“Oi, you, you sh**ty little Protestant bastard, I’m talking to you!” a rather fierce looking man shouted. He was about 20, and well-dressed and a red tie completed his suit. If you crossed him in the street you would not be wary of him, until you saw his eyes. The look of hatred pierced through everything, as though there was something burning up inside him, something that had been on his mind, until, until…
“BANG” The man had pulled out a gun and a shot had been fired. The noise was so intense Adrian was thrown right out from under his blanket. He could see than man clearly now, and, a few metres ahead, another man lay on the floor. A crowed had formed around the man still standing. They seemed to be cheering, happy, but why?
“Terry,” Adrian whispered, “Why did he shoot him, what had he done?”
“The wrong side,” Terry muttered, “The wrong bloody side.”
“The wrong side?” inquired Adrian, “Of what?”
“The street,” Terry explained, “You see Adrian, a long time ago there was a big argument whether where we live should belong to the Catholics or the Protestants. No one ever decided, so now both Catholics and Protestants live here, but on the other sides of the street. See, on one side, there is graffiti about Catholics, and the other, Protestants. One side is orange, the other green. This is the divide between Catholics and Protestants. No one dares to stand on the other side of the road.”
“Why? What happens if they do?” asked Adrian, the extremity of the crime he had just witnessed sinking in, as an ambulance pulled up.
“That’s why,” sighed Terry, pointing at the man now being lifted onto a stretcher, “He is a Protestant, and he was on the Catholic side. The man with the gun is a Catholic, when he saw the Protestant, he got mad. And then he shot him. Its what happens round here.”
“So do Protestants kill Catholics if they are on the wrong side?”
“Yes Adrian, it’s a vicious circle. One day it will be different, but sometimes people do not know how to accept each other, so they don’t. Do you understand?”
“Yes….” Said Adrian slowly, “So, what are you Terry?”
“I don’t know. I can’t remember being either. This here bridge is not Catholic or Protestant, so I suppose I’m neither.”
“What would you want to be?”
“I’d like to be someone who had a home in a place where it didn’t matter what religion you were or what colour you were, or what your history is. Where you can go and people are friendly to you because that’s the way it is. I don’t want to live in a place where people are killed because of their religion.”
“Why do you then?”
“Stop asking questions Adrian,” Terry suddenly snapped, “I don’t have a choice and you just don’t understand so shut up ok?”
‘Oh but I DO understand,’ thought Adrian, and a plan began to form in his head.
The next few days were quiet, there was no one on the streets. News had crept round about the shooting and no one wanted any more trouble. Luckily, the man had lived this time, but next time he or she might not be so fortunate. Every morning when Adrian and Terry had set down the footpath to buy a drink, there had been no voices, no threats, it seemed like the world had closed down and the pair where the only people in the town.
Sometimes, a cat would cry out as it waited for its tea, or a dog barking at the sound of the cat, but other than those natural sounds, tranquillity reined. The gunshot had appeared to have stunned the street into silence, as though if broken another would be fired. It was an atmosphere than anyone would like to live in, but this was not natural, no peaceful. The atmosphere was cold and full of tension, and every single person was aware of it.
This period of tranquillity left Adrian reflecting on life, on both his life and Terry’s. Why had they ended up under the bridge? Where were their families? How long would they live like this? There were so many unanswered questions, and it troubled Adrian. He decided they had to do something, to go somewhere, but how was he to tell Terry?
He knew that Terry wanted to get away, he had said so on the night of the shooting, but was he being serious? There was only one way to find out!
“Terry? Can I ask you something?” said Adrian later that day.
“Sure,” answered Terry, “go ahead.”
“How would you feel about moving? Away to the place you were describing, to the place where everyone is friendly?”
Adrian sighed, and then laughed, a sad and disappointed laugh, “There’s no such place Adrian, I was just dreaming. No we’ll have to stay here, it’s best.”
“Why? Why should we? Terry we have nothing to lose. Please move I know where to go and I know it will be fun.”
“Fun? Adrian this is serious, not fun. I mean, even if we were to move, where would we go, or live, or do?”
“Terence,” Adrian put on a voice that sounded like a parent reassuring a child that their favourite Teddy would be ok while the child was at school, “trust me, I promise you I know what we can do.”
“Wow,” said Terry in awe as he got of the plane, “this is amazing.”
“Get mmmmmmmmme out Terry mmm I’mmmm can’t brrr brrr breathe!!!!!!!!!”
Adrian had been saving up coins and notes he had found on the streets for months, and had paid for Terry to fly to London, with himself smuggled in a bag, He had heard people talking about London, and knew that many different people lived there. He was sitting in the bag listening to Terry ummming and ahhhing about his new home.
“Get mmme OUT!!!!!” he yelled!
Eventually Terry opened the bag. Adrian shot out and looked around.
“Whoa,” he said, “Some place!”
“Adrian get in the bag, you’ll get caught!” instructed Terry, and Adrian quickly obeyed.
London was an amazing place. There were tall buildings which looked like they could reach the clouds all around, and millions of people everywhere. The red buses were a prominent feature of London, the brilliant red like a rose petal, the people like the pollen inside. It was amazing, there were people of every colour walking down the street; together, like on happy family. It was a sight Terry had never thought he would see, and he was filled with hope, that maybe his ideal dream-place really did exist.
The pair wondered until late that night, when they decided to settle down under a sub way.
“It’s not a bridge,” said Terry, “But it’s really not bad.”
“No, it’s not,” replied Adrian happily, “And I’ve got somewhere to show you tomorrow.”
“Really?” said Terry, excitement in his voice, “Where, tell me?”
“No,” laughed Adrian, “Wait till tomorrow, night night Terry.”
“Oh,” moaned Terry, “Night.”
The next morning Terry and Adrian awoke to the sound of a noisy city. Adrian at once remembered where they were going and hurried Terry to get ready. He wanted today to be special; after all, it would be the last day they spent together. The thought saddened Adrian, but at the same time he knew the only way Terry could get the life he dreamed of was if he and Adrian parted company.
“Terry come on!” Adrian pleaded, “We have a lot to do!”
Once they were ready, Adrian got into Terry’s bag and they walked towards Trafalgar Square. It took them about thirty five minutes, but once they were there Adrian knew the hike had been worth it. Terry bought some feed and the spent hours feeding the pigeons and chatting, as though they were two happy human beings……
When the time had come, Adrian told Terry the way to the Charity Head Quarters of “Race and Religion Alike.” Anyone could join, and Adrian knew Terry would be brilliant at helping people live together, after all he had been through, and he knew that Terry could build a life for himself with a proper job and a proper home, so this was the right thing to do. Indeed, it was situation ethics, but Adrian was sure he was doing the most loving thing, so he had no regrets.
“Why are we here Adrian?” asked Terry.
“To get you a home,” replied Adrian, “and a job.”
“Me? You mean us?”
“No Terry, I mean YOU.”
“On my own?”
“Yes, by yourself. Build yourself a life.”
“What about you?” Terry was getting worried.
“Me? I’ll be fine, I’ll find someone else, maybe go back to Ireland, I just want you to be happy.”
“I can’t leave you. I don’t know how to live by myself. What if I oversleep, or have no money, or don’t turn up to work, or get it all wrong or….”
“Terry!” interrupted Adrian, “You won’t! You’ll be brilliant, that’s why I’ve brought you here. I’ve saved up all my money for you; please don’t let this be a waste of my money.”
Adrian was pulling all the right strings. He could see Terry beginning to waver, and he knew one more push in the right direction and Terry would be through the doors.
“Terry, I love you like family, I always will, but I want you to go. I want you to be happy. If you are not happy I am not happy, and if you do not go in you will not be happy, so I will not be happy. Please Terry, do it for me,” said Adrian, hoping his stumbling words sounded reassuring.
“If you’re sure…” Terry made his way to the doors.
“Yes,” nodded Adrian, “Go, please go.”
A tear welled up in Terry’s eye, and was soon followed by another one, and another until tears were streaming down his face, and Adrian could no longer hold a brave face, and allowed one solitary tear to drip down his little bony cheek.
“Remember me,” whispered Terry, and handed him his watch. With a pen he quickly wrote, “To Adrian, Thank you. Terry xx”
And with that, he turned around and opened the door. A moment of hesitation crept over him, but then the desire to succeed overcame the emotions, and he shut the door behind him, holding out his hand against the glass door, waving to Adrian. Adrian also put his hand out, as if to show a bond, broken by no distance, and as Terry disappeared into the future, Adrian turned on his heels and headed for home. Clutching his watch and holding his t-shirt by his face to mop his tears, he wandered the streets of London, with a smile on his face, remembering all the good times he had had with Terry, and the twinkle he once had in his eye lit up again. Heading for the airport, Adrian supposed he would have to find another companion now, but that did not matter. He had done something good, something brilliant, and no one, no one could ruin that moment of pure happiness for him.
He walked and walked, hoping he was going in the right direction when he heard a scream. He looked around, thinking someone had been shot or stabbed, or someone had been mugged, when he realised the woman who was screaming was screaming at him.
She attracted a great deal of attention and suddenly people were swarming all around him, making comments and trying to touch him. He was terrified, and ran away, faster and faster, not looking where he was going until…
“BANG”. He walked straight into someone. And that someone picked him up and put him in a bag. And that someone had a familiar voice, and that someone was Terry.
“Terry!” he cried, “I was so scared someone saw me I forgot I was so sad….”
“It’s ok now,” soothed Terry, “You’re safe. You have done something great for me and I have done something great for you. You are coming with me and you can live in my room.”
“But…but…”
“No ‘buts’. I said would it be ok if I kept my cat in my room and the lady said it would be fine. So you can hide with me still. Terry and Adrian, we’ll never be split up.”
A smile crept onto Adrian’s face, and silently the pair walked, hand in hand together, through the midnight sky onto a life of happiness, peace and helpfulness: together.
