People can be unpredictable - part 3
I was on the verge of making a smart-assed comment – you know – just to redeem myself, but I decided against that. Not that I didn’t feel like saying anything, I just wanted to be able to walk out of the place without getting ambushed in the parking lot. I could also see the fear in Mark’s face as he stared at me, wondering what I would do next.
The bouncers would have certainly jumped in to break up a fight, but that would be too little, too late. Besides, they looked just like this guy, maybe they would have let him kick the s*it out of us just for fun.
The next thing I know, his girlfriend is shouting, “Kick his ass, Rob.” We all looked at her and she shouted to me, “What are you looking at, loser?”
Well, he was obviously on the hook now. He started a confrontation, and for him to simply leave us alone and return to his table would be impossible. I’m sure he had a reputation to uphold.
I managed to say something weak and pathetic like, “We don’t want any trouble - We weren’t staring at your girlfriend – We just want a quiet beer.” I hated myself for saying that as soon as the words left my mouth. No backbone whatsoever – sad. But what choice did I have? I learned long ago that it’s next to impossible to reason with an angry drunk.
Well, that was just what he wanted to hear because it brought a smile to his face. Not a friendly smile, mind you, more of a sadistic grin.
He moved right up to my face – I could smell the booze on his breath. He was huge. He could have taken me apart with his bare hands.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said. I was shaking like a leaf. I felt very much like a helpless child. “I’m going to hit the washroom. If I see you sitting here when I get back, there’s going to be a problem.” He stood straight and staggered inside the pub. Mark and I looked at each other.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” he said.
I thought about our options - there really weren’t any. I hated being beaten by these bastards. Backing down is such a bitter pill to swallow – and already having low self-esteem makes it much worse.
I reluctantly agreed. We stood up amongst the heckling from the far corner, left our pints on the table, and headed towards the exit. “Losers, wussys, faggots,” they screamed. Our hands were tied. I felt as though I had a gag over my mouth. Of course, saying anything at that point would have been bad – really, really bad. I kept saying to myself that they were only words.
We got out onto the street and I half expected them to start chasing us. I was never so scared in my entire life. I looked back every few seconds but I could still hear them laughing on the patio.
We jumped on the bus at the next intersection, sat down, and breathed a sigh of relief. We looked at each other with the same expression.” What the hell just happened there?”
I’ll be talking about this whole scene and what, if anything, I could have done to change the outcome.
3 Responses to “People can be unpredictable - part 3”
I think what you did was awesome. Walking away like that makes you a bigger man than most. What you did was quite appropriate and shows that you’re more mature then idiots who choose to fight.
Well, to tell you the truth Elle, I only walked away because it was a no-win situation and I didn’t feel like getting jumped in the parking lot. I didn’t feel like the better man for doing it, but in hindsight, I know it was the right thing to do.
I’d like to think I left because I chose the more mature path, but I often wonder how different things would have been had I been challenged by someone much less intimidating.
I likely would have stood my ground. So I can only come to the conclusion that I left for less noble reasons than I would have liked to believe. Basically, I didn’t want to get beat up.
I guess I still have a ways to go in the maturity department.
You are probably smiling now when you remember this. Because, what the guy says to humiliate you is not in fact humiliating. That guy (and his friends) surely has some more serious problems than yours. Wouldn’t it be better to answer “Yes, we are a couple.”? That would puzzle him. Anyway, I appreciate your not answering the question and saying something else. Silence can be really instructive too. I would only suggest to focus on our own values and tastes when provoked by such a (homophobic) aggression. One shouldn’ take into account what a homophobic like the guys you met says for example and not get mad at what they say. Thanks for sharing the experience.
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