What Would I Have To Do, Said David

My friend David has gone overseas, on one of his frequent overseas trips. Before he left we got talking about the safety of flying, you know, with what has happened in the more recent past. (America poking its nose into any country it chooses foreign policy until all of the west is seen as the enemy)

He was saying that flying is, after all, the safest form of transport.

I was saying that you'd have to be an idiot to fly around about now.

He says he does it all the time, which he does.

I was making rocket launcher sound effects, which was interesting, as I have absolutely no idea what a rocket launcher sounds like. A bang and a lot of whooshing of air, I assume.

David said he had Krishna, or Vishnu, or Shiva, or Lakshmi, his personal favourite, or whoever, on his side. Lilly pads, elephants, twenty arms, whatever nonsense that he believes in to keep him safe.

I asked him if he knew what countries he was, actually, flying over?

He said he didn't.

I grimaced and sucked in a lot of air, shrugged and pulled a face.

"You know I'd come back and prove you wrong."

"Good luck with that."

"No, seriously..."

"Seriously?"

"I'd come back and prove it to you."

"What exactly?"

"That you are wrong that this is it, that there is nothing else."

"Tom said the same thing and since it has been roughly seven years since he died, I'm claiming victory with Tom. Nothing."

"What would it take?" said David.

"What would what take?"

"That you knew it was me and that this is only one of many incarnations?"

"Oh please."

"No, come on, what would I have to do?"

"You can live in this flat-earth fantasy, if you want, but don't try to drag me into it yet again."

"What would it take?"

"What would it take?"

"Yes, what would convince you?"

"Haven't we been through this a million times," I said. "You are as bad as the rest of them. I'm not telling you what to believe, so why are you trying..."

"Come on."

"Okay," I said. "Someone would have to walk right up to me."

"A stranger?"

"A stranger, out of the blue," I said. "I would have to see them walking towards me from a distance, see them approaching with some intension. They would have to walk right up to me, stop in front of me, look me in the eye and say, You were wrong. And then simply walk away."

"Okay then," said David.

"Okay then?"

"That's all."

I laughed.

"You'll see."

"Here's to a rocket launcher and some disgruntled militia, to prove a point."