On the Sidewalk Bleeding

On the Sidewalk Bleeding is a short story by American author Ed McBain, also known as Evan Hunter. The story was first published in Manhunt magazine in 1956.^[1] Its protagonist, a sixteen-year-old boy named Andy, bleeds to death on the sidewalk after being stabbed below the ribs by a member of a rival gang. The story is commonly used as teaching material in high schools and colleges.^[2][3][4][5] According to Evan Hunter, this was one of his most anthologized stories, together with First Offence and The Last Spin.^[6]

Summary

The story takes place during the last minutes of the protagonist Andy's life. Andy is a member of a gang called "The Royals", as shown by a jacket he's wearing. He has left his girlfriend to buy cigarettes and is stabbed by a member of a rival gang, The Guardians. He is slow to realise the severity of his wound, at first proud to have taken a hit for his group. Soon, however, Andy realizes that he is dying. Due to loss of blood, he is too weak to speak. A drunk man comes down the alley and assumes Andy is also drunk and staggers off. A young boy and girl fear to help him because he is a Royal. An old deaf homeless lady passes by but does not hear him in the rain. Andy realizes the Royals jacket may cost him his life. With his last strength, he shrugs off the jacket and dies. A few minutes after his death, Laura – the girlfriend he was to marry – finds him and runs and finds a cop. The cop looks at the jacket and says "A Royal huh?". Laura says "His name was Andy". The cop ignores Laura and says "A Royal", and then continues to write. The cop then spits near the jacket to show his dissaproval and Laura runs away crying.

References