This week I killed, I find it hard to sleep..
… it was a mistake.. kind of..
Look, I was driving quite fast on a dual carriage way. The pigeon had already been hit (I think) by another car, as it was just standing there in the middle of the road, taking in the lovely scenery of tarmac, speed barriers, and speeding cars.
I had a car in the slow lane next to me, so couldn’t change lanes. My initial reaction was to slam the breaks on. It then occurred to me that even if the pigeon [we'll call him Keith] was an additional 5 metres away, I’d still hit him, albeit a little slower, which would result in severe damage instead of death.
As we approached Keith, he slowly turned his head 90 degrees towards us, and looked me right in the eye. Keith had that look in his eye, and immediately I knew he was going to stand his ground, he was ready for ‘the end’ (being a pigeon isn’t all it’s cracked up to be you know), and my task was to deliver this to him as effectively as I could.
I made the decision to take my foot off the break, and began to accelerate instead. Keith didn’t move, nor did he even blink. We braced ourselves for the collision, the final section to an incomplete life.
I don’t remember any sound, just a small cloud of feathers. We both immediately looked back in silence out of the rear window. Keith lay still on the ground.
I’ve replayed this back a couple of times in my mind..
I’m not sleeping well lately.
Keith said,
July 3, 2008 @ 6:59 pm
Im fine Mic, dont worry it was a scam.
Normally people stop and get out of the car, at which point my mate Gus jumps in your car and rummages through you lunch box for food. Then i get up and fly away before i sh’t on your windscreen.
Can I suggest you dont use the ring road near Merry Hill for the next week as we are going to pull off the ‘big one’ the next Hovis truck is ours and it could get messy.
Peace & Love
Keith
pigeon barriers said,
July 27, 2008 @ 5:47 pm
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