I frequently am telling stories of 'back home', so why not put them here for all to share the laughs. Of course, the memory is fading (I blame the booze), so the stories over time have probably changed and grown more, umm, colorful? No doubt my friends who were actually there as well when it happened would have a different account on the events that took place. Well, tough :P. Here is another story.
Back in primary school (elementary), we went to a small country school. About 100 kids, hence the boys my age, well, we were, still are a close knit bunch even though we only talk to each other once a year (if we're lucky). So of course, we would always encourage each other to 'push the envelope'. When something broke, ok...now we know the boundary of doing that! I believe after a couple of years of incessant phone calls to our parents "Sorry to tell you, but your son has been in an accident", rather than the normal panic and fretting that would accompany it, there would have been a rather nonchalant reply of 'oh, again. Yeah, I'll come in after I've finished mowing the lawns'.
During our lunch break, you would find our 'what crazy thing can we do today' group, out in the playing field doing something we shouldn't be doing. On this particular day, we were engaging in one of our favorite activities. Walking across a 3-chain bridge, from one high point to another. But we would never get to the other side. You see, we would let go of one rope (so now it's a 2-chain bridge), and swing out, let go, fly through the air and land on a large circular platform, (about 1m high, which is bloody high for a 10year old). We would all do it with glee, barring one friend, lets call him...Mungo. Mungo wouldn't jump. We would cheer him on, cajole him, even tease. All to no avail. But for some reason, on this day, Mungo threw caution to the wind and he went for it. We all went first, to show, even though it had been raining, it was still as easy as pie. Then it was the moment of truth. Mungo let go, swung out, let go, gracefully flew through the air and landed on the platform. YAY. But (ahh, you knew that was coming aye?), he didn't land quite right, and he slipped. Fell backwards. Now remember about 1m high. Mungo outstretches his arm behind him to help break his impending impact with the ground. Then we hear, the oh so familiar of a bone saying, 'ahh, no. Sorry, I'm not supposed to bend that way nor support that much weight'. Crraccck.
Of course we are concerned for our friend (cue wailing and crying), but...well, we can't stop laughing. We felt guilty, concerned and at the same time found it highly amusing. So inbetween our uncontrollable laughter, we are also trying to be concerned and serious in saying "Mungo, are you alright mate?".
Ahhh. But the story doesn't end there my friends, oh no. It takes about 6 weeks for a bone to heal. So Mungo is a school, very happy with his new 'weapon' and graffiti arm. 6 weeks later on Saturday, Mungo's cast comes off. Monday. First day of school with no cast. And where are we? Out swinging off the 3-chain bridge. And along comes Mungo. "Comon man, do it again. The worst is over now! You can do it!" Fearlessly Mungo, tries again, to great applause and respect from his 10year old peers. Mungo lets go of one chain, he swings, lets go, flies though the air, lands, slips, CRAaaaaaCCKKKKkkkkkk.
Poor Mungo. He never did try again.
No comments:
Post a Comment