The Further Adventures of An Idiot Abroad. Karl Pilkington
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу The Further Adventures of An Idiot Abroad - Karl Pilkington страница 5

Название: The Further Adventures of An Idiot Abroad

Автор: Karl Pilkington

Издательство: Ingram

Жанр: Юмористические стихи

Серия:

isbn: 9780857867513

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ gonna do a nice big forward dive out, just like going into a swimming pool, OK? A belly flop. Can you do that? You’re gonna go down, you’ll enjoy a couple of bounces, and we’ll bring you back up.’

      Phil said all this very calmly in the same tone that a negotiator would use to change the mind of someone who was thinking about committing suicide by jumping off a bridge, the difference being he was trying to get me to jump. He shuffled me to the edge with my ankles bound. I’m not afraid of heights – I was quite happy looking out at the mountains and taking in the fresh air – but it was the idea of leaping that I couldn’t get my head round. At this stage, I still wasn’t sure if I was going to do it or not. My heart was pounding and I was now aware of my heavy breathing. The platform shook as the cable car dropped off more people.

      KARL: There’s a queue over there of people waiting to do this! I’ve been in New Zealand for under 24 hours, I’ve hardly seen any people, and the most people I’ve seen are queuing up to do a bungee.

      SAM: That’s what people come to New Zealand for. Travel to the top of the world to jump off it, man. This is the point.

      KYLE: I believe you can do this, bro.

      KARL: Yeah, but don’t be saying that. Are you going to be disappointed if I don’t do this?

      SAM: No, but we’ll be stoked if you do.

      KYLE: Yeah, we’ll be over the moon if you do.

      SAM: There’s only you, it’s not about anyone else. It’s not about who wants you to do this. You’re the only person that can make you jump off the edge. It’s just you and that space between fear and total excitement.

      KARL: My brain is saying no.

      SAM: Of course it is.

      KARL: My stomach’s saying ‘don’t be stupid’.

      SAM: Your entire being is saying ‘this isn’t making sense’.

      KYLE: Yet there’s a little bit in there that’s saying do it.

      KARL: No, I haven’t got that bit. I’m not hearing that.

      KYLE: You’re out here now, aren’t you?

      SAM: It’s that little element that wants to kill the tiger, that wants to ride the lightning . . .

      PHIL: OK, you ready?

      KARL: Errmm, hang on a minute. Errmm . . .

      KYLE: COME ONNNN! YEAHHHH!

      SAM: It’s proving to yourself that you can quieten that voice in your head that says don’t do it.

      This is the part I don’t understand. Surely you should listen to the voice in your head. It’s when you stop listening to that voice that you get yourself into trouble. If I didn’t listen to it at this point, would it ever speak to me again? I wouldn’t if I was it.

      The problem is, these days you have to listen to too many parts of your body. Sometimes I go with my gut feeling, some say go with what your heart says – it’s only a matter of time before my appendix will have an opinion. This is probably why there are so many helplines these days. No one knows who to bloody listen to!

      My left leg started to shake uncontrollably like it was trying to walk away from the ledge.

      KARL: Look, me left leg is moving and me right leg isn’t doing anything.

      KYLE: That’s normal, man. Push down on your heel, that’ll stop it.

      KARL: Yeah, but what’s it saying to me? Why is it getting involved?

      KYLE: Your left leg is going ’cos the adrenaline is pumping and coursing through your veins right now.

      KARL: Right. I’m getting the rush of adrenaline without stepping off, so why go further?

      PHIL: When you leave that edge that’s when you get it, that’s when the endorphins kick in, that’s when you get the reward. So, what you’ve got to do is take a couple of deep breaths again. You can do this, work with me. We’re going to go to the edge, look up, you’ve had a look down, you know what it’s like down there. I want you to look up, I want you to find that mountain out there, the sunshine, focus on it. We give you the countdown, it’s gonna be three, two, one, short countdown. Go for it. Once you leave that edge, boom! that’s it, job done. You’re gonna be absolutely giggling, I promise you. Karl, stop thinking about it!

      KARL: But I’ve got to think about it.

      PHIL: Don’t think too much!

      PHIL: Just let go, stop listening to that thing in your head.

      KARL: No, because that’s what you should listen to in life.

      PHIL: No, you shouldn’t, not always. You’ll never get anywhere if you listen to that all the time.

      The mood started to change. The other bungee jumpers were getting impatient and shouting, as they were getting tired of waiting. I suppose they’d hyped themselves up to do it and now I was getting in the way and giving their inner voice more time to make them reconsider, which isn’t good when you’ve probably paid around £130 to do this. I asked them to shut up, as I couldn’t think straight with all the noise.

      PHIL: Don’t think about it too much! You’re gonna go for it!

      KARL: No.

      PHIL: Yes, you are.

      KARL: No.

      PHIL: You have got it, mate.

      KARL: No.

      PHIL: It’s all yours. Look up, focus.

      KARL: No.

      PHIL: Just let it happen.

      KARL: No.

      PHIL: We’re gonna count you down.

      KARL: No, stop pushing me.

      PHIL: I want you to say yes! I’m holding on to the back of you . . .

      KARL: No, no, I wanted me to say yes, I’m not saying yes, it’s everyone else saying yes.

      PHIL: OK, well, say yes.

      KARL: No!

      SPECTATOR: Strap on a pair of balls and get out there!

      KYLE: You’re being Welsh about it, aren’t you? Go on, get out there, mate!

      SAM: Can I get you a tissue for that vagina?

      KARL: Say what you want, it doesn’t bother me.

      KYLE: Toughen up.

      In the end I decided to listen to the voice in my head and not do it. Sam and Kyle did though. They didn’t hang around as long as me and think about what СКАЧАТЬ