Dangerous Green

The town that I was born in was a small and ‘one horse’ place, where no one held a secret and we knew each other’s face. Nothing seemed to ever change but then we seen the myth explode when a mining company opened up a few miles down the road. Almost over-night our population grew and too the urban shams, instead of just a car or two we started getting traffic jams, so the local council drew up plans to ease the traffic plights, and through the centre of the town erected sets of traffic lights. Three sets of them were working at the three main intersections. This they said would help us drivers with our bottleneck discretions. And to soothe the population that was growing now with zest we were getting parking meters and that random breathing test. We used to drink down at the pub, and when rolling drunk we’d drive, ‘cause when we left at closing time there’s nothing in the streets alive, so the coppers never came here for there’s no-one here to book. But now they’re hiding everywhere behind each cranny and each nook. And so came the chance for business like we never had before. Booming was the taxi cab, but instead of one we needed more, so two brothers Tim and Andy bought a licence for their cars to chauffeur home the rolling drunks that stagger from the bars. Tim and Andy were a pair of louts when introduced behind the wheel. They loved to scramble through the gears and see the smoke and hear the squeal. And I have heard some stories ‘bout the way they drive their custom home, from tearing through red lights to cutting ‘cross the aerodrome. So it was only as a last resort when I was standing in the rain and Andy yelled “I’ll take yer home”; (I must have been insane) I got in the front seat next to him and he took off like a jet. And when arriving at the junction; in an instant felt regret. I said “Andy” (as I shook a mite) “Did we go through a light that’s red?” Andy laughed and changed a gear then looked across at me and said. “I don’t take notice of red lights, and me’ brother don’t as well.” And through the second set we sped that made me pee me pants and yell. By now my palms were full of sweat and I imagined the next scene, but then I saw a welcome sight because the lights we faced were green. Andy slowed his cab and then he stopped; looked to the left and right. Then said “I better look out for me brother - he’s on the road tonight.”