The Love of the Unknown Man
1. The Unknown Man

A Jeep car stopped on the edge of a rocky road whose left right was just trees and shrubs. There are no street lights either.

Only the headlights of the car shine light in the darkness of the night.

Two men got out of the car. They took down one man who was bare-chested, his legs and hands firmly tied, and more sadly, the man's body was covered in bruises.

After making sure there was no one but them, the two men threw the body of the poor man into the bush, and they laughed in satisfaction.

"This is the end of a Gustav Green" muttered one of the fat men as his lips published a grin.

"James, are you sure you want to throw him into a place like this?" The other man asked.

"Lantas, where else? Let him fall prey to the starving forest wolf. Come on, let's get out of here, before anyone sees us."

James and one of his friends got back in the car and drove away. They think that if the place where the man's body was dumped will not be passed by people. But the truth is, they are wrong. Half an hour later, there were two people walking across the rocky path.

They are Lisa, a twenty-year-old girl, with her father, Juna. Lisa and Juna walked with two buckets of clean water each.

There was a faint fatigue on Lisa's face. For a moment he put the bucket, ruffled his waist and took a deep breath.

"Drough season sucks," lisa complained.

Hearing her son complain, Juna could only smile and stop. He chose to sit on a large rock while waiting for Lisa to gather back her strength

"Every year must be like this. We have to get some clean water that's almost two kilometers away from home" Lisa grumbled as she sat next to her father.

Yes, the village where Lisa lives is being hit by a long dry season that causes drought and difficulty getting clean water.

There is a spring located on the edge of the forest. However, if it is morning, Lisa must fight for clean water with other villagers.

Lisa and Juna carry water at night.

Juna just kept quiet not responding to Lisa's complaint. Even so, in the heart of Juna is very sliced because it cannot make children happy just wayangnya.

Then Juna squinted his eyes which made the wrinkles on his face more visible. He caught something lying not far from them. Right behind the bush.

"Lisa, you see that?" Juna pointed his index finger in the direction in question.

Lisa leaned in and stared in the direction Juna pointed.

"Maybe it's a hunted animal that's just left behind" Lisa said lightly.

Juna stood up, slowly swinging his legs forward, then flicked away the bush that hid the wounded human body.

He took a few steps back to his surprise, and called Lisa to see his findings.

The girl who had wavy hair was no less surprised by her father. He screeched to the surprise of the birds who then flew from the branches of the tree.

How not to be surprised? A man covered in blood on the head that runs up to the neck. Not only that, his entire body was full of bruises.

Looks like the poor man was beaten to death, then stripped naked leaving only long jeans.

Lisa crouches down next to the man's body, attaching her index and middle fingers to the man's wrist to check his pulse.

"He's alive?" Juna asked.

Lisa simply nodded in response.

"Dad, bad omen. Hurry along! Let's just get out of here, "Lisa pulled Juna's arm around with a look of fear.

"Why, Lisa? What do you mean bad omen," Juna asked in astonishment at Lisa's behavior.

"Dad, we don't know who he is? What if he's a bad guy wanted by the police?" Lisa said with trembling fear.

However, Juna looked ordinary. He raised both of his eyebrows, and restrained Lisa from leaving.

"And what if he's a good guy?"

"If he's a good man, he must be being hunted by criminals. If we help that guy, it means we'll be hunted by criminals, Dad."

"But would a prospective doctor just let people get hurt and leave them alone?" ask Juna who knows his son's dream of becoming a doctor.

"We're just poor people, Dad. I don't want to get into trouble that'll only hurt our family."

Juna sighed for a moment. Didn't expect her son to have such negative thoughts.

The man who remained dashing at his age who had stepped on forty-five years was patting Lisa on the shoulder, and shaking her.

"Lisa, do you remember your late mother? Is it when he helps someone that he looks at the background of that person?"

Lisa swallows her saliva, remembering the figure of a mother who is now dead.

His mother used to be a village midwife, who not only handled pregnant women and the birth of babies, but also often helped residents who were mildly ill.

With the knowledge gained, Lisa's mother became the first person to be visited by residents if they fell ill. Only if the disease is very severe, Mother Lisa will advise to go to the clinic or hospital.

Slowly Lisa nodded her head.

"And you want to be like Mom, ‘kan?"

Lisa nodded again.

"Then help me get that guy home."

"But, Daddy—"

"If you're worried, I'll remove the trail of the man's blood so that no one will know, we've brought it."

Juna lifted the man full of wounds, and carried him like he was carrying a sack of rice. No matter what, his clothes are dirty with blood.

Juna poured water splashing the blood that was dripping on the grass to remove the traces.

Lisa was just silent. The water he carried with hard struggle, had to be spent just to help the unknown man.