The Unsound Mind

The night was chilly and damp. Gusts of cold wind passed and heavy rain poured. I stood under a roof of a darkened drugstore. I was anxious to get home. I wanted to smoke but my pipe had been broken and dropped in the muddy streets

Luckily I had a substitute pantella [cigar] I lit it and smoked. Its is not a pipe but it does the job.

Smoke filled the air as I puffed. Cold winds rushed past my skin like cold daggers that stung like the dickens. I held on to my overcoat and adjusted my black felt hat. I took out my wallet and I counted the money. "20 pounds and 55 pence". I sighed, that was not enought to get me a decent supper.

"Oi, who are you? Clear Orf!"

I turned my head to find an old man wearing a dirty shirt, his hair and fingernails were caked in mud and he wore poor man's boots. He screamed his voice out at me, he honestly looked quite mad!

"I beg your pardon?"

"I SAID CLEAR ORF!"

My head ached acutely and my stomach grumbled in pain. I couldn't take any more malarkey. But I remained patient.

"Sir do you own this palce" I inquired

"YOU DAMN WELL KNOW IT! NOW CLEAR-"

I interrupted him "SIR" I said sternly "Its is cold wet and damp, and those hailstones look big as rocks. I will need a shelter so I can wait for the storm to pass."

"I DON'T CARE" He wailed "I DON'T CARE!"

Suddenly he ran out on the block and left! And like a simpleton I ran after the idiot.

"Sir, Its pouring SIR, YOU CAN'T GO!"

I ran after him breathlessly. The hailstones hit my head and struck my temple. Blood ran like a river across my ear but I didn't notice it.

He suddenly took a turn to the next block.

But I knew there wasn't a whole block there. There a was steep cliff!

"Sir! Old man! Stop YOU'LL DIE"

A hailstone struck my head and I went blank. The last thing a saw is the old man's feet jumping of the cliff.

"SAR! ARE YOU THERE. CAN YOU SAY S'THING"

I opened my eyes and I noticed a flash of bright light pointing in my face. I barely understood the rustic english!

"W-what" I stuttered

"HE S'PONDED! Check the pulse!"

I couldn't understand what was going on. What about the old man. Is he okay?

"What happened" I wavered in my voice

A deep and stiff voice responded

"SIR, I am Officer Wells. You almost died, a hailstone struck your head badly. You've suffered a terrible brain injury.

Suddenly I came to my senses!

"What about the man! He jumped-"

"Sir, what were you talking about, you were alone"

"No, the old man jumped down the cliff"

"Sir we checked. Nobody was there"

"No you don't understand" I exasperated

I told Officer Wells the whole story. As I finished he sighed and looked down.

"Sir, just like you many people have seen this old man jump of the same cliff everytime. But we've checked the records 'Harland Porter had died ten years back jumping of this cliff. He had suffered a mental acute depression'

"That's all we know"