came to aid and lead him to get inside the house. 

George was still in shocked but do everything she can to help the man. "What happen, who are you?" George keeps on asking but the man couldn't answer her straight. In her mind, this must be the man I heard this morning. She means the loud bang she heard. Yes she confirm it the it was a gunshot wound. The man felt relieved, but still feel weak because of blood loss. George just instructed him to keep calm and just rest. George just hold back her questions and just reserve it for answers the next morning.

But as the man was asleep, she couldn't sleep and keep asking herself who is this man. George just keep watching the man as this was the first time she was with someone close for the first time since her parents died. Not even having anyone to talk to. She was mesmerized and the same fearful, for she didn't know who this man was. Was he a man from the stanning, or a violator that must be thrown to the garbage pit, or a thief just like her. Those were the questions that keep recalling on her mind. And finally to feel ease, she finally decided to go to bed and just ask those when they wake up.

When George wake up, she saw the man in the kitchen. "Breakfast was ready," says the man. George was astonished as the man was so fit and strong as if he didn't suffer any gunshot wound. George just sit down at the dining table and didn't utter anything. The two eat and instead of George asking those reserved questions she had that night, it was the man who keeps questioning her. "Hey, I am Barge by the way....ahmmm I'm sorry I eat so fast haven't eaten since yesterday....hmmmm where are your parents...why your alone...do you have any siblings?" George replied, "can you please shut up!...I am supposed be the one questioning you since I let you in inside my house." Barge replied, "okay hands up, you got me." 

Barge then start sharing who he was and explaining what just happen that day when he was shot. He told George that he is an escapee from the garbage fit. Said he was so sick of those garbage and even eating leftovers from the stanning street. That he learned to make his way out the day when his mother died because of a disease with no doctor to attend and even medicine to take. He said her mother was her angel but when she died, he lost a friend, a mother, an angel, he means everything.

Barge also opens up that he calls his mother an angel because every time he wanted to fight those stanning people, his mother would always remind him to not be hot headed and don't fight with them. They used to live in the stanning but when his father died, everything was gotten from them and they were thrown to the garbage pit. He wanted to fight them but he was just 10 years old that time, weak and helpless. 

Barge father used to be the head of the 4th department, but when his comrades see him as a moral man, they got jealous and ousted him from his position. They charged him with carrying and using illegal drugs. But they just made all that. Barge said that his father was a good man. Always wanting to help those in need. Maybe they just misinterpreted him as the bad guy because they were jealous.

Hearing all that, George felt pity for him because same as she, everything was also taken from her. But they got nothing to do because they are still a child. George did not yet opens up to Barge because she still considers him a stranger. She just listen to Barge and was thinking of a way to help him. For same as she, Barge also was helpless with no one to lean to.

Barge finally shared what really happen that morning. He told George that he went to the stanning street pretending to be a policeman. He wanted to get food for his friends in the garbage pit. He enter the city peacefully and pretended to be a policeman for quiet some time but he was caught during inspection. Said when his fingers were tapped in the digital biometrics, it reveal his true blood and that he is not from the stanning. He managed to escaped but unfortunately he was shot.

George then asked him where he would live now. "Honestly I got nowhere to go but I can sleep anywhere, I'm very good at that just not in the garbage pit because it really stinks," Barge replied and they laughed. "Well you can stay here, I am alone here for quiet a time and I wonder how is it living with someone," George finally offered him a house. "Well I mean not here ofcourse, because I'm a girl vulnerable you know, I mean you can stay in the barn...with the horse and the chickens," George added. "Well I accept that, thank you for your kindness miss,,,,,,,," says Barge. She replied, "it's George."