He caught up with his friend leaving school, they often walked home together.
As he came up beside his friend he saw the huge bruise on the side of his face. It started up near his eye and all the way down to the side of his chin. The whole side of his face was blown up like a balloon! They walked along in silence for a while. He didn’t like to ask, but he did. “What happened to your face?”
His friend grinned. “Thought you’d never ask. It was unbelievable really. Down by the pond, that’s where it happened. There I was, minding my own business, when this dude comes up to me and says he’s looking for the church. I said which one because we’ve got two. He says no, there’s only one, and where is it. Well, I looked him over. He was dressed kind of funny, in some sort of silver-coloured jump suit with matching slippers. Anyway, I said there were two and I should know because I live here. He said there was only one true church and all others are visited by heathens. He said that all heathens should be slain! Can you believe that? Slain! I don’t mind telling you, right there and then I was feeling pretty nervous.”
“I bet. Where’d he come from?”
“No idea, but I wasn’t going to ask.”
“No, of course not. So, go on. How did the side of your face get blue and puffed up like that?”
“Well, like I said, at that point I figured him for a nutter and didn’t want to upset him. So I told him that the church next to the post office was probably what he was looking for because most of the locals go there.”
“What’d he say?”
“Nothing at first. He just stood there staring at me. Then, right out of the blue, he punches me hard on the side of the head and takes off.”
“When did all this happen?”
“Yesterday.”
“Is this all true?”
“Nah! Got kicked in the head at rugby.”
