Now I know I'm an old fart, but...

fyds · September 16, 2006

Two very different things shocked me this week in two very different ways.

Firstly, the site office I was visiting on Thursday had to be abandoned when a daft workman accidently hacked through a telex and power feed into it, frightening the pants off him, blowing the end off his jackhammer and leading to us having our meeting in an adjascent Caff where we could hear ourselves think.

So - having a cup of tea and talking business, we were constantly interrupted by this fat bottle blonde girl - I do mean fat, and she was probably younger than 20, trying to keep her baby/toddler awake so she could go out that night. 'Y'gorra stay awake so Mummy can go out wid 'er mates and your goin' t'yer Nan's' etc. The baby, who was small and about 11months old with wispy real blonde hair was clearly suffering. One of our lads, a dad of 5 told her she should let the kid sleep as it was good for the baby's blood chemistry and immune system - as well as just plain decent. She didn't argue, but took up a snotty 'huff' attitude. It was then I noticed something - this tiny 11month old had it's ears pierced, and nasty zirconium earrings in. More - the poor mite also had it's nose pierced, and had a ball-stud under it's bottom lip. I mean, wtf??? As the title says, I know I'm an old unfashionable fart but jesus christ...your baby isn't a fecking accessory! Who does this to thier baby? More to the point - which low-life piercer would do this at a parents behest?

Secondly...

I have a mate, Vasék, who lives just outside Prague in Nucice, not far from the airport. He used to go out with my wife's Brazilian cousin Evelyn, and we've kept in touch, apart from anything else it's a rare chance to practice my now dodgy Czech. Anyway, his mate Leos had been in the Czech army for a few years, mostly working with either Border security or UN peace-keeping forces. He'd been out about 6 months, but found it hard to re-adjust. A couple of months or so ago, his mother was killed in a traffic accident - run over by a high-ranking pissed policeman. Their version of a coroners report put it down to the equivalent of 'misadventure', the police filed it as an accident and were not going to do anything. Understandably, Leos was furious, and after banging his head against local, regional and various other police investigation boards eventually went round to the Justice ministry and the Head of Police taking with him among other witness statements, a copy of the initial accident report citing the drunken police officer, the medics and traffic cops on the night. They threw him out, making sure he 'fell down several flights of steps' on the way. He wasn't about to be dissuaded. Battered and bruised, he went to see a local journailst who, although sympathetic , told him this is how the modern Czech state worked. Leos walked away and went home. No-one heard from him for two weeks. Then Vasék got a phone call from a mutual friend saying Leos too was now dead. In full parade army uniform, he had been to visit his mothers grave. Other visitors to the cemetry say he was knelt there in the heavy rain 'talking to his mum' for nearly two hours, clearly crying and upset. At the end of this, he stood up, straightened his belt and his cap, saluted, put his hand in his jacket and pulled the pin on two grenades. His friends are now wondering what they might do to get justice for Leos and his mother.

Now I know I'm an old fart, but I'm usually an optimist...today that's a little harder place to get to.

Edited September 16, 2006 by fyds

badtodabone · September 16, 2006