Man in White

Chapter One

the man in white had the power to hear even the faintest sound and could see beyond his x-ray eyes what was going around his view, so nothing passed from his eyesight.

On top of the highest tower of the city stood a man in white, surveilling the surrounding dark streets and pavements, when an older man pulling a heavy cart loaded with various fruits like watermelon, pomelo, oranges, apples, peaches, and grapes to sell in the market place when out of somewhere came a hardened gang of extortionists blocking his way.

"Whoa, old man. What do we have here, hmm?" the gang leader came closer to look at the fruits he carried in his cart.

"Hmm, fresh, good-looking fruits. I am sure you have plenty of money to afford these fruit purchases, didn't we, older man? Asked the gang leader with a fierce look.

"I'm sorry, son, but I only borrowed these fruits to sell and then returned the sale after I sold them all so I can bring food for my daughter waiting for me back home." Explained the older man with fear.

"I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. Give us your money now, or we'll push this cart downhill, then you have no more fruits to sell, am I correct, older man? So, what is it then, older man?" impatiently insisted the leader showing his open palms to fill in the money he was asking.

Back from the highest tower, the man in white had the power to hear even the faintest sound and could see beyond his x-ray eyes what was going around his view, so nothing passed from his eyesight. This is why he cannot overlook or turn a blind eye to the danger the older man faces. He jumped below the tower, slowly gliding, and stayed a short distance to remain unnoticed.

The gang was holding the older man's cart, and he simultaneously knelt before them, imploring for their mercy.

"Please, sirs, spare my fruits. I truly don't have the money to give or spend yet unless I made a sale of these fruits my master lent me. I beg your understanding and mercy." begged the man crying.

The leader refused to listen but insisted, "No man will ever give his commodity to sell without an exchange of money; that's a pure lie, man, that's absurd!"

"Since you're stubborn not to give us the money, we'd get all these fruits and the cart instead in exchange for your life spared." And as the gang was pulling the cart, flying stones from nowhere hit them hard while the gang leader was struck with a rock, which shocked them for a second. The men flinched, searching for who threw the stones and rocks at them. And as they continued to move, another set of stones and rocks flew, hitting them in one round. Aware of what was happening, the gang leader challenged his unseen opponent.

"Come here, you coward, show yourself so that I can slice you with my dagger!" shouted the leader fiercely. The man in white appeared in front of him, face to face, which surprised the leader in astonishment. He tried to stab the man in white but instead stabbed his arm because he moved in a flash and found the man in white behind him. He was stunned by the man's fast moves, and before he uttered a word, he found himself held by his collar and raised hanging higher from the ground. Although the leader's followers were astonished, they tried to attack the man in white to free their leader, but the man in white retaliated by driving them away with the spin of his hand, white flashes of light protruding at them to keep them away and in a sliver of a moment, they were all flying in the air and dropped heavily on the ground with a loud thud.

With a demanding voice as deep as an ocean wave spoke: "So, you will leave this older man in a pitiful state while you were feasting his hard-earned toil? That will not happen, you useless bastards!" The man in white threw the gang leader like a rugged doll forcefully into midair, then fell to the ground like a rock. The leader fell unconscious while his men started to scamper away, but the man in white got hold of them with a wave of his hand; airwaves spread like a rushing stream, pushing them out, and they were knocked down unconscious.

Then he turned around to where the older man was, trembling in fear. The man in white covered himself with a shining blinding light beyond recognition and spoke in a deep booming voice:

"Don't be afraid. You can go now and sell your products. What you witnessed today was just purely imagination, was it, older man?" said the man in white.

"Yes, my gracious master," nodding and humbly replied the older man. And while arranging the fruits in his cart, the man in white said, "I have a better idea; I guess you need some assistance here." He pointed his hand to the fallen hoodlums, turning his palm towards them, and a ray of white light surrounded the men to compel and rouse them to consciousness. They rose, brushed their clothes from dust they could not understand how they were covered with dirt, and dashed to the older man as if nothing had happened.

"Hey grandfather, you need help?" asked the leader, turned to his men and demanded: "come all of you! Push this cart for grandfather; it was pitiful to see him push this cart with heavy loads. Let us help him sell these fruits so he can finish and go home early right grandfather?" said the leader kindly.

The older man thought that the man in white compelled them not to recall anything about the incident and made them kind and courteous to help him carry his cart and sell his fruits.

This older man, Ricdar, was the father of Aziza, whom he almost lost when still newly born. Back when Ricdar was chasing his wife on that fateful night, filled with grief and fear.