Last Sunday afternoon I was walking along the river path across from Zumaia’s library when I saw two middle-aged men – one dressed in white and the other in blue – strolling towards me hand-in-hand. Slightly the worse for wear after a Saturday night out, my initial thought at this sight was that it was wrong. My next thought then was that my initial thought had been wrong as these two men were out for a walk, minding their own business and offending nobody.
As I walked past them and towards the walk-bridge I thought back to my days as a youngster in the 80’s in Ireland, when homosexuality was deemed a criminal act – was decriminalised in 1993. Back then, as a child who’d an inclination towards the female of the species, I’d accepted this norm, not knowing anything different. In my early twenties, I moved to London to study and work and while there met and befriended both men and women who were homosexual. I would see a few of them hook-up with a partner from time to time and gain contentment – I also saw one or two hook-up and have contentment subsequently wane on them – just like heterosexuals who couple-up.
I pondered this as I walked over the footbridge and then halfway across looked back at the two lads who were still fused at the fingers walking next to the river estuary; and as the sun shone on them – and everyone else out for a stroll in Zumaia – I thought of nothing in particular with a smile.
(c) Poraic Cahill
About Odd Life:
From a German man accusing his ex-girlfriend of attempted murder by use of her 38DD breasts, to a 107 year old having a shoot-out with the Arkansas SWAT police, the author Poraic Cahill chronicles the strange & bizarre he encounters in Odd Life.
Order your copy online here.