Fear
-A Story from Puebla, Mexico
Although the story 'Fear' is from the unit of the supernatural stories, in fact, it is not a supernatural story. It is a psychological story. It is based on the human fear of a nervous man and how he acts when he is fear. This story also shows how a man behaves when he is extremely nervous.
The main character in the story is Armando Gonzalez who is a cobbler. He is an honest, hardworking man who had to look after a big family of nine members. However, he had his own small dream to have a house of his own. With this aim, he had saved 50,000 pesos from the last twenty years.
He had seen a house within his limit so, he went to the bank to withdraw his 50,000 pesos. The deal was finalized and he had to do the payment to purchase his dream house. He was very careful and sensitive from the beginning. The bank was slightly crowded that day and he did not like it. In his turn for withdrawal, the bank accountant started to count his saved money loudly which Armando did not like. He thought and feared that other people would know that he is carrying a heavy amount and anybody could loot him.
He caught a bus to go home. There inside the bus, he met a man whom he had already seen in the bank while he was withdrawing his money. He also saw three boys talking to that man. Now, there was no doubt to Armando to think that they are planning to rob him. Everybody on the bus was looking at him. He didn't know that he had put his hat backwards. But, what Armando thought was that they were looking at him because they had already known that he was carrying 50,000 pesos. He started to see a thief on each people's face. This condition raised his fairness more extremely
After seeing that, the man was talking to three other boys. He thought that they were making secret plans to loot his 50,000 pesos. This heightened his nervousness, he began to sweat. His heartbeat was increasing. So, he made a plan to get off the bus at the next stop and to take another bus so that he will be safe from loot.
When he gets off from bus suddenly, he also saw that the same three boys had got off there. Now, it was sure to Armando that they are coming only to loot him. He started to run shouting, crying and begging for help. The three boys also started to run after him. Their intention was to help Armando because he had put his hat backwards. But, there was no limit to Armando's fear and he was running as fast as he could and suddenly, his feet got entangled with stone and he fell down. Before he gets up, the three boys came up to him. Armando started to beg and cry like a child to them not to rob him. The boys were also surprised because they also cannot think that why he was crying and begging. After knowing all they said that they were not intending to loot him. They gave him their full introduction that they were students and they were there for a football tournament. They were only running after him because he was shouting for help.
After knowing all, he got up and put his cap on the right way at this time, all the four walked up slowly back to the street.
