We have discovered a network of paths that run all over Edinburgh. They are set just below street level and are very woodsy and mostly quiet, and they lead to lots of important places in Edinburgh (like the City Centre, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and the grocery store!). So they make getting to these places much more pleasant than walking alongside very busy and noisy streets.
Last Friday we decided to go to the store and do some grocery shopping. It was a rainy day, so we all had our rain gear on, including Z in his stroller. It was also a little chilly, but we got to the store just fine and got our shopping done.
On the walk home, the rain had let up, which was nice, but it was still pretty cold. We were strolling along discussing 19th century Protestant theology when I happened to glance by the side of the path and saw what looked like a human hand lying in the water, just a few feet ahead of us. My first thought was, "Oh no! We're about to find a dead body!" quickly followed by, "Oh my goodness, don't be so silly! It's probably just an old paper bag." However, as we got closer, I saw another hand, and then legs, and I said, out loud this time, "Oh no!" Nathan, immersed in his thoughts on Schleiermacher, looked at me curiously and said, "What is it?" I pointed up ahead and whispered, "I think there's a person in the ditch."
We crept forward and peered into the ditch. And there he was, lying in about six inches of water -- a man lying in the ditch, unconscious but breathing. He was dressed in jeans and a jacket, and his breathing was very labored, almost like snoring. Nathan and I looked from the man to each other, and then back at the man again. What in the world had happened, and what should we do? We both immediately thought that he must be drunk, but it was obvious he needed help. At first we thought we should go find a phone and call for help, but that seemed likely to take too long. Then Nathan suggested that he stay and try to help him while I went and looked for a phone. I didn't like that idea much. Fortunately, just at that moment we saw a group of people coming down the path towards us -- a woman with a bunch of little kids. We decided to ask the woman if she had a cell phone.
We left the man lying in the ditch and went to meet this small group of people. When we got there, we quickly and quietly summarized the situation, and asked the woman if she had a cell phone. Not only did she have a phone, but she was also a nurse, so while she and Nathan went to see if the man was all right, and to call for an ambulance, I stayed with the kids where we were, so that they would not get too close to the scene.
As soon as Nathan and the woman went off to the man, the kids burst into questions. "Is he dead?!? Is the man dead?!?" eight little voices all shrieked at once. I very calmly assured them that he was not dead, but had just fallen down. One little boy seemed particularly anxious and excited about the whole thing. He was wearing a very sleek, calf length coat which was neatly belted at the waist. His hands were tucked into the fur-lined pockets and his face peeked anxiously out from the fur-trimmed hood, tied securely with strings ending in faux-fur pom-poms. He looked very cute, if slightly emasculated. (I discovered that he and one of the little girls had decided to trade coats for the day.) He peered up at me and said, "Are you sure he's not dead?" "I'm sure," I said, "I could see him breathing. He's definitely alive. I think he just tripped and fell." He clapped his hands to his head and yelled out, "Is there blood everywhere??" Stifling my desire to laugh, I said no, there was no blood at all. That seemed to relieve him somewhat, and he went back to his little friends, who were all straining to see what was happening to the man.
Meanwhile, Nathan and the woman had called the ambulance. After that was taken care of, the woman realized that she recognized the man from her school days. She called his name loudly several times, and finally he opened his eyes, but was very confused and befuddled. After a few moments, he was able to sit up, and finally they were able to drag him out of the ditch and out of the cold water. He sat down on the path, leaning against Nathan, to wait for the ambulance. He did not appear to be drunk, and told Nathan and the woman that he had been walking down the path, and that was the last thing he could remember. He had been on his way to visit his fiancee.
All of this took 20 or 30 minutes, and the whole time I was trying to keep the kids occupied and away from the man and the scene of the accident. When the man sat up, all the kids shrieked at once, and one little girl screamed, "He's sitting up!!" Another boy took one look and yelled, "Where's his head? Where's his head?" and the little boy in the fur-lined coat threw his hands over his eyes and groaned, "I can't look. I just can't look."
Fortunately, very soon after that, the ambulance arrived. The man was taken away, and seemed to be well on his way to recovery. However, I'm not sure we can say the same for the little boy in the girl's coat.
Last Friday we decided to go to the store and do some grocery shopping. It was a rainy day, so we all had our rain gear on, including Z in his stroller. It was also a little chilly, but we got to the store just fine and got our shopping done.
On the walk home, the rain had let up, which was nice, but it was still pretty cold. We were strolling along discussing 19th century Protestant theology when I happened to glance by the side of the path and saw what looked like a human hand lying in the water, just a few feet ahead of us. My first thought was, "Oh no! We're about to find a dead body!" quickly followed by, "Oh my goodness, don't be so silly! It's probably just an old paper bag." However, as we got closer, I saw another hand, and then legs, and I said, out loud this time, "Oh no!" Nathan, immersed in his thoughts on Schleiermacher, looked at me curiously and said, "What is it?" I pointed up ahead and whispered, "I think there's a person in the ditch."
We crept forward and peered into the ditch. And there he was, lying in about six inches of water -- a man lying in the ditch, unconscious but breathing. He was dressed in jeans and a jacket, and his breathing was very labored, almost like snoring. Nathan and I looked from the man to each other, and then back at the man again. What in the world had happened, and what should we do? We both immediately thought that he must be drunk, but it was obvious he needed help. At first we thought we should go find a phone and call for help, but that seemed likely to take too long. Then Nathan suggested that he stay and try to help him while I went and looked for a phone. I didn't like that idea much. Fortunately, just at that moment we saw a group of people coming down the path towards us -- a woman with a bunch of little kids. We decided to ask the woman if she had a cell phone.
We left the man lying in the ditch and went to meet this small group of people. When we got there, we quickly and quietly summarized the situation, and asked the woman if she had a cell phone. Not only did she have a phone, but she was also a nurse, so while she and Nathan went to see if the man was all right, and to call for an ambulance, I stayed with the kids where we were, so that they would not get too close to the scene.
As soon as Nathan and the woman went off to the man, the kids burst into questions. "Is he dead?!? Is the man dead?!?" eight little voices all shrieked at once. I very calmly assured them that he was not dead, but had just fallen down. One little boy seemed particularly anxious and excited about the whole thing. He was wearing a very sleek, calf length coat which was neatly belted at the waist. His hands were tucked into the fur-lined pockets and his face peeked anxiously out from the fur-trimmed hood, tied securely with strings ending in faux-fur pom-poms. He looked very cute, if slightly emasculated. (I discovered that he and one of the little girls had decided to trade coats for the day.) He peered up at me and said, "Are you sure he's not dead?" "I'm sure," I said, "I could see him breathing. He's definitely alive. I think he just tripped and fell." He clapped his hands to his head and yelled out, "Is there blood everywhere??" Stifling my desire to laugh, I said no, there was no blood at all. That seemed to relieve him somewhat, and he went back to his little friends, who were all straining to see what was happening to the man.
Meanwhile, Nathan and the woman had called the ambulance. After that was taken care of, the woman realized that she recognized the man from her school days. She called his name loudly several times, and finally he opened his eyes, but was very confused and befuddled. After a few moments, he was able to sit up, and finally they were able to drag him out of the ditch and out of the cold water. He sat down on the path, leaning against Nathan, to wait for the ambulance. He did not appear to be drunk, and told Nathan and the woman that he had been walking down the path, and that was the last thing he could remember. He had been on his way to visit his fiancee.
All of this took 20 or 30 minutes, and the whole time I was trying to keep the kids occupied and away from the man and the scene of the accident. When the man sat up, all the kids shrieked at once, and one little girl screamed, "He's sitting up!!" Another boy took one look and yelled, "Where's his head? Where's his head?" and the little boy in the fur-lined coat threw his hands over his eyes and groaned, "I can't look. I just can't look."
Fortunately, very soon after that, the ambulance arrived. The man was taken away, and seemed to be well on his way to recovery. However, I'm not sure we can say the same for the little boy in the girl's coat.
2 comments:
What an amazing story!! You write so well, I felt like I was there watching it too, along with the little boy in the fancy jacket!! I'm glad the man was OK!
Where's his head??? Oh that is so funny!
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