The Man on the Bench

Jim had walked out on his wife after a row and trotted up and down High Street just to cool down.

He was approaching a bench located in from the pavement where a man sat staring at him intensely. Jim got annoyed and stared back.

The gaze did not stop, so he paused in front of the guy, who happened to be a well groomed man in his late twenties. His gaze was ice cold.

Jim asked “Why are you staring at me like that?” The reply was “Anyone can look at anyone”. It was said with a bite. Jim felt uneasy and decided he had to be careful.

The man on the bench continued. “You look like hell, with bags under your eyes, you have large eyes, and it looks like you have not slept for a long time. Can you not handle life or is this just the hellish way you always look?” There was an alarming escalation in the tone.

Jim decided to pull out of this situation, and replied that he felt awful and worn out, and thanked the guy for the feedback.

The guy looked at him with contempt but said nothing more whilst Jim cautiously retreated. He scolded himself for having started the dialogue and at the same time was breathing a sigh of relief. His row with his wife seemed insignificant now and he started slowly walking home again.

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