I was walking back to the office this morning after a meeting in town when an elderly gent tapped me on the shoulder and requested my assistance. "It's me legs, you see" he whistled at me through the gaps where his teeth should have been "I've a touch of arthritis in one of them, and it does be very stiff in the mornings, but if I could take your arm and walk a bit of the way with you it'll ease it out". Em, okaay...
So off we set. I was suspicious, to say the least. There were plenty of other people passing where he stopped me and my hurried pace and my massive headphones clearly signalled to the world that I was not in the market for casual conversation. I removed the 'phones in case a natter was all he was after, as I can well understand that. Sometimes folk just want a chat and find that unless they ask, nobody will give them the time of day. No skin off my nose to oblige them if I can. But he was content to walk along arm-in-arm, exchanging just the minimum of pleasantries. I walked with him for some 10 minutes until we had almost reached the canal. He then politely asked if I would take him just a little bit out of my way, down the next street on the right. Sure... I'm a foot taller than him and about 427 years younger, I thought, I'm safe enough. Unless he's old fashioned and uses chloroform.
We hadn't gone far when we reached the door of the Lower Deck pub. "I'll be fine from here, a chroí" he said "They'll look after me. And thank you again for helping me to get this far. You're as kind as you are pretty". And with a wink, he shuffled off inside.
I'm glad he stopped me, and that he thought to flatter me in his gratitude. Would that people were always so considerate.
So off we set. I was suspicious, to say the least. There were plenty of other people passing where he stopped me and my hurried pace and my massive headphones clearly signalled to the world that I was not in the market for casual conversation. I removed the 'phones in case a natter was all he was after, as I can well understand that. Sometimes folk just want a chat and find that unless they ask, nobody will give them the time of day. No skin off my nose to oblige them if I can. But he was content to walk along arm-in-arm, exchanging just the minimum of pleasantries. I walked with him for some 10 minutes until we had almost reached the canal. He then politely asked if I would take him just a little bit out of my way, down the next street on the right. Sure... I'm a foot taller than him and about 427 years younger, I thought, I'm safe enough. Unless he's old fashioned and uses chloroform.
We hadn't gone far when we reached the door of the Lower Deck pub. "I'll be fine from here, a chroí" he said "They'll look after me. And thank you again for helping me to get this far. You're as kind as you are pretty". And with a wink, he shuffled off inside.
I'm glad he stopped me, and that he thought to flatter me in his gratitude. Would that people were always so considerate.
