NaNoWriMo Entry: My Meeting with Quincy, the Anonymous Hero

Imagine, if you will, learning about a wonderful person, one who has a lifelong desire to make a lot of people happy. He might do it in any way possible, whether it is planting trees around the neighborhood, donating money to a charity in need, or simply doing something to make people laugh and forget about the hard times, if only temporarily. This person would be looked upon as a hero to many people, and he would be counted on to ensure that the world that we live in would become a better place. Such a person is so hard to come by these days.

Now imagine if the individual in question does everything anonymously. He would do every little thing to help us all without ever letting anyone see his face. He would donate cash while no one is looking or while wearing a disguise. He could plant an entire garden overnight, or talk to people over the phone or online to pick them up when they are down. This person could even post some audio messages on video-sharing sites announcing his future plans for the world and how they would improve our lives. All the while, his identity would remain a mystery, and thus, everyone would know his voice, but would be curious as to what their great hero actually looked like.

Well, I had heard of such a person. He went by the name of Quincy, and every day, I heard about his good deeds in the news. Whether it was as simple as saving a kitten from a tree or as grand as saving people from losing their jobs, Quincy would always put the interests of other people first. He was the kind of person who had a huge heart, making me wish that every single person in the world was as kind and generous as he was. What baffled many people was that everything he did, he did without showing us his face. It made me wonder why he would do such a thing. Was he a shy individual, or was he nervous about revealing himself on account that anyone who opposed his actions might try to murder him?

I have not heard of many people who did things anonymously, and yet Quincy seemed to be a master of completing those tasks. Even so, I admired what he did, and wondered what it would be like to catch him in the act. Of course, I would not purposely do it in order to exploit him. I just wanted to see his handiwork with my own eyes. Little did I suspect that I was about to be in for the surprise of my life.

It all started when I was taking a leisurely stroll on a lazy Sunday afternoon in the city. I was simply minding my own business when I heard cries of agony coming from behind me. I turned around and saw a tall man wearing a black cloak that concealed his face. He was clutching his chest and appeared to be in a great deal of pain. Sensing that he was in trouble, I immediately took out my cell phone and tried to call 911.

"No!" cried the man. "Please don't call for help! If you do, my identity will be exposed!"

I recognized his voice from one of his videos on the Internet...it was none other than Quincy! I was actually meeting my hero right then and there under the most dire circumstances. He was having a heart attack, and his life was in great danger, yet all he could think about was keeping his identity a secret.

"Listen to me," I cried. "If you do not let me call an ambulance for you, you will die!"

"I would rather be dead than to have my face revealed to the world!" replied Quincy.

"Look," I said. "If you will just let me call for help, I will convince the doctors to keep your true identity a secret. Do we have a deal or what?"

"No deal!" he cried. "I do not trust anyone to keep the truth about my identity to themselves. Just let me die, and hopefully someone will follow in my footsteps."

This was certainly a dilemma. If I called for help, Quincy's life might be saved, but I would run the risk of having him exposed to a lot of people and possibly putting him in even more danger. If I left him to suffer, he would soon die, and then who would come along to aid the world? That was when I did something drastic: I walked away from him, making him think I was leaving him to die. Then when he was not looking, I called 911 and explained the situation without telling them which person they would be helping.

Within moments, an ambulance pulled up, and Quincy was soon taken away. As it drove off, I wondered if I had really done the right thing. Quincy's life might be spared, but at what cost to him? If his true face was exposed, he would surely blame me for it. Then again, he might still die, and someone else would have to take his place. What I did not expect was that this incident was just the beginning of my acquaintance with Quincy, which ended up changing both of our lives forever.