The Elicott City main street and hub bubbled with activity. People knocking off from work marched up and down in a hurry to catch up with the lives they suspended through the day time.
Thomas leaned against the traffic pole and decided on what next to do. He didn’t imagine the town would be so busy. When he’d gotten to Union Bridge, it had been easy to find accommodation. Here seemed a little different.
A motel would be his last option and he didn’t plan to spend more than a night. The traffic lights changed and cars sped past. It tickled his fancy at the height of discipline the lights mandated from even the worst offender.
He’d taken two days to hike here, refusing help from travelers. The trek helped him to organize his thoughts and put his decision in perspective. It’d been eight years since Molly died with a pregnancy old enough to birth. Seven and a half months… He moved his thoughts away from what should have been. A happy marriage between young people truly in love. He’d named the baby Thomasina. The female version of his name.
The red lights came back on and drivers obeyed like zombies. He squinted. Someday, he might drive again. Driving gave him the creeps after a drunk driver knocked down his wife and Thomasina. She died instantly. A little mercy he was grateful for.
A young woman ran by, bumped into him and dropped a sack. She bent to pick up but a man kicked her in the face. She fell back and butt-ran but she wasn’t fast enough to avoid a second kick on the same spot.
Thomas threw himself between her and the man who was just about his size in build.
“Get out of the way!” the man growled.
Thomas looked back at the woman who tried to rise. She couldn’t be more than twenty.
“She’s just a woman.”
The lights changed and cars sped off. Everyone continued in their way. He seemed to be the only one keen on the fight.
“Woman who do man stuff will be treated like man. Get out of my way.”
The man’s heavy accent drew Thomas’s glance to his face but he was hooded and all he could was catch a glimpse of thick dark eyebrows and darker eyes.
She was now on her feet, and staggered to get her sack just at the side of his feet. Thomas stared at the slight frame of the woman and didn’t see the punch on his nose come. The man hit him hard, and followed it up with a ramming into his midriff. Pain shot into the back of his eyes and he stumbled.
A woman screamed. “He’s got a gun.”
Thomas looked at his assailant. It was pointed at him. He raised his hands above his head.
“No.”
“You never put your mouth where it don’t concern you! Never!”
He never did anyway, and wondered what came over him. He’d avoided bar brawls worse than this.
The woman was gone.
“Look, I’ll go find her for—”
The gun went off. He knew he wasn’t dead because he heard it.
Pixabay picture: https://pixabay.com/en/shoe-laces-leather-hiking-974564/
Author bio:
Sinmisola Ogúnyinka is a pastor’s wife, mother, writer and movie producer. She has a university degree in Economics, and is a Craftsman of Christian Writers’ Guild. She lives with her family in Pretoria, South Africa.
Blog: www.sinmisolao.wordpress.com
Twitter: @sinmisolaog
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