I saw him walking down the path- with bold steps. His look was stern. Thick beards formed a clique on his jaw. He was in some kind of jacket that made his huge structure exude fear. He held a black bag across his shoulder; and he clung to it as though his life depended on it. I tried to figure out what it contained, but I couldn’t. All the bag revealed was a rod-like object.
Another appeared out of nowhere. His eyes were blue and his hair was dark- a fine English man with shaved beards. His steps were rather quick, and his briefcase swung back and forth at the handle. I watched him as he scurried past the first man, trying to catch the bus.
Suddenly, a police car screeched to a halt a few meters behind them. Men in police uniforms trooped out. They ran towards the bearded man like he had their lives in his bag. That was when it occurred to me that the man was wearing a cap, the type worn by Muslim men. The rod in his bag must be a gun. He must be another terrorist on the loose, I thought.
But there he was, oblivious of the danger behind. A woman standing by the roadside watched with horror. She must have shared my feelings; for she had been on the same spot since the bearded man appeared.
The policemen closed in on him. Still, he proceeded with unrelenting confidence. When they were just a few steps away from him, the tension grew. I watched without blinking- following every steps they took. But instead of grappling the bearded man, they just ran past him.
I was confused. Why won’t they attack the terrorist? I thought. Still, I followed every step they took. But my gaze betrayed me when they brought down the English man- my blue eyed angel. He was the boogey man.
Disappointed, I looked back at the bearded man. But this time he wasn’t alone. There was a veiled woman beside him and two kids (his family I suppose)… and he had a smile on his face too. He put down his bag, opened it...and brought out a scooter. It was a gift for his little girl.
*
By now I’m sure you must have had an inkling of what my story was all about. Then I guess I need not type much further. But before I finally put my fingers to rest I’d like to emphasize that we are all guilty of judging people before we actually meet them, or know what their story was all about. Now, I can only hope that you remember the bearded man when next you are tempted to do so. And by the way, the story is my own version of a video clip I watched.
Have you had a similar experience?
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