I spotted a man with an injured leg on the street and offered to call an ambulance, but he asked for my phone and made a strange call instead.
I was rushing to work, as usual, running late. The wind blew outside, and the pavement was still damp from the overnight rain. As I hurried across the street, I noticed a man on the edge of the sidewalkaround forty, slumped against a wall, breathing heavily. His pants were torn at the knee, his leg smeared with blood.
Passersby ignored him, as if he weren’t even theresome on their phones, others eating on the go, one even glanced and turned away. But I couldn’t just walk past. Something in his eyes stopped me.
“Are you okay? Did you fall?” I bent down.
He gave a weak nod and tried to straighten up, then immediately winced in pain.
“Let me call an ambulance,” I said, pulling out my phone.
“No, dont,” he rasped, his voice tired. “Please, don’t call them. Ill manage.”
“Youre bleeding, you cant even walk.” I frowned. “Why wont you go to the hospital?”
He hesitated, looking away as if debating something.
“Can I just call a friend? My phone died. Just one callthats all.”
Wary, I handed him my phone. He dialed quickly, like he knew the number by heart, then stepped aside and murmured:
“Hey. Its me. Can you?.. Yeah. Now.”
After whispering something else, he returned my phone with a faint smile.
“Thank you. Youre very kind.”
I nodded and left almost at a jog, an odd unease settling in. Maybe because it all felt too mysterious.
Then, days later, something unexpected happened.
Id nearly forgotten the incident when an unknown number called.
“Hello. We met on the streetyou lent me your phone.”
I froze.
“Yeah I remember. Is everything okay?”
“Thanks to you, yes. You have no idea how much you helped me. If not for your phone, things couldve ended badly. If you ever need anything, call me. I owe you.”
“Did you go to the hospital?”
“No. But lets just say I handled it. You were one of the few who didnt walk away. Not many like you.”
He didnt explain further, and I didnt ask. For some reason, warmth spread through me. Sometimes, you lend someone a phone and it changes a life.
