NO COINS NO EXCUSE

So, Jade is one of these typical teenagers that doesn’t take care of things.

You have some kids that really treasure and respect things, and really look after them.

Jade is not one of them.

She is currently using Charlie’s old iPhone, and anyone who has an iPhone will know that the charger plug only goes into the phone a certain way. 

You can’t force it.  It’s black and white.  Right and wrong.  Clear as crystal.  Unless you’re 15.  Then you force it with a pressure similar to that used when turning coal into diamonds, and when that doesn’t work, you realise that you’re trying to put the plug in the wrong way. 

Then it’s too late.

Thus leads me to my story today.

You see, I had to take Jade’s phone to my dodgy mates in Footscray to be repaired, because the phone amazingly, wasn’t charging.  Even though I explained that I’m not a total fuckwit, and have an iPhone myself, and clearly she had forced the charger; even though I told her that if my dodgy mates told me it was because the charger was forced, she would be paying for the repairs, she assured me that she had done no wrong.

So, on the way home the other night, I intended to drop into my buddies and get this phone checked out. 

Naturally, I can’t get a fucken car park on Barley Street Footscray at 4.30pm, so I drive around the back of the phone place, and find a council car park.  Perfect.

I leap out of the car and wander over to the ticketing machine, and there is a guy standing there in front of me, yabbering in some fucken foreign language to someone on his phone, fumbling around in his pockets for change.

Fucken hurry up mate, I’m thinking.  I’m on a mission here.  I’ve got to be in Kilmore by 6.00pm so I can go to water aerobics, man.  C’mon!

Then it hits me; do I have any change in my purse? 

I open my purse, and am horrified to realise that amongst the plethora of receipts and the mountains of monetary notes (yeah… right… I think I had a tenner and a fiver in there), I have not a single piece of fucken metal.

Fuck.  The ticket machine only takes coins.  Damn.

So, in quite a dilemma now, I turn to head back to the car.  Maybe I have some change in the car?  I don’t usually leave money in the car… maybe?  Do I risk it, and run off to my dodgy mates, leaving my car unticketed?  Is this effort really worth the $100 fine I’m more than likely to get?  I don’t think so. 

So, as I reach my car, I’ve decided that if I cannot find any coin, that I’ll simply have to move my car, because Jade’s fucken charger-forced fucked up phone is not worth the fine.

Then I hear this passive voice call out to me.

‘Excuse me, Ma’am…’ it said, and I turned to see the very same man from the ticket machine holding out his hand.  ‘You need coin?  Please, take this.’

He’s holding out a single dollar coin.  I couldn’t believe it, and just looked at him in total shock.

‘Um…. I think I have change in the car…’ I muttered, but I had no fucken idea.

‘Please… you only need a dollar… please take…’

‘No… no… thank you.  It’s okay.  I have change in my car.’ I smiled, still shocked that this completely random stranger was offering me a lifeline.

‘Are you sure?’ he asked politely.

‘Yes.  Thank you so much though.  I really appreciate the offer.’ And I did.

However, I can’t for the life of me explain why I declined his offer. 

Was I ashamed to take a hand out from a random stranger?  Was I ashamed to take a hand out from a foreigner?  Was I just embarrassed to take a hand out at all?

What the hell was I doing, I thought as I climbed into my car.  Why did I just not take his coin?  What the fuck is the matter with me?  He offered it in kindness?  Why?

As I sat there puzzling my dilemma, I realised that I’d possibly have to move my car.

Brilliant.  I would prefer to move my car than take a hand out from a stranger.

Fucken idiot.

Then I picked up the little Hello Kitty bobble dobble thingy that my mum gave me.  I don’t know why I picked it up; I just did. 

Underneath it was a single dollar coin.

Fuck me.

I leapt out of the car and headed back to the parking machine, and showed the man the coin with a smile, and he nodded, seemingly happy that I found some change.  Again, I thanked him for his kindness.

As I walked along Barkley Street to see my dodgy mates, I wondered what had possessed me to refuse his kind offer.  I felt so ashamed of myself, because I fear that I was too embarrassed to accept.  What a fool I was.

As I left the car park, I paused in the entrance and handed my ticket over to some random dude coming in the other way.  I still had about forty-five minutes left on it, so some other bastard may as well use it.

Why was it okay for me to hand out a donation like this, but I couldn’t accept one myself?

This was messing with my head in a major way, because I just couldn’t understand my behaviour…

Maybe I’m just over thinking it?

Maybe I’m just a racist dumbarse after all?

*sigh.

Maybe I need to get a fucken grip.

*sigh. 

At least my dodgy mates fixed Jade’s phone (which was fucked because she forced the charger… gggrrrr).

Peace out.