Forever Stain

I don't know how long it has been. I was completely unaware of things the moment I lay down. If it wasn't for the strange noises that disturbed me, I would have slept for another three days.

Tiredly sat up and covered my eyes against the morning light from outside the tent. It seemed like a whole day had passed. I looked over and saw Ly Giai next to me, sleeping nicely. I gently caressed her hair and she smiled.

"Awake?" I barely spoke, in case she was still in dreams.

Opening her eyes, she looked at me playfully, "I woke up right after you."

I helped her sit up and said. "Then I don't think you know what that noise is."

"No," she shook her head.

We both stood up and went out. The instant burst of sunlight made us cover our eyes. After a while, for us to slowly adjust to the brightness, we knew what the noises were about.

In front of us was the back of the old leader, and across him, was a crowd of people from South City.

They yelled and screamed. It didn't help to calm the crowd down by us showing ourselves. The noises were so loud, intense, and chaotic that those people didn't sound human anymore.

It took quite an effort from the old leader to calm them down. By the time they quieted, there was visible sweat on his forehead, even though it was so cold then.

When things settled, someone spoke, "Leader! We've heard everything from the doctor. We can't understand why you are like this!?"

The old man sighed in tiredness. "What don't you understand?" he asked.

The man raised his voice, "We don't understand why you are so easy on Grass! First, you let them off so easily at the other night's incident. Now you let him stay with us! What is this!?"

"He and his people are on the brink of collapsing. I can't turn away," he simply explained.

"But that's Grass!" the man called. "He is a rapist! We can't let someone like that near our women and children!" His words awoke the crowd, and they all raised their voice in agreement.

Standing behind the old leader who was the center of all the criticism. I felt guilty to let him have to endure this. I was planning to walk up and tap his shoulders, but he spoke before I could do it.

"Everyone, please hear this old man."

The noises slowly settled. All eyes were on him.

"Just like everyone here. I don't know about this man any more than you. But I have seen how protected young lady Ly Giai is for him."

The crowd turned to Ly Giai.

She raised her hand. "I swear in my name and my family name that Do have not harmed me in any way since he saved and protected me on our way from South City."

Nodded, the old man continued. "Not only that. We saw from the other night that they're also bringing a small boy with them. A stranger with no relation to them. Yet yesterday, this man here cried his heart out, begging us to save that stranger boy."

He looked at me, whose eyes couldn't keep dry anymore. I bowed as low as I could to thank him.

The old leader spoke, "From what you and I have seen, his actions are opposite to what we heard. They say trust your eyes before your ears. That's why I've decided to help the boy and allow him to stay."

There was a period of silence from the crowd. From the looks, they seemed to be reflecting and processing the leader's words. The leader may have convinced them.

But the man who spoke out to the leader finally shouted, "B... but even that! He is still a threat to us! I don't want a convicted rapist anywhere near my wife and daughter!"

With just that, his words brought the people back to their previous stance.

"We can't let him deceive us!"

"Throw him out! We need to throw him out!"

"We need to protect our women and daughters!"

The waves of shouts and insults rained on us. Each felt like a weight of a thousand pounds, so heavy that I felt the air was vibrating.

The old man looked at everyone. His gaze was full of disappointment, and anger. Didn't wait for them to settle down like before, he shouted through the oceans of insults.

"Since when have your hearts turned cold? Why is there so much hatred in you, even though we should be focusing on getting to the capital as soon as possible? Are you not tired of all this hatred? Instead of helping one another as the citizens of Sa, you are hunting down your people. I have to ask. What is this!?"

The people hearing him speak became uncomfortable, as if he saw right through their hearts.

Another person came out and disagreed. "Leader. You know well that we don't hate our fellow people. But who we are talking about is Grass. If there is any other person you want to help, that's fine. But why does it have to be Grass?"

The old man slowly approached the person. He stared at their eyes and spoke calmly. "In this weather that freezes even ice with not even a bark to chew, letting him out there by himself is no different than killing him. Tell me. How can I do that?"

The person couldn't say anything back. So they backed down in embarrassment.

As I stood there in silence. I couldn't describe my feelings. The old man ahead of me, who I thought also hated him, just like everyone else. Is speaking for me, defending me like how Ly Giai did that night. Watching him grabbing all the attention and ill intent that should have been on me, I was speechless. My eyes couldn't help but get teary.

"DON'T YOU FORGET THAT HE IS A RAPIST!!!" a strong, piercing yell from someone among the crowd. The mother of one of the three boys that night walked up. "At the end of the day, whatever you say try to say to convince us, we can't let that kind of person stay with us."