History of my World Part 2.

Evening Strumpets.
Well the last Post concerning my earliest memory has received such positive feedback, as well as being the second most visited page since I actually completed the Great North Run two years ago.  I`ve been asked to write further about my memories, so here`s one about why I not only have the best Sweetheart in the Land, but the best friends also.

The World has turned somewhat since Mark scored that amazing goal in his back alley.  He`s been through School, Sixth Form College, and a couple of Polytechnics before finally with all of his qualifications and experience finding himself driving a Fork Lift truck on a sparse Dock In a "Boots" Warehouse in Nottingham, England.  Mark is working permanent night shifts, and is sharing a house with a friend he met in Sixth Form called Stuey. 

Stuey, who is one of the sweetest, funniest, and most loyal friends Mark has and will ever have, has just met Jane.  She is beautiful, funny, and remarkably cool (for a girl) and it is blindingly obvious to Mark that all the conversations he and Stu have had regarding meeting someone are no longer pipe dreams for Stuey, but a lovely truth for him.   Mark will one day be priviledged to make the Best man`s Speech at Stu and Jane`s Wedding, which everyone present will agree is the funniest thing they`ve ever heard, and to prove it, will be recorded by Stuey`s Dad.  Unfortunately Stuey`s dad will then tape over the wedding video with Boro beating Aston Villa on Sky sports 1.  At least that`s what they`ll tell Mark.  Hmmm!

Don`t feel sad for Mark, he`ll eventually meet his own Princess.  She`s called Louise.  She`s the most loveliest thing he`s ever seen, and he meets her in a nightclub in Boro called "Blaises".  Blaises was  where "Freak" nights occurred on Thursday and saturday.  This meant it played indie music, served SnakeBites (half lager half cider) and had condensation dripping from the ceiling.

When she ask`s him what does he do for a living he does something strange.  Ironically, and he can still remember this, Embarrassment by Madness is playing.  Ashamed that he hasn`t achieved more with his life, he has in the past lied to girls about his profession.  his favourite being that he`s a Classics teacher at Newcastle University.  But this time he says "I drive a fork lift truck"

Within a month it`s a relationship proper.  Mark takes Louise back to Blaises and whilst there, she goes to sit down on a stool when someone from a gang of lads, pulls the stool from under her for a laugh.  Louise lands flat on her backside and shocked begins laughing but crying at the same time.  Mark know`s one of the lads and after seeing Louise is alright, say`s he`s going to sort this out.  Louise begs him not too, telling him he`ll be battered.  Mark not wanting to be a headline in the local newspaper agrees, but pride and guilt spend every minute tapping at his brain for the next week whilst he`s driving his Forklift truck in Nottingham.

Travelling back to Boro the following Saturday, Mark is symbolically a mouse.  He agrees to meet Louise in The Tavern in Boro, along with all of his mates.  Louise is in there and as the chaps start coming in, the mood lightens.  Then Mark see`s them.  The same gang of lads who`d snatched Louise`s seat.  It`s no coincidence that one of the songs he loved listening to with his Mam on a morning, when younger was "Coward of the County".  He asks his mate Darren to hold his pint.  "You alright?" Darren say`s.  "Yeah, just got to sort something out" Mark replies.

He walks over to the lads,and shouts "Think you`re funny eh?  Think you`re hard.  Making a lass cry."  One of the lads comes over and says "what`s your problem like?"  "My problem? My problem is that one of you doyles took the seat from under our lasses (Sorry Louise if you`re reading this, but you were and always will be "our lass" when I`m trying to be a bloke) arse.  Funny eh? She`s got a back injury (she didn`t, I was milking it, drama queen as ever) and you could have wrecked her chances of walking" (like I said drama queen).

The group of lads, and there was a fair few, stood up and walked towards Mark.  Christ, Mark thought, here comes the pummeling.  But a funny thing happened.  He stood his ground, and it must have worked because they all backed off.  The lad at the front said "Look sorry mate, It was just a daft joke. Can we just call it a day"  Amazed, Mark just said " Yeah right, just as long as you know".  Mark had stood up to them.  Mark had been "A MAN".  Mark turned round to walk back to his mates, and saw....

Half the pub stood behind him. 

Louise had told the lads about how Mark was taking the Blaises incident and asked them to look out for Mark. As Mark passed his glass to Darren, Darren had given the nod to the rest of the lads, and they`d followed him over, taking other lads who they knew with them, to where the scene was developing. Whilst Mark was shouting off about Louise`s bad back, half the pub had joined behind him and were giving it what is known in Boro as "THE EYES".  The other lads seeing this had made the right decision and backed down.

I can still see the pub as I turned around, but what I can really see is Louise.  Not acknowledging that I`d been "hard" and tackled the lads.  As she pointed out, they would have battered me!  No Louise was looking at the number of people who had come to back me up.  If I could have that many people looking after me, then surely, I couldn`t be half bad.

Fifteen years and two kids later, thank Christ I went to Blaises the night I met my wife.

Till the next one, (don`t worry more banjo and guitar stuff coming soon) learn something new,

Mark.