The Kindness of Strangers-NOT!
I’m what I like to think of as slightly clumsy. I don’t always pay attention, and therefore bumps and bruises sometimes occur. I’m ok with that.
BUT, when it’s an icy mess outside, I try to be VERY careful. Especially, if I’m not wearing snow boots.
When I go into work, I don’t always wear jeans and boots-I often do, but not always. Last Thursday happened to be one of those not always days-I wore a tunic dress, with thick tights and my favorite bright red loafers. I thought I looked nice! I felt good, but the side streets near my work weren’t plowed and so, I made sure to be very careful.
Well, 2:30 rolled around and I was sporting a massive headache. I knew that the afternoon would be hectic with homework, basketball practice and dinner, and I just wanted to get home. When my co-worker came in to relieve me, I bundled up, said good bye to my boss and headed out to my car. It was bitterly cold, and since I just didn’t want to put my gloves on, I shoved my hands in my pockets and went on my way.
I parked behind the store, and it was an icy mess, so here I am trying desperately to avoid the ice, and I fail to notice that the pavement isn’t even, and I trip-right in front of brick stairs. Since my hands were in my pocket, I had trouble bracing myself, and I went down-hard. I literally fell down six brick stairs. When I got to the bottom, I was laying on my back, looking up at the sky. I’d lost my laptop bag, my phone had fallen out of my pocket-I’d even fallen out of my loafers! For a moment, it was all I could do just to take a breath.
“Please don’t let anything be broken.” I said to myself.
And I struggled to sit up. I gently lifted my hand, and I could see my wrist was already starting to swell. Scraps lined my wrist, and my hand started to shake. It was then, that I heard the laughter.
Looking back, I’m sure I made a funny site. This small woman, bundled up in her coat, hurrying to her car goes flying down stairs. But, I could have been seriously injured. Last I checked, brick isn’t very forgiving. And these two men looked right at me, continued to smoke their cigarettes and laughed. At that point, I didn’t care, I just wanted to get home, though if I’m being honest, had it not been so cold out, I would have called Roy and asked him to come get me, as my arm hurt so badly.
I struggled to stand, and cried out in pain as I bent over to pick up my laptop case. I slipped on my shoes, and limped over to my car. It was then I noticed the car two over from mine was running and a woman was sitting in the car. Perhaps she didn’t see me, but I’ll be darned if we didn’t make eye contact.
I slid into my car, and exhaled as I sank into the seat. At this point, tears were coursing down my face. A few years ago, I fell and broke my foot, and I didn’t remember that hurting this badly. I struggled to put my seatbelt on, and dialed Roy’s number.
“I’m coming home, will you please come outside and help me.” I told him through the tears.
“Why? What happened?” he asked.
“I fell…” and my voice caught as I felt a sharp pain in my wrist, “down those brick stairs at my work…”
Roy assured me he would be outside and to just come home.
And sure enough, when I pulled into the driveway, there was my husband waiting for me. He hurried over to the car, and helped me out, and hurried me into the house where he took stock of my injuries.
“I’m going to go get you some sweats, then we’re going to go to the hospital.” he told me, as he helped me off with my tights and looked over my bruised legs.
So, a few hours later we leave-badly bruised ribs, sprained wrist and a few jammed fingers. NOTHING broken!
But to those two men that laughed, and to the lady in the car-I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you were laughing at something else. I’m going to assume the lady in the car didn’t see me fall, but if you did-shame on all of you!
SHAME ON YOU! I could of had a serious head injury, broken bones, and not one of you came to see if I was ok. YOu didn’t even call out, if walking the 10-25 feet was too much to ask.
Roy has helped people that have gotten hurt in front of us time and time again, as have I-it’s just what you do.
And chances are, I would have waved you off, wiped away my tears and gone on to my car, anxious to just get home to my husband.
But a simple, “Are you ok?” would have been nice.
