Bad Samaritan

Its dark around 4:30 in the evening at the moment though in some days its hard to tell day from night such is the dark gloomy weather. When the clouds part though the town in lit up ultra-bright but those days are few and far between. Still we are battling the cold with hot water bottles and fleece blankets reluctant to give the energy man any more than we need to. Reluctant to add to his quarterly billions of profits as he yet again hikes up the tarrif.

At some point though we must relent. Not for the luxury of warmth but for our health because the past few days we have felt poorly with all sorts of things but I am sure down to the cold damp air. Its no way for kids of between 4 and 9 to live with their coughs and feverish tempretures. Spiting Scottish Power is one thing but not when the cost of the children's health.

As I said its mostly dark, cold, skyless, grey and gloomy- nothing new for Scotland. Bitter at times. Come around 5 its pitch black and I usually don't go out for a walk but yesterday I did. Not because I wanted to but because I had to. My wife and kids were with a friend at the shops and they were coming home so I was to go and meet them to carry home the shopping as I always do unless my wife takes the car. So I met them in the dark and the kids were giddy as it felt to them like they were up past their bed time and on a midnight journey .

We were walking back and not far from home. I actually got annoyed. A car slowed down on the road we walked past and he appeared to be looking out. What the hell was he looking at? Like some kind of weirdo and then he drove on. Very strange. As we turned the curve in the path in front of us blocking the path was a figure lying sprawled on the path. Although lacking in light I could tell it was a man and older than me. I had walked past their 5 minutes previous and he wasn't there. Just lying there.

Cars were driving by. Slowing and looking but always driving on. And I'll be honest and say that is what I wanted to do. I am no good Samaritan. That gives me a strange mix of feelings. I take no pride in that and I do feel guilt. I felt a hyprocrit if I am honest. Just the night before my wife was telling me about a girl she knows who comes into her work and how she'd been working in a take away when 5 teenagers came in from a bad area and battered her senseless before wrecking the shop. This was not 5 boys but a mix of boys and girls. And she had said a few people were standing outside the shop watching while this went on. That angered me. How could someone just stand and watch that. Eventually the police arrived- 3 hours after the dust had settled. I wouldn't have stood and watched that happen. Would I?

I remember hearing raised voices and then a lot of banging coming from the back of our home. I quickly went into the bedroom to see what the distrubance was. A flat across the road had its door kicked and the main window was smashed and I could see silhouttes of people inside. No voices now. Just banging and cracking and smashing. Then they all came running out and I quickly moved away from the window realising no one was actually hurt, they were just smashing the place up. I moved to the front room but not close enough to be seen but someone outside was seen because just before the screech of tires as they sped off I heard one say to someone outside: I know your face. You say anything and you'll get fucking done it.

Lovely. So there we were with a body slumped on the path. As we moved closer there was groaning and movement. Still I wanted to walk on. Anxiety, feeling ill and unsure of this. What if? What if this guy had been stabbed and needed help and if we had not walked by he could have been saved? What if the people who done it were lurking in the woodland to the right of us and came out charging and my kids' safety was compromised as a result? What do you do in these situations?

My wife doesn't think things through. She went over and started talking to him, asking if he needed any help to get up. By this time it was clear there was no blood. He wanted up but was a bit of a lump. I grabbed one side and she grabbed the other as we got him to his feet and I could smell the drink off him. Then the cursing started. Not at us but as his head. Effing and blinding as we say. I looked at the kids and moved them on. Awkwardly he was going the same we were and was wanting us to give him a hand home. I ignored him and walked on. By now I was angry. Self indulgence, he gets help and wants more. What about those that really need help and people walk or drive by?

So yes a Bad Samaritan I am afraid to say. If I stumble upon the same scenario again I will most likely walk on by like all the others too unless there is clear evidence someone needs help.