EPISODE 16-AN INCIDENT(contd)

"This is 911 emergency. How may I help you?" asked a woman's voice. For a moment, John's tongue glued to the roof of his mouth.

"Please get an ambulance to the corner of Radison right away! There's a man in the alley... he's lost a lot of blood!" John pleaded frantically.

"Stay calm. An ambulance is on it's way," the woman's voice assured.

"Thank God!" exclaimed John. The emergency dispatcher asked who he was, and then hung up when the sirens were within hearing distance. John dashed out of the bookstore, heedless of the oncoming traffic, and stood at the entrance of the alley. An ambulance pulled up beside the curb, it's red lights flashing.

"Over here!" he called. Two men jumped out of the ambulance and followed john down the alley.He watched as they unwound the limp arms of the stoplight panhandler.

"It's a knife wound," he heard one of the men say. When a policeman tapped John on the shoulder, he jumped.

"Were you the one who called 911?" he asked.

"Yes, I was," replied John, nervously.

"Did you know him?" the policeman asked, pointing at the limp form being lifted onto a stretcher.

"No."

"How did you find the body?" he asked. John felt faint. The walls of the alley began to spin around him.

"I was walking..." he began. Suddenly, everything became black.

When John opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a stretcher, with sirens screaming loudly in his ears.

"Do you feel better?" asked a voice. At the foot of his stretcher stood one of the emergency workers who had arrived in the ambulance. The stretcher suddenly bumped against the wall. It was then, John realized he was in an ambulance.

"I'm all right. You can let me out right here," he said pointing to a window.

"I think it would better to have a doctor examine you first," he explained.

"But, I'm late for School," he protested. The man did not hear him, for he was busily engaged with a person in the stretcher beside him. To John's surprise, it was the stoplight panhandler. A clear hose had been placed over his mouth, pumping oxygen into his still unconscious body. The emergency worker turned his eyes to a little monitor with a jumping green line. John lie quietly on the stretcher. Suddenly, the green line stopped jumping, and a flat line took it's place. The emergency worker grabbed two white discs and placed them on top of the panhandler's chest. His body jolted upward and then slammed back down onto the stretcher. He continued to do this until the green line began to jump again.

"He almost died, didn't he?" asked John.

"His heart stopped beating. But, for now, it's working again," the man said, sitting down. Soon after, they arrived at the hospital. The doors opened, and the stoplight panhandler was lifted out. John climbed down on his own two feet. A rush of activity surrounded john, as nurses rushed the unconscious panhandler into the hospital. John was led inside, and checked over to make sure he was really all right. Then, the police had him answer some questions. He told them what had happened.

"If I were you," warned the police officer who had been asking him the questions, "I would stay out of dark alleys. Especially, if you are alone."

"But, it's Providential I did, this one time," smiled John

"It's just another transient," shrugged the officer, tucking the clipboard he had been writing on, under his arm. "If this one lives to be discharged, he'll be out on the streets again. Bums like him die everyday." The police officer checked his clipboard one more time, and walked away.

A sick feeling crept over John. He navigated his way to the main exit, and quickly left the hospital. John looked up at the sky. Usually, the air was filled with smog, but a gentle breeze sent out from God's heavenly chamber had carried the man-made poison away. John gratefully thanked God for the safety He had given him that morning.

In spite of the pure air and the warm sunshine, John's heart was crying.

He arrived at work

The policeman's words echoed in his mind.

"Just another transient." A crowd of people exiting a nearby building, shook John from his uneasy solitude.

Fortunately or Unfortunately this incident made a deep encroachment in his mind ,that John drew stoplight panhandler in his next round of painting competition and won the first place fetching him the entry ticket for the next future rounds of the competition."Every single moment of life is precious"John whispered to himself.Ultimately his school days also came to an end.John secured good total and got a seat in the nearby college with computer science as his major.

EPISODE 15-AN INCIDENT

The busy city awoke to Monday morning, ready to face another hectic week of work and life. Like most city dwellers on such a weekday, John started off on his daily trek to the school. John had spent the weekend with his parents something he always did, for he was never so happy as when he returned home. The love he felt from her parents, would tide him over to the next weekend. Unlike most people, John never disliked Mondays. It just meant he was one day closer to Saturday. It was with these thoughts, that he walked down the sidewalk, on his way to work.

However, when John came to the stoplight, his thoughts changed course. This day had started like most others, but somehow, something felt different. Then it came to him.John looked around for the panhandler who had chosen that place as his spot.He had grown accustomed to his silent presence at the stoplight. He would greet him with a smile and drop lose change into his cup. The man would nod and look down, never saying a word. John had observed his long, unkempt brown hair.He had noticed his beard reached the top of his faded blue jacket. John saw he always wore the same pair of worn sneakers - ones with duct tape wound about them, to keep the soles in place. To his horror,John even observed he never wore slippers, no matter how Hot it was outside

But today, the spot where he always occupied, stood empty. Every day, without fail, he had always been there. John looked at the other people that waited at the stoplight. Most of them he recognized, for they too, made the same route to work, every day. As the light turned green, John saw none of them had noticed the missing member of their daily gathering. He looked at his watch. Yes, he had a little time before School. For the first time in months, John did not cross the street with the others when the light turned green. Instead, he searched the side walk on either side of the stoplight. It was then, he saw a dark alley separating two tall buildings near the panhandler's spot.

By nature, John was not intrepid. However, his concern for the stoplight panhandler, and His desire to not be late for work, propelled him forward in action not typical of a generally, thoughtful young man. In his haste, though, he remembered to pray before entering. "Safety is of the Lord," he reminded himself. He wrinkled his nose, for everything smelled of foul odors, and rotting trash. Cardboard boxes were piled up high against trash cans; a small stream of water ran down the black asphalt. John slowly walked to the end of the alley.

As he turned to leave, John noticed a huddled form crouched between two trash cans. He gave a sudden start, but the form did not move. It did not seem to be aware of his presence at all. John took a step closer, careful not to make any noise. As dark clouds softly parted overhead, a ray of light fell upon the huddled form's face, revealing the stoplight panhandler. His eyes were closed, and his arms were wrapped around his torso. The faded jacket was no longer blue, but soaked in a dark red substance. Alarmed John knelt down beside him on the damp asphalt. John bent down and put his ear up to his chest. His heart was beating, but it was very faint. This man was dying. John jumped to his feet, and dashed out of the dark alley. He had to find a telephone, quickly.

No one noticed the boy as he frantically ran down the streaked gray sidewalk, searching for a pay phone. Across the street, he spotted a secondhand bookstore. John quickly crossed the street, forgetting to look before he did so. A yellow taxi screeched to a halt, narrowly missing John. The driver stuck his head out and yelled at him in a language he did not understand.

"Sorry!" John called back. he opened the bookstore door and ran to the counter. "May I use your phone? It's an emergency!" he hurriedly asked an old man sitting by the cash register. The old man looked up sleepily.

"Just so as it's not long distance," he replied grumpily. John nodded as he grabbed the telephone receiver. His fingers trembled as he dialed 911. To his disbelief, the number was busy.

"Please, God, make them answer!" he urgently pleaded. The old man opened his eyes again, curiously observing his anguish as one would passively watch television. John's heart pounded loudly in his ears. The sound reminded him that with every passing moment, the stoplight panhandler lost more blood. "Don't let him die, God!" he prayed outloud. After what seemed to John to be an eternity, a voice answered.

************TO BE CONTINUED**********************