I am not a person that can be shocked easily. However, this little anecdote from my mother in a phone call yesterday surprised even me.
I have met/known a variety of “dangerous” people in my short life time: unpredictable crack addicts, pyscho ex-para alcoholics and various other ne’er do wells, although none struck as much fear into hearts of many people on my estate as the twins from the family I will refer to as the cast of Cheers.
Cliff and Norm were out and out scumbags, as were the rest of the family. You name the crime, it was probably them that did it. One of the reasons that I learned kung fu and karate as kid were to protect me from their ilk. I remember they were banned from every shop in our area and were always fighting. If one lost, you could guarantee the other was waiting with an iron bar. In the end, after a large number of complaints from other residents, the family was evicted and sent somewhere else. The reign of terror was over.
Fast forward 20-odd years. My mum and dad moved out of the city into a small country town due to a combination of ill health, shattered dreams and broken promises and are living in similar government sponsored accommodation. Rumours start circulating in the local neighbourhood that 2 gay nurses are moving into one of the houses after their previous house was firebombed ( ) in a homophobic attack.
My mother goes to meet her new neighbours and recognizes one but she was not sure of the context. Going through her medical history proved a blank and so on until she asked, as a complete stab in the dark, “Do you have a twin brother?” To which he nervously replied “Yes”. Yep kids, it was Cliff.
Turns out that Cliff decided to leave his dark past behind him and went on the straight and narrow. He is now an extremely qualified nurse and lecturer who gives talks on equality in the medical profession . He admitted that he was over compensating with the aggressive alpha male act and was seeking approval in his youth.
I have to say I’m still shocked after hearing that one, and I find it oddly inspiring as, given the history, he would be the last person you would think had made a success of himself, and to have come out.
To Cliff, although you will never see this :bravo:
Does anybody else have any similar inspiring tales?