honest to blog

“Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven.”

- Wordsworth

 

was walking by on top of a bridge in perth a few months ago when the paternal decided to use the restroom and i waited nearby with the maternal. a young boy, shorter than little short me just left the restroom. he could be ten, he could be thirteen, didnt’ matter, his eyes said he could all be eighteen. he’s got a backpack and a piercing on his ear.

“can i get a dollar?” he inquired to my mother, kid hadn’t even break his puberty vocal.

my mother turned to me.

“sorry, haven’t got any,” i replied, looking around.

“i just need a dollar for the train fare,” he said again.

i shrugged, “don’t have any.”

“ya,” he answered with a certain annoying melody.   

“nope, sorry…” i stood my ground.

“ya,” sing-songed the kid with no singing upon any kind of song.

“wha…?”

“yahhh, ya you have,” kid went again, a little bit more accusingly.

i shrugged again. i kinda pitied the rude kid. but a friend of mine once told me that a lot of people ask others for money on the street to buy some booze or drugs or stuff. i was just practising caution. but ended up looking like i was this little inhumane mutha-flippin’ son of a witch.

the kid took off and approached a ticket machine. my father exited the restroom and we walked towards the other end of the bridge, and had to pass the kid again in the process.

“excuse me, sir. can i get a dollar?” he asked my father.

my father looked to me, and i anwered back, “no, he hasn’t got any.”

“i was asking him, not you,” kid said.

“tough luck…” i mumbled.

it’s just a dollar, i told myself. it’s not like he’d be able to start an underground illegal substance network with that kind of money. or even purchase firearms to rob some banks. for all you know, he might be trying to return home to his faily or something.

but he could use the money to get on a train to meet “the man” and start this organ black market operation. honey, the possibilities are endless, another side reminded me.

in times like these, i really wish that i could be a better judge of character. level-headedness has not been a quality of mine lately. and so is reasoning. is it so insane to be so paranoid most of the time?