A Nearsighted Adventure

A Nearsighted Adventure
By Richard Hughes

IT WAS A VERY HOT FRIDAY NIGHT ,I WAS YOUNG 17 OR 18 AND HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF THE MOVIES. I WALKED ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND GAZED ON THE HUGE LOT ON THE LEFT SIDE WHERE THE FILLING STATION WAS . I WAS NEAR SIGHTED BUT DID NOT KNOW THIS UNTIL I WAS THIRTY YEARS OLD. ANYWAY, SAW A HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE MAYBE 50 OR MORE. I GOT CLOSER SO I COULD SEE, WHEN I WAS WITHIN 6 FEET I SAW A MAN ON TOP OF ANOTHER MAN VICIOUSLY SLAMMING HIS HEAD INTO THE PAVEMENT. BLOOD WAS ACTUALLY COMING OUT OF THE MAN'S HEAD SPLASHING ONTO THE CONCRETE . AT THAT VERY MOMENT THE VICIOUS GOT OFF HIS PRAY STRODE OVER TO ME ; AND GLARED AT ME WITH A LESS THAN FRIENDLY STARE, I LOOKED BACK AT HIM WITH A FEARFUL BUT HARD STARE. HE LOOKED AWAY AND ASKED SOMEONE SANDING IF HE COULD, WITH HIS BARE HANDS BEND A BOTTLE OPENER, THE OTHER PARTY SAID NO . AT THAT POINT ,ONLY A HIGHER POWER KNOWS WHY ,EVERYONE DISPERSED, THANK GOD. ONE WEAK BATTER AS I WAS RIDDING MY BIKE IN THE COUNTRY THE BEATER YELLED 'HUGHES COME HERE; I INCORRECTLY THOUGHT WE WOULD FIGHT UNTIL THE BLOOD FLOWED AND CONSCIOUSNESS PASSED , BUT ALL THE BEATER WANTED WAS FOR HE AD I TO DIG OUT A GROUNDHOG . YEARS LATER IN ONE OF THE FEW TIMES I GOT BACK TO ALDERSON I SAW THE BEATER IN A NEW RESTAURANT IN ALDERSON ,I ALWAYS LIKED HIM, IF I HADN'T, I WOULD HAVE TOLD HIM ,I HOPE HE LIKES ME .