A Woman in Blood

One evening when I left office and passed by a wet market, I noticed a woman in ragged was sitting at a road block of a sidewalk. The very thing that I saw was the blood on her leg. Her poker face showed no clue on her situation. Hawkers were at her sides, yelling for today’s best buy. Dozens of people walked by, without giving her even a glance. She looked like a lifeless statue in the scene, cold and isolated. As I walked closer to her, questions flushed into my mind.

An elderly taking a nap at a road block near a wet market

“Should I go and ask her?”

“Is she seriously hurt?”

“Should I call the police?”

“Is she in mental instability?”

“Will she attack me?”

When questions were still ruffling up inside me, I had already passed by her, a parable then flashed in. A man was left half dead on a road by robbers. Priest and Minister merely walked by and ignored him. Then a man who was nobody in their eyes came to help. This helpful man, as Jesus said, was a neighbor. We should love and give a hand to those in need. Then I turned back and asked the woman.

“Are you hurt?”

“What?” She puzzled.

“You are bleeding.” I pointed to her leg.

She opened up with her hands, and a plastic bag with a freshly killed fish that had leaked the blood!

“I am sorry.  I just want to see if you are fine.”

I was embarrassed since the woman’s poker face remained. Nevertheless, I am happy that I did ask. Love your neighbor, not because of people’s compliments, but because we are human.