I have been greatly affected by something that happened last weekend. It was Saturday. People would have been sitting down to lunch. A young Aboriginal man, with his throat cut, was knocking on doors - crying out for help. But no one did help. He died at the side of the road, perhaps on someone's lawn. (Police are still investigating. At the moment there is nothing but rumours, the street, the time someone called the police, and the young man's name.)
The street where this young guy died was once our street, not so very long ago. He might have knocked on our door. If we had been living there still, would we have opened the door - to a hysterical black man, covered in blood? I hope to God we would have. But I just can't be sure.
What a terrible tragedy. I think you would have opened that door, Asta. I don't think your heart would allow you to not. No matter how scary it may have been.
ReplyDeleteOur family witnessed a domestic dispute on a holiday. We called the police and kept an eye on what was happening from behind closed doors as the people involved wielded a hatchet. There was a broken car window and blood gushing from a young mum, who pleaded for us to help.
We did, but we kept our distance, as we weren't sure how volatile the people involved would become.
It's not always easy to know how you might react in a given situation until it happens. :)