Last year I was driving down the street when I saw an older woman (senior citizen) sitting on the sidewalk and a younger woman (thirties?) squatting beside her. Something looked amiss so Pulled over and asked, “Do you need help?”
The old woman said, “No, I’m fine” and the young woman said “Yes we do.” The old woman had been taking her daily walk and tripped over the uneven sidewalk. The young woman was jogging and stopped to help.
Luckily, I had my car so I offered to take the old woman home. She refused because she lived right around the corner. She said if I could just help her stand up, she’d be fine and would walk herself home.
I helped her up. She was unsteady, with a bump on her head, a sore knee and some scrapes on her hands and face. So I gently offered/insisted that she hang onto my arm and I’d walk her home. She wanted to stop at her friends house across the street to her that she had fallen. We stopped, but no one was home. So I walked her to porch. We sat down and I asked if I could look at her injuries.
Dr. Steve assessed there were no broken bones. I offered to drive her to the ER to get checked out but she refused. I then recommended she iced the lump on her head and her swollen knee, plus taking Advil.
She seemed a little confused (or just as likely rattles from her fall). She didn’t have any ice packs or Advil so I went down the street to my house and got some for her.
I offered to check in on her later that afternoon.
I’m no boy scout, but she’s an 86 year old widow living alone. What else was I going to do?
Over the next week, I stopped by her house several times. We sat on her porch drinking ice water and chit chatting. Her son, when he found out she had fallen, insisted on taking her to the doctor to get checked out. They went and the doctor confirmed my diagnosis.
Throughout the following year, we’d wave to each other on the street. She was back to walking and occasionally we’d walk together when I was out with my dogs.
I haven’t seen her out walking for a few months now. I suspected it was either because of the summer heat, my earlier walk schedule, or perhaps she had some health issues. I did see her driving a few times, so I know she’s still alive.
Two days ago when I was about a half block from my home walking Wiggles, I saw a car pull into my driveway. I figured it was a lost DoorDash or UberEats driver.
As I approached, an older man stepped out with a bag. Not your typical driver. I said, “Can I help you?”
He said, “Can you help me?” as if I was joking.
I pointed at my house and said, “That’s my house. I was wondering if you had the wrong address.”
He confirmed the address and asked if I was Wally. I said nope. Right address. No Wally. Then his wife leaned out from the car and said this is the address we have.
I said, right address, but I’m the only person who loves here.
Then the wife said, “Do you know G***?”
I do know G***.
She’s the old lady who lives up the street. Her address is the same as mine except for one digit. I gave them her address and pointed them in the right direction.
What are the chances that would happen? It was the highlight of my week.