The Cruise Ship ‘Jewel of the Seas’ had docked in Norway. Pat & Paul had never been to this port before and were in exploring mood having been 2 days at sea. As soon as they went ashore they strode off in the Direction of the huge ships bow. On their left was an really unusual Holocaust memorial called ‘the empty chairs’. Though they didn’t know it, there was a danger that the two chairs in their cabin might be vacant that very day.
The view of the ship on their right was magnificent and as they strolled past the ’empty chairs’ on their left a quick glance backwards by Paul revealed that their progress along the dock was being observed.
‘Didn’t realise there had been Jewish deportations from Norway… Do you see the guy slightly to our right standing near the quay? Don’t look, I think he may be selling something’
‘Yes… You always get accosted by the locals. I think you must just look a soft touch. do you remember Amsterdam & Lisbon?’
‘Don’t remind me they were Sex & Drugs, I hope the next one is just Rock and Roll. Let’s quicken our pace, I’m sure he has nothing that we need’
‘Madam, Monsieur ..?
‘Good Morning… What can we do for you?’
‘Ah… English, good… Have you been to Alesund before?’
‘No, the wife & I have never been to Norway or any of the Scandinavian countries’
‘Ah… There is a short cut to the city centre, you follow me, no charge, just tip me what you think, I can give you a guided tour, very interesting place, lots of war-time tales and places to see’
‘That does sound interesting, what can you tell us about where we are now?’
‘Well… Let me see, ah yes… in the very early days of the war, Germany knew we were a push over so they sent just 2 destroyers to easily invade the country, just sail in and then, cool as you like, berth at the Alesund dock. They were steaming in to moor up and our town council thought we had to make a token resistance, the only gun they could find was a 1632 cannon and one very rusty old cannon ball. They loaded the ancient gun and aimed at the forward of the two ships… BANG! Only one shot and it was so lucky, whiz hit the destroyer a foot or so below its water line , (where the metal is not so thick) and two hours later the mighty Hun destroyer had sunk… Ha! ha! how lucky was that?’
‘Very interesting Mr…?’
‘Call me Arnold please’
‘Do you know a lot more interesting tales you can tell us?’
‘Very many, come let me show you that shortcut’
‘Okay, come on wifey let’s go’
‘Right, follow me, we go down these steps first’
‘Come on Patricia… don’t dawdle so, keep up’
‘I have just remembered I left my handbag back in the Cabin’
‘Oh … Shock horror, no shopping money… I have my cards, be okay, come on’
‘All the shops take cards Monsieur, that will be more than okay … We’ll just go in this underpass, it’s a bit dark in there but no worry, at the end there are some lifts which come up in the main shopping centre in town’
‘Paul, I left my list of things that we need to get for people in the cabin we must go back’
<whisper – I don’t like dark tunnels & you know I have a phobia about lifts>
‘Come on you two, you’re only here for today and this is a short cut that will save you lots of time’
‘My wife’s not happy.. We need to go back to the ship, to get our things’
‘Okay why not she goes back to the cabin And you meet her later in town?’
‘Sorry we go everywhere together… We’ll see you later when we have got everything that she forgot’
‘We are so close now to the City Centre, are you sure, that you need to go back?’
‘We’re sure, without handbag and list were all at sea and not on shore… sorry’
‘Oh okay, just as you like …. I will never understand the English…. I must go now and meet other travellers who probably will definitely need my help’
‘Thank god he is gone. What were we thinking? Going off with a total stranger in a foreign land, through an unlit underpass, to get in a lift with a man we only just met’
‘You Don’t think he was genuine then?’
‘Quick! Look down that underpass .. I think I see someone, see… near the end leaning against the wall’
‘Not someone, it’s some two, let’s get out of here and damn quick’
They ran. Ran out of breath. Stopped & wheezed like the two old crocks that they had gradually but surely become.
‘What do you think? Were we really in danger?’
‘Maybe and then maybe not … BUT I think we woke up today to the fact that we are far too trusting. Not everyone on the planet has good intentions, and how do you spot a criminal? They don’t have a swag bag over there right shoulder like in The Bean. I like to always think of the good in people, otherwise the world might as well be full of empty chairs, people that just don’t exist for us’
‘Lets not dwell on it eh? Come on, the port guide book reckons the ship is only 15 minutes walk from the town centre, let’s go and find some of the good guys to sell us some nice food and drink and a few souvenirs.’
‘Okay, you lead and I’ll follow, lead on McDuff’
This was a lot harder than I imagined it would be.
Needs a lot more work and group input.
Also the real situation described ‘helped’ or ‘hindered’?
