I stepped out of my front gate in the rain and the next thing I knew, a mass hit my right leg and propelled me into the wet gutter. As it was between two parked cars, it was a toss-up whether I might have fared better hitting one of them instead.
The little girl lost her balance and fell too, but from a lower height. I did hear her saying, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ before she burst into tears. I think she thought she had killed me as I sprawled under two cars.
I scrambled to my feet, all wet down my left side and looked to see who was with her as I tried to calm her. A man (apparently her father) was still about four houses farther down the road.
When he arrived, he went to the child and said ‘is everybody falling down today, then? Don’t worry.’ He didn’t look at me or ask if I was alright.
He hurried off with the helmetless child, without a word or backward glance.
Am I missing something or am I what is known as ‘old school?’
Admittedly, I am retired.
He had lost control of the child and the speed she needed to be going to throw me forward. I didn’t see her coming, unfortunately. It was raining, she was helmetless (much like me) and on the pavement; all making for hazardous conditions.
Not anything anyone can do about it now, but it helps me to rant.
Thank you for reading poor, self-pitying me – if you have.