Dear Stranger

CHAPTER ONE

POV:April
(Ten years ago)
The first time I saw 'him' was in a  street fight in Monet's packing and car washing building which had been long abandoned by its owner because he was unable to maintain it.It was an old building,probably older than me,and some said that it used to be the tallest building in Crossword City before the new government came in and started building more storey buildings in the city.
'He' fought his opponent with so much furry that got me wondering what might be the reason behind 'his' anger.I didn't like street fights at all because people ended up getting robbed and some even killed.Every time I passed through Monet's I never stopped to watch the fights but that day I found myself concentrating on the fight going on.
I am not sure whether it was the man's fighting skills or the aura of anger that 'he' possessed which drew my attention to him.'He' was tall, probably six inches I guess,a black American I would say,and did not posses a lot of muscles on his skin.I watched with tension as 'he' punched the other guy mercilessly until he landed on the rugged floor with a bloody face and as if that was not enough,'he' went down on his knees and continued beating the other guy like a punching bag.The crowd that had initially been cheering and jeering suddenly went silent as 'he' went on beating his opponent until the guy could no longer move.
My heart started beating fast as I realized what I had just witnessed."He killed him!"Someone from the crowd shouted.The crowd broke into a run and they suddenly dispersed and disappeared.As much as I wanted to run I couldn't because there had been a stumpeed and a lady who had been screaming like crazy had pushed me to a corner where I hid,awaiting all the people to leave in order to avoid being injured in any way by the fleeing crowd.When they were all gone I came out of the corner,promising myself never to get caught up in another street fight again .This had been my first,and I had just witnessed an open street murder.
Then I saw 'him' again,the black dude, seated a few steps away from the dead body...crying??Yeah.I saw tears flowing from his eyes one would think he had just received the news of a dead family member.Or maybe it was a ritual he performed everytime he killed somebody.I found it strange.
I knew it was none of my business and I decided to walk away but before I could leave I had him talk to me.He didn't call me by my name but rather ,"Hey you!"I stopped, surprised, wondering what he wanted from me.
"I didn't mean it,I promise..."He muttered,amidst sniffles.'So why are you telling me?'I wondered.Killings like this were somehow common in Crossword. People just killed each other and the police hardly did anything about it.They had arrested a few murderers once or twice but that didn't stop the street fight murders in Crossword anyway.
"Am not calling the cops on you if that's what you think...it's not like they are gonna do anything..."I said.
"Call them!"He ordered.I stared at him in perplexity.Who did he think he was? Killing somebody and then asking for the police to be called on him?
"Is it that bad?"I asked.Even if I had never met him before,I could tell that he was suffering from anger issues.As it is known,it takes a thief to know another.The way he had been fighting,not caring that his opponent was also human like him with flesh and blood and maybe a family,like he was no longer a human but a cold hearted beast,and then the sudden breakdown,I knew it was definitely an anger issue that he was unable to control...not that this justified his murder at all.
"What?"he asked.
"Your anger.How bad is it?"
He looked at the corpse then back at me without saying a word.I nodded.I needed not be told.I had anger issues myself which were uncontrollable.
"I have to go to jail!I cannot continue living like this!"He said.
"Going to jail ain't gonna solve anything.You should go to a therapist instead,"I said cautiously.
"Like I haven't tried."His voice was trembling.
I had anger issues myself and had gone to four therapists by then who had given up on me along the way.I did not understand what was so wrong with me.They all said that my anger could only be tamed by being around those I loved and even though I had a lot of people whom I loved,I wasn't sure if they wanted me around.My sudden 'explosions' when I couldn't control my anger made me treat everyone like shit and I was always rough,pushing people and even getting into unnecessary fights.
In short,I didn't think that I had the right to judge this stranger because of his anger when I couldn't control mine at all.
"I shouldn't be here ...so I'm just going to leave...."I said.He was still crying bitterly,and I felt that I was getting myself in a situation that I did not want to be in.
"I never asked you to stay."He replied coldly."Who are you anyway?"
I shook my head, totally irritated by his arrogance because I had actually treated him kindly.
"So you can give my name to the cops and then they can come chasing after me? There is no way I'm telling you who I am."
"If you are not calling the cops on me then you can just leave."
"Don't you have your own phone?"
He looked like he had had a revelation of something very important and then he looked at me with teary eyes."Actually I do."He said.
"Then call them if you really are dying to go behind bars."
I didn't think he was serious about this until he took out his phone and dialed 611,the emergency number.
"Hello,"he cried out,"I killed someone."
I stared at him in disbelief knowing that if it were me,I would rather have spent the rest of my life running than giving myself up to the police.
When he was done making the dramatic call ,I asked him if he was feeling better.
"I will...someday..."
"Okay, so, I'd better go before the police find me here."
"Yeah.... but...any other girl would have been afraid of talking to me you have a lot of bravery."
"I have anger issues too so am not scared of you hurting me.I believe I am way worse than you."
"Do you have a dead body on you?"
The question was too personal for me to answer a total stranger hence I avoided it.As far as my overthinking was concerned,he could have been a detective trying to find out about the many skeletons in my closet.
Despite the horrible event that had happened,I was glad that I was not the only one in Crossword with anger issues.At least there was someone out there going through the same thing as me,not that it was something to be happy about, but then,I stopped feeling as though I was different from everyone...