Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's...
Heroes, do y'all believe in them? Are they all around us as Clark Kents and Peter Parkers and King T'Chakas just waiting for the right moment to catch the bad guys?
Or are they more subtle, moms and dads, family and friends, musicians and writers, chocolate makers and Vibanda chefs, just using their own set of abilities to bring people out of of dark places, a kind of unorthodox saving.
The other day I'm walking with two of my favourite humans, Snow and October We're having a conversation about homeless people and this one guy in particular who walked past us.
Apparently they know him. Apparently he's a regular on that street.
Snow: You remember that guy
October: Yeah, he used to have so many dogs.
Snow: Yeah, but I think he ate them
Manamana: What?? Why would you say that?
Snow: Because that's probably what he did. He had so many dogs then all of a sudden they're all gone except this white one.
October : Maybe he sold them to the Chinese.
Manamana: Maybe he didn't eat the white one because he's racist.
Before you say it, I know, there are so many things wrong with this conversation. I blame the cold.
I can't believe there are still primary school kids going to school in shorts in this weather. It's raining cold. Thank goodness they're also covered in a thick layer of Vaseline and sweaters. And a balaclava.
So anyway, we're walking and then one story leads to another and Snow is telling us how she was walking home late the other day and across the road from her a bunch of guys, five in number see her and stop.
They start cat calling her and shouting obscenities at her. I bet she felt like asking one of the potholes on the road to swallow her. I bet she sped up, trying to balance walking fast without looking scared or upset. I'm sure in her head she chanted
"ignore them, just keep walking"
October is quiet, I wonder what he's thinking. Although I wonder more what those guys were saying so that's what I ask.
Snow looks at me like she's too embarrassed to say, she shrugs off the question like it wasn't asked. Trying to smile her 'never mind' smile and I know whatever it was they said, it was bad.
"Then what happened?" I ask snow half hoping she'd tell me she turned into a purple Hulk and pummelled them to the ground.
Some other man who was behind her hears the guys shooting off their mouths off at her and shouts at them back.
He tells them their words were shameless and 'a public display of nonsense'. Direct quote. (I like this guy already)
Then they start a back and forth of verbal fighting, their voices probably hitching higher and higher. And what did Snow do? She walked away. From everyone, both her hero and her offenders.
She asks us if she was wrong to leave the man arguing with the five guys in her defence.
Those guys were probably spoiling for a fight because they were called out for doing something stupid. And anyone who's ever been called out for doing something stupid knows the feeling.
We don't give her a straight answer.
I ask her instead what he looked like, the man, thinking she'd tell me he was in a tight black suit complete with a mask that made him look like a panther. Instead, she says,
"Well, he was kind of big and he had an oval face"
Okay, not much of a description, but we can work with that. He sounds like a Patrick, doesn't he? That's what we'll call him.
Snow asks us again if she was wrong to leave Patrick.
I allow myself to think about it. If I was a guy and I saved a girl from five douches I'd want her gone so if they start something physical I don't have to think of anyone but me. So if my plan was to run Its just me.
At the same time I'd kind of want her to wait so she can say thank you and I can say
"don't worry about it, guys are stupid sometimes."
So we still don't give a straight answer, I wonder what October would have said though. What do you guys think? Should she have walked away?
I really hope Patrick doesn't think she didn't want his help though. I also hope he wasn't beaten up. I hope he finds that courage every time anyone else needs help. And I really hope he finds help anytime he needs it.
The more I thought about the story later on the more I thought; Patrick really challenged me.
When was the last time I called anyone out on their public displays of nonsense? Is that what distinguishes the heroes from the normals?
Maybe heroes are made, by a combination of kindness, perfect timing, two cups of bravery, a spoon of strength, a dash of confidence and a sprinkle of empathy.
Maybe they are born, in superheated wombs. With glow in the dark 7up instead of amniotic fluid. Hehe, you now have that image in your head, and you can't remove it. You're welcome.
And to oval Faced Patrick, thank you. If you weren't there, the story would be completely different.
Snow would have had to go up a certain mountain in a certain country to learn to be Batman then take revenge against those douches. Also she says sorry for leaving you.
I'm sure she didn't feel like she would be of any help in that situation. And if she ever knows who you really are, remember she owes you a smokie Pasua. Unless you're vegetarian,then she owes you fruit salad.
PS: Snow and October aren't their real names. They don't even have English names. But if they did have coloniser names, they would be Snow and October.
Or are they more subtle, moms and dads, family and friends, musicians and writers, chocolate makers and Vibanda chefs, just using their own set of abilities to bring people out of of dark places, a kind of unorthodox saving.
The other day I'm walking with two of my favourite humans, Snow and October We're having a conversation about homeless people and this one guy in particular who walked past us.
Apparently they know him. Apparently he's a regular on that street.
Snow: You remember that guy
October: Yeah, he used to have so many dogs.
Snow: Yeah, but I think he ate them
Manamana: What?? Why would you say that?
Snow: Because that's probably what he did. He had so many dogs then all of a sudden they're all gone except this white one.
October : Maybe he sold them to the Chinese.
Manamana: Maybe he didn't eat the white one because he's racist.
Before you say it, I know, there are so many things wrong with this conversation. I blame the cold.
I can't believe there are still primary school kids going to school in shorts in this weather. It's raining cold. Thank goodness they're also covered in a thick layer of Vaseline and sweaters. And a balaclava.
So anyway, we're walking and then one story leads to another and Snow is telling us how she was walking home late the other day and across the road from her a bunch of guys, five in number see her and stop.
They start cat calling her and shouting obscenities at her. I bet she felt like asking one of the potholes on the road to swallow her. I bet she sped up, trying to balance walking fast without looking scared or upset. I'm sure in her head she chanted
"ignore them, just keep walking"
October is quiet, I wonder what he's thinking. Although I wonder more what those guys were saying so that's what I ask.
Snow looks at me like she's too embarrassed to say, she shrugs off the question like it wasn't asked. Trying to smile her 'never mind' smile and I know whatever it was they said, it was bad.
"Then what happened?" I ask snow half hoping she'd tell me she turned into a purple Hulk and pummelled them to the ground.
Some other man who was behind her hears the guys shooting off their mouths off at her and shouts at them back.
He tells them their words were shameless and 'a public display of nonsense'. Direct quote. (I like this guy already)
Then they start a back and forth of verbal fighting, their voices probably hitching higher and higher. And what did Snow do? She walked away. From everyone, both her hero and her offenders.
She asks us if she was wrong to leave the man arguing with the five guys in her defence.
Those guys were probably spoiling for a fight because they were called out for doing something stupid. And anyone who's ever been called out for doing something stupid knows the feeling.
We don't give her a straight answer.
I ask her instead what he looked like, the man, thinking she'd tell me he was in a tight black suit complete with a mask that made him look like a panther. Instead, she says,
"Well, he was kind of big and he had an oval face"
Okay, not much of a description, but we can work with that. He sounds like a Patrick, doesn't he? That's what we'll call him.
Snow asks us again if she was wrong to leave Patrick.
I allow myself to think about it. If I was a guy and I saved a girl from five douches I'd want her gone so if they start something physical I don't have to think of anyone but me. So if my plan was to run Its just me.
At the same time I'd kind of want her to wait so she can say thank you and I can say
"don't worry about it, guys are stupid sometimes."
So we still don't give a straight answer, I wonder what October would have said though. What do you guys think? Should she have walked away?
I really hope Patrick doesn't think she didn't want his help though. I also hope he wasn't beaten up. I hope he finds that courage every time anyone else needs help. And I really hope he finds help anytime he needs it.
The more I thought about the story later on the more I thought; Patrick really challenged me.
When was the last time I called anyone out on their public displays of nonsense? Is that what distinguishes the heroes from the normals?
Maybe heroes are made, by a combination of kindness, perfect timing, two cups of bravery, a spoon of strength, a dash of confidence and a sprinkle of empathy.
Maybe they are born, in superheated wombs. With glow in the dark 7up instead of amniotic fluid. Hehe, you now have that image in your head, and you can't remove it. You're welcome.
And to oval Faced Patrick, thank you. If you weren't there, the story would be completely different.
Snow would have had to go up a certain mountain in a certain country to learn to be Batman then take revenge against those douches. Also she says sorry for leaving you.
I'm sure she didn't feel like she would be of any help in that situation. And if she ever knows who you really are, remember she owes you a smokie Pasua. Unless you're vegetarian,then she owes you fruit salad.
PS: Snow and October aren't their real names. They don't even have English names. But if they did have coloniser names, they would be Snow and October.
Comments