a stumble, me: the rescue by him.
Hardly a life threatening incident: one quite of my own making. Yet here I was pitching down a deep, dark well. Days later I can still hear how it felt: I’d phoned myself on WhatsApp about Tony’s Action. How my voice shook, Me was all at sea, still, from ten minutes before.
Perhaps as a climber, the top rope guy belaying you: he saves. The back wheel of a cycling mate pedalling uphill into a headwind: that saves too. These will be helping times, with faces you know. When a never-met-before man reaches out to rescue: d’ya know this world is far from gone wrong.
The good are living, even though so much is shouted by news outlets various of the greed and the heed to no-one else but themselves. So near-drowning. In over my head. Me. Payback of silliness at playing cards without looking is the case, easy to say. A bit late now!
My abacus skull rattles, a brain scrabbles for a hold on the situation. I’m standing at the head of a shopping queue, shopped goods in wire backet on wheels have been tallied. The key to my leaving with the shopping refusing to turn. Debit card in a bad mood.
No, my faulty arithmetic.
No exchanging the usual friendly chatter: Panic intense. Swamped by waves. All in my head crashing thoughts: what the heck is happening. OK, it isn’t quite a drowning, just felt that way. Errr.. No, actually it was. The check-out pay screen had twice, thrice, said No. Was insisting NO!
Easy out though: I’ll just ring the Bank and transfer funds: a straw grabbed, I telephoned, the helpful telephone human voice: “hang on I’ll get you an advisor”. The phone purred as would a contented cat, in what felt like hours later a voice interrupted to tell me “We’re rather busy this moment, looking after other customers”.
An half hour wait predicted. Could I tread water that long.
My relief sank. The Lidl lady smiled, was attentive. I told her my plan .. “a quick trip home, onto the internet, back to the store, job done quicker than waiting on this phone” She waved a receipt thingy, “This bar code means your shopping doesn’t have to go back through the till again”. Relieved, I took it, “I’ll be back in 20 minutes” I promised.
“I’ll pay” said Tony. His the strong voice from the waiting line at the till.
The big guy smiled. Yet not a face I knew, we’d never met. He calmly said “stop the panic, it’s ok, you are fine, I’m happy to pay. Relax.” He paid. The good are living, at this time when so much is shouted by news outlets various of the greed and the heed to no-one else but themselves.
That’s not where Tony stands, stood, at my back.
We talked a little, I asked details to do a bank transfer. How come he’d helped a total stranger. Tony just shrugged, “I’ve been in the Army all my life, you get to know when it’s right time to step up. He added “must go Peter, I am a little late for getting home”.
Then he was gone. Won’t be forgotten for such a kindness.
Wow. Tony had stepped forward there, him now in civvy street yet still uniform to that way how he had been ready to handle things, saving lives situations no doubt. I have no knowing of where he had served: but at this spot – when I felt so at risk – it really was his understanding that handled what was going on around him. Thanks Tony.
