Crouching Deer, Hobbling Man

As I hobbled down the road, like we Runners do when the rains play truant and the weather gets hot and humid, and yeah, when you overtrain. So here I tried my best to shake off the pull in my calves, the strain on my hams, I mean hamstrings not the edible one (although knowing where I was I could easily become one). So I hobbled down this road that I don’t often take, a deviation from my normal running route, just to add a few but important kms under my feet, and avoid taking anymore inclines, cause if I did take one then someone would have to carry me down and would definitely not be the case of Jack and Jill.

As I turned a corner there he was, as if frozen in flight, a slow runner left behind, just like me (or my situation then). He looked ahead in the direction that his companions had taken, hoping they would  wait for him to catch up with them (if he could manage that), by the time he would find a way to get out this predicament.

He was startled by the sight of me, as I was of he. Wondering who was this stranger in this part of town, a trespasser, an intruder in place he called home. But then I could claim the same for me though my claim would be way weaker than he. He stared at me with his big brown eyes not batting even a single eyelashes, as I stared back with my small ordinary looking eyes.

And so began a staring competition, with each holding their ground, not willing to give the other even a single inch. We stared and didn’t care, just stood there sizing the other, awaiting the other to make the first the move, with none actually willing to do so.

The sweat beads on my forehead glistened, in the light of the grey morning, wondering if he felt the same way, an anticipation of what was to come, not necessarily a fear. There was a crackle in the air. The tension so sharp like the edge of the knife cutting anything in the thin air.

And finally I gave in, cause let’s face it, he was deer and I was human, not a cheetah, leopard or even a panther, but a dear deer. After all this was total nautanki mind at work. So I hobbled on my way to complete my mileage while he went on his way catch up to his herd that left him behind.