Hero

Mr. Shakes’ best mate, MWS, a wonderful bloke, who is smart and tough and wicked and brilliantly funny (much like Mr. Shakes himself), is a hero.

On Saturday night, MWS, along with his brother and his mate, were out on the beers in Edinburgh, when they saw a couple of fuckwits jump a guy who was wheeling his bike up the street. The guy had been selling flowers in the pub, which the fuckwits scattered all over the road, then turned to wrecking his bike.

Bravely (or, at least, beer-soaked to fearlessness), MWS and his brother raced into the fray to protect the little guy, throwing his attackers to the ground, at which point eight more of the gang showed up to pummel them, one of whom proceeded to smash a bottle in MWS’ face. The police then arrived (luckily), and MWS was taken to emergency, where he received eight stitches to seal a gash running from his eyelid up his forehead, a stitch in the corner of his eye, and two on his nose. His brother got four stitches above and four below his eye as well.

My first thought was that I was incredibly relieved that MWS was okay; my second thought was that he had done a really admirable thing, stepping up to the defense of a man he didn’t even know—and getting glassed in the face in the process. Such an experience might well make some people think twice about stepping in to help someone the next time, but I can say with some certainty that MWS would do the same thing again if he had to; courage isn’t easily dissuaded.

I’m quite looking forward to seeing the fearsome scar. Very Tony Montana.

In addition to his balls and his word, however, MWS also has a couple of admirers across the pond—which he had before, too, and doubtless always will.