His shoes and clothes were old and were in poor condition due to overuse. His pace was slow and the bag he carried seemed to be heavy for his health. He would take a few steps properly. The next few times, his feet would drag on the hot footpath along the old road.

By looking at his condition a person would assume that he was a poor young man who has traveled a long way on foot. He was a medium height guy with broad shoulders, sleepy eyes, not very muscular but an average built. He had a white thin cloth over his head protecting him from intense heat of high noon.

Dragging and walking he entered the old town and fell on the main street. He uttered a few words in a dying voice, “Water please”.
A barber sitting outside his shop and watching the stranger fall suddenly got up from the wooden chair, ran into his shop, filled a glass of water from the water pot, and came running towards him.

He held his head up into his lap and called him loudly.”Oye poor fellow! open your eyes”.
He poured a little water on his face. The stranger opened his eyes and started drinking water like he was thirsty for centuries.

“Drink it slowly, ” the barber told him and pulled the glass from his mouth, and then made him drink water sip by sip. The barber helped him up and walked towards the shade outside his shop. He then helped him sit on the chair, where earlier he himself was sitting. He then went to his shop and poured him another glass of water. The stranger drank it very fast.

Now he was feeling better and looked towards the barber and said, “thank you”.

Who are you young man and where are you coming from? the barber asked

“I am from Greyland. I am looking for a cure, a poison cure. I do not have much time.” he said in a hurry and got up.

The barber held his arm and pulled him towards the chair and told him to rest a little. He then said,
“Poison you say, well, as far as I know, there is not a single healer in this forsaken area, why are you looking for it here?”

“I was sent in this direction a few days ago by a wandering man, he told me what I am looking for can be found in this area”, as he uttered these words he sat on the chair completely.

There was a little worry in the barbers’ eyes and he asked him, “Can you describe the wandering man?”
“Sure, he was a short guy, with a big hanging belly, carried a weird umbrella and was riding a mule, seemed like a kind fellow, and yes he had a black eyepatch and was wearing a funny dress,” he answered quickly.

“I am afraid you have been misguided my poor friend. The man you are describing is Dudy Brude, a mischievous guy, always looking for thrill and misguiding people is one of his hobbies and if it makes you feel any better, you are not the first one he played a trick on.”

He was talking in a low and sad tone. Suddenly the stranger fell from his chair on the floor. Perhaps, he was starving for days.

“Poor guy”, the barber muttered and went inside his shop, opened the back door which leads to another hall with a wooden floor, a stair going to the upper portion, and shouted towards the stairs,

“Oye Selor! come down quickly to the shop”, and he went back to where he had left the stranger, on the floor just outside his shop.

A tall guy, with a muscular built, came running to the shop through the back door. Saw the stranger and his father helping him to stand. He quickly reached them and put the stranger’s arm on his own shoulder and helped him inside the shop.

Then they brought him to their own home which was located at the back of the shop. Opened a room on the ground floor, by the stairs, and put him on the bed. They poured some water on his face and when he attained consciousness the barber asked his son, “Bring something to eat for the poor fellow, it seems he is starving for a long time now.”

Salor went upstairs to the kitchen and brought some bread, milk, and butter. The stranger started eating like he hadn’t eaten for days. After he finished everything he drank the milk and fell asleep. The barber looked closely at the stranger and closed the door.

‘Who is this guy father?’ asked Selor

‘I don’t have the slightest, but I feel like he is not a bad person.’ Barber Replied. He told his son that they will ask him when he wakes up.