Les Hannah, day 5, part 4

It was around 5:30am, just a little while before the station opened again and I could continue my journey when tar man had his third encounter with what could possibly have been his death. Three young men, also drunk (imagine that), were making their way down the street in the direction of tar man, who was only about forty meters from where I stood. They had ill intentions, perhaps not necessarily directed at tar man, but ill intentions nonetheless. They were looking for trouble, and they found tar man.

They started a bit with just pushing him around, and he still never fell. The pushing was one thing, but then one of them hit him. I almost said something at that point but then reminded myself I was outnumbered and in a foreign country. I almost went for the police but also then recalled the “scolding” I got from the first time. I place scolding in quote marks as I did not understand what the police officer said to me; he could have bestowed an honor upon me in the earlier moment, but judging by the tone of his voice I seriously doubt it. So I said nothing when the three young thugs hit tar man.

And then they elevated the situation yet again. One produced from his coat pocket a knife. It was clearly a knife, with a blade at least five inches long. I felt they were going to stab tar man. I have no explanation for what I did next; no one appointed me tar man’s protector, and there was certainly no one who was appointed mine. I yelled at the men and began running toward them; I guess I was hoping my actions would frighten them away; I was sure they had not seen me and were unaware I was watching. To some degree it worked; the two unarmed men were obviously startled and they began to walk away very quickly. The man with the knife was also startled; he dropped the knife but quickly retrieved it and made a motion as if he might turn to fight. What I suppose was in my favor was the darkness and the shadows being cast by the streetlights. I had on my ball cap and my long rain coat: both black. In the darkness I guess this looked like what some of the police officers were wearing. Those who came out earlier and actually were walking the exterior of the station had on trench coats and caps. I guess in the darkness and shadows I looked like one of them. The man with the knife turned and quickly walked away.