Two on One

It was 8.33 on a silent, sunny, Saturday summer morning, and I was walking home down the motorway bridge. There was nobody about, and there were very few cars. Then I heard s small noise behind me. I didn’t know what it was, but I didn’t look round. Then a guy on a scooter whizzed past me. And then another one. They didn’t ring a bell to let me know they were coming. I hate it when that happens.

The first guy went on, but the other one stopped a short distance in front of me. He was at the traffic lights, so I thought he was waiting to cross. But no, he wasn’t. Instead, he took a marker out of his pocket, and started writing on a junction box. You can see the results of his “artwork” below.

I don’t know what he was thinking or why he did this, but I don’t think it was his first time. Who carries a marker pen in their pocket? To me, this kind of thing is just senseless. More than that, it’s just plain ugly, and that’s why it makes me so angry.

When I came up to him as he was still at work, I stopped and looked at him, but he didn’t even look at me. Should I say something to him? He wasn’t a kid or a teenager; he was an adult. He was tall, but thin. And his face and neck were covered in tattoos. Ugly ones. By this time, the other guy had come back. He was much taller and broader.

I didn’t say anything, and the thin guy scooted on, ignoring me. In a situation like this, the advice is to phone the police and not to do or say anything because that could make things worse.

Sometimes, for your own safety, it’s better to say nothing. If I had opened my mouth, I might be writing this from hospital!

And that reminds me of an Irish saying or proverb: Is minic a bhris béal duine a shrón = It’s often that a person’s mouth broke their nose. The message is clear: think before you speak or keep your mouth shut.

The “artist” did a bad thing. We all do bad things, but we can change and become a better person. However, I don’t think this guy will ever change. I don’t think he wants to change. If you’re a language learner, it might be hard to read his words. They go from left to right, but not in a straight line. The words are Ryan never quits.