A rude awakening

It’s fair to say that in a house occupied by an energetic seven-month old boy (and his ‘support crew’) it is not unusual for sleep to be interrupted by some unpredictable (and unacceptable!) noises, but last night was different. Last night we had a rather rude awakening.

Last night the noises were even more unpredictable and unacceptable than usual…

‘I want my money! Give me my money!

‘Help! Get off!’

'Give me my money!’

At 4am we awoke to find two people wrestling right outside our window. At first it seemed like two guys fighting it out, but on closer inspection it turned out that the ‘guy’ on the floor was a woman – and it didn’t appear to be a ‘fair fight’.

As Lisa hastily called the Police and I fumbled and stumbled my way around the bedroom trying to get dressed, I hung out our window and let them know what was going on…

‘We’re calling the Police!’

While working out what to do (everything you know says you don’t go out and get involved – you wait for the Police, yet everything within you tells you you’ve got to go out and help) my rather bizarre running commentary continued…

‘We’ve called the Police!’

‘The Police are on their way!’

As things began to calm down it seemed I wouldn’t have to risk venturing outside, but then the bloke decided he wasn’t finished and that he would have another go at getting ‘his money’.

Foolish and foolhardy perhaps, but this was my cue to reluctantly venture out. Thankfully we live about 300 yards from the local Police station and so my arrival outside coincided with the street being bathed in a welcome shade of blue. Lisa was rather pleased by this good fortune!

According to the Police it appeared to be an unhappy punter ‘haggling’ with a local prostitute who'd tried to swipe the cash. Sadly, from the sounds of things it’s a common enough occurrence, but for us it was a rather rude awakening and it got me thinking.

The story of the Good Samaritan is pretty much as well known a Bible story as you’ll find. We all know it well and I’d be bold enough (perhaps foolish again?) to say it doesn’t bother me, by that I mean I would like to think that I would always got to the aid of someone who’d been attacked whether I liked them or not. What I’d like to know, what would be helpful for the ‘next time’, is what the Samaritan would’ve done had he come across the poor chap as he was being attacked - that would be a helpful insight!

Any insight/suggestions would be gratefully received.