Gift of a Homeless Man Turns into Nightmare
For over a week, Marina passed by a homeless man every morning. They greeted each other with friendly smiles, and Marina would often toss some coins into his cup.
Then, on a cold winter day, the homeless man asked Marina for a favor. He desperately wanted a blanket, as the nights were getting colder. Marina didn't hesitate and promised to bring him a blanket. Little did she know, his gratitude would forever change her life.
Open it later
As a repayment for the warm blanket, the homeless man insisted on giving Marina his bag. Marina wasn't comfortable with the idea at all.
Not only did she not want to take anything away from the homeless man, but the thought of what could be in the foul-smelling bag gave her chills. However, he insisted, leaving her no choice.
Involving the police
Marina hesitated for a long time before opening the bag. She even considered throwing it away unopened. But what if its contents were important? Wouldn't it be better to return it to the homeless man?
When she finally opened the bag, she turned pale and felt almost nauseous. One thing was certain – this was a case for the police! But what was in the bag? And why did the homeless man insist on giving it to Marina, even though it was his only possession?
Starting from the beginning
For that, we need to go back two days. Marina, a 37-year-old teacher, lived in a bustling street in the capital city. Every morning, she made her way to the nearby subway station to get to work.
For a couple of weeks, she had been crossing paths with someone every day. It was a homeless man who would be at the same corner near her metro station every morning.
Friendly smiles
For many weeks, the man would smile kindly at her and greet Marina with a nod of his head but never said a word. However, on this particular day, there was something he needed.
He asked Marina if she could spare a moment for him. When she agreed, he timidly asked her for a blanket. Marina would look back on this moment with great unease.
Coldness
Marina immediately understood his request for a blanket, as winter had arrived and the nights had become freezing cold. Even during the day, it was extremely chilly. Marina was in a hurry but decided to promise him a blanket.
She firmly resolved to bring it to him the very next morning. However, she had no idea where to quickly find a blanket. If only he had asked for something else.
Forgotten blanket
But her good intention didn't matter. The next morning, Marina overslept. She woke up much too late and was in a rush. It was only when she approached the homeless man's corner that she realized she had forgotten the blanket.
She felt terrible about it but realized she couldn't afford to go back. Then she saw the homeless man impatiently holding a large backpack. Marina needed to be cautious here.
"Tomorrow, I promise!"
Marina walks past him and apologizes, telling him that she will bring the blanket one day later. She doesn't have time to wait for his response and sprints to the subway.
She sits on the subway, feeling terribly guilty. If only someone could tell poor Marina that there is no reason to feel bad for this man.
Going back
Driven by her guilt, Marina decides not to wait until the next morning to bring the blanket but to deliver it after work today. It would be a detour, but she feels miserable.
This way, the homeless man wouldn't have to spend another night in the cold, and she would be forgiven for forgetting it that morning. After work, she rushes home, retrieves the blanket, and goes to the usual spot.
Taking a different approach
When Marina arrives at the corner where she used to see the homeless man, it is already dark. He is sitting with his back to Marina on the ground. She cautiously speaks to him, and he turns slowly.
As the homeless man realizes it's Marina and that she has the promised blanket with her, he stands up, albeit clumsily, with a beaming smile. Without saying a word, he takes the blanket.
"I have to go now..."
Marina is relieved to have done her part and pacified her nagging conscience. Now she just wants to go home. The homeless man still doesn't say a word, so Marina says, "I have to go now, take care!"
She turns around and heads home. However, the homeless man has something else in mind. He wants to reward Marina's good deed.
Two faces
In a friendly voice, he offers Marina his bag. It's only fair in his opinion. When Marina declines, his expression changes. He says, "Aren't you owe me this?
You made me spend another day in this cold!" And so he manages to convince Marina to accept the bag. Her guilt would bring Marina into great trouble.
A heavy bag
Surprisingly, the bag is heavy, and after her long day at work, Marina needs all the energy in the world to drag the bag to her apartment. Several times, she considered just leaving it somewhere. But she couldn't bring herself to do it.
After what feels like an eternity, she finally arrives at her warm home and leaves the bag in the hallway. If only she had looked into the bag right away.
The next morning
Without thinking much about this strange exchange, Marina goes to bed. She is completely exhausted after this stressful day. Within minutes, she falls into a deep sleep.
The next morning, she wakes up on time to go to work again. She is almost out of the house when she sees the bag in the hallway. She is shocked to discover a pool of liquid around the bag! What on earth could it be?!
In Search of the Homeless Man
Since she had to go anyway, her first reaction was to run to the homeless man and ask him what was in his bag. But when she arrives at the usual spot, he is nowhere to be seen!
Everything is tidy, and if it weren't for a small note he left behind, one could think he had never been sitting there. Without him, the spot feels empty.
Folded blanket
Instead of the homeless man, what Marina finds is her blanket. It is neatly folded on the ground. Marina is puzzled and starts to worry.
She decides to go to work a bit later today so she has time to think. She rushes back home, and when she arrives, she immediately goes to the bag. The moment of truth has come.
Calling the police
Marina goes down on both knees to open the bag, and when she sees what's inside, she falls over in shock! Even a little scream escapes her mouth, and she is unsure of what to do.
The homeless man needs to be arrested. The sooner, the better! Marina immediately calls the police. Her thoughts are racing. She wished she had never engaged in a conversation with the man.
Police arrival
After calling her boss and taking the day off, Marina waits for the police officers. Her boss was far from pleased and scolded her.
After what feels like an eternity, the first police officers arrive. They look around before closing all windows and curtains. Then they ask Marina to move away from the bag. What is going on?
"Please remove it from here!"
Now that the police has made it very clear that the bag, and especially its contents, are highly illegal, Marina pleads with the officers to finally take the bag out of her apartment.
But the police officers just laugh and say it's not possible! Marina is horrified. She called the police hoping for help. Why are they laughing at her now?
Staying nearby
Marina decides not to let it go and chooses to stay nearby. Restlessly, she walks around the apartment, and eventually, she notices the officers gathering.
She decides to get closer and overhears the officers talking about the expected arrival of the responsible officer. The whole situation should be clarified soon.
Long-lost bag
Marina realizes that the contents of the bag are something the police had been searching for a long time. She now understands the attitude of the police, but what does she have to do with all of this?
She only got involved in the whole story by chance. It was her kindness. More precisely, it was her guilty conscience about a person having to sleep outside in this cold.
In Search of the Homeless Man
While Marina tried to figure out what was going on, some of the officers were instructed to search for the homeless man. They go to his spot near the subway, but cannot find him there.
They manage to gather some information about his whereabouts, and a few hours later, they are able to arrest him. But he had something to say during his arrest that would surprise everyone.
The Chief Police Officer
Meanwhile, the chief police officer entered Marina's apartment. He looked at Marina without saying a word, keeping his gaze on her for minutes. Marina swallowed hard.
He didn't introduce himself and even refused to answer when Marina tried to start a conversation. "Oh my God!" Marina thought. "Am I now a suspect?"
Explaining everything
She wanted to explain everything from the man's greeting to the night of the exchange. Finally, the chief officer realizes her innocence and begins to explain the situation around the bag.
The frozen stuffed animal that was in the bag was an extinct species and had been reported stolen a long time ago! When it thawed in the warm apartment, it formed the puddle of water.
A gift
As it turned out, the homeless man offered the stuffed animal to Marina as a gift. She was the only one who ever acknowledged him during his time on the streets, and he wanted to repay the favor.
The stuffed animal was returned to the museum from where it had been stolen some time ago, and the homeless man was allowed to spend a few nights in a nice and warm police cell.
Psychiatric evaluation
The officers quickly realized that the homeless man was severely confused. He wouldn't be held accountable for the theft. However, sending him back to the cold would have been irresponsible.
Clearly, he couldn't take care of himself. A judge ordered him to be admitted to a psychiatric clinic. There, they could at least ensure that he wouldn't freeze to death. Marina was grateful to hear that someone was now taking care of the poor old man.
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