Two worlds...
Half past one in the morning, she was seated on a wooden bench in an empty park. Mama just passed away; today she was buried. Although Mama was a woman of culture who was particularly protective...her unwavering confidence carried her through many loving years.
The phone rang; it brought Odette back to reality.
"Babi...we are waiting for you."
She stared into the dark skies. Sighing. "I know Tita. I'll come home now, but..." Checking her time pulled out an exhaustive headache into her trance. "I will have to work late, so I'll drop by and get some food and leave, okay?"
"We'll see, we'll see...it's a hard day for you, baby..." her aunt chuckled dryly. " A hard day for all of us."
"Mama would want me to make her proud, no?" Odette stood up. She felt a surge of loneliness wash over her. Silence from the other end.
"I'll come now. Wait."
The little town where she was now took shade under the big city. They were neighbors but had so many differences. The culture, food, and even the language had a little tanginess in here rather than in the city. She left the park and walked slowly.
The night was over...dawn. Any time now, the sun will rise, and it will be another day for all human beings. She would have a hard day...her mama just left them all to fend for themselves in this wretched earth. It will be quite a normal day for others who have never met her. Odette knew that things would never change, and with that thought on her mind, dragging her into a chain of thoughts, she walked into the streets lit with dim lights and turned into an alley leading to another set of houses.
However, the empty alley lined with cardboard boxes of the fruit vendors and the usual cats and garbage cans seemed to have an addition.
A lump of shadows.
"Hmm?" Her eyes squinted. " Is it a big bag of garbage?"
She took a few steps. It didn't move. Safe to say that it is indeed a huge lump of garbage, hehe. Her eyes relaxed, and she walked with no worries.
Just as she passed it...movement...a sense of dread veiled her.
The garbage pile moved!
"Aa..." She was sure it spoke too. Odette paused and turned around. It wasn't garbage, it was a curled up man...covered in dirt and
"wha-"
It was blood. He was covered in blood! One eye was crushed, and clothes bearing holes and slashes. He seemed to be writhing, trying to say something. A flesh-rendered bloody hand reached out to her.
"Aqu-ah"
"Sir..." Odette stepped closer and knelt beside him. "Sir, what's going on?" Her eyes wandered. The stranger was in a very bad state. His hair was all over the place, one eye red and veiny. His entire body reeked of blood and what smelled like rusted steel. For some reason, she felt a sense of responsibility and pulled out her phone.
"Aqui...aqui," his hand reached out to her, but her instincts wavered as she leaned back. However, seeing this hesitation, the stranger drew back and curled up, wincing in pain and gulping down saliva that was oozing out from his broken jawline. It was evident that he had been tortured by someone.
"Sir... I'll call the hospital." Odette dialed the phone. "Don't worry, I'll hand you over to the doctors; they'll take care of you." In between rushed breathing and her own senses panicking, she smiled gently and started to feel his pulse...then she gently ran her fingers and pushed his hair back, looking for head injuries. She found one.
The stranger stared at her with one eye partially open. The other was crushed close. His lips trembled and his body shook. Odette did not notice this. She didn't notice the sense of joy he felt knowing someone finally crouched over rather than walk past him. Knowing someone called for help, rather than the police, for their own safety.
"You seem to need immediate attention, sir," she carefully crouched down and kept her ear to his chest. It was damp, and he reeked strongly of blood. She could hear his heart wheeze, and it struck her.
Shocked and in panic, she raised her head and looked into his eye, "Did you get shot?"
He blinked..." du-" a cough followed up with a wince. He whispered..." hurting."
Odette felt bad. "You're hurting?" he reached out and touched the tip of her knee. Who in the world would leave a grown man like this ... in such a state? His life was at risk. Fortunately, before anything could deteriorate, she heard the ambulance and smiled. Joy overtook her, and more than that, it brought her great relief. She grabbed his hand, bloodied as it was, and smiled.
"You are in good hands now, sir," she said, giving him a nod of approval. "Don't be scared...they will take you and make sure you're alright."
He sighed. Slowly...his senses seemed to drift apart. The soft embrace of her palm against his cold, bloodbathed hand lingered longer. He closed his eyes.
The last thing he heard was her worried shout and a group of people surrounding him. he remembered her scent...her warmth and her gentle, unwavering reassurance.
...collide.