Driving home late, a man lying in the road, a mangled bicycle, a BMW pulled over, three people standing in a semi-circle looking lost. Blood all over the pavement. Blood all over the man’s face. Someone called an ambulance. I helped him to his feet, rested my hand on his back. Deep breath. Let’s sit down over here, I said. You’ll be OK, I lied. We can fix your bike, I lied. Later, eating popcorn on the couch, I noticed a dark brown stain on my hand. Warm water washed his blood down the drain. I wonder about him still.
Oona Metz is a psychotherapist and writer. She self published her first book, The Cat, The Dog and The Pig, at age 5. www.oonametz.com X: @MetzOona