The Reason Why

I am not a confrontational person. My heart is still pounding, and I still feel a bit of an adrenalin rush 30 minutes later. . .

Every neighborhood has them. You know the crazy neighbors that like to cause drama, and always seem to be in some kind of trouble (with the law). Our new little community is no different.

My little family was outside playing to get the children worn out and ready for bed, before the last bits of sunlight disappeared for the night. Mike was in the empty lots across the street, practicing his golf moves, while the kids and I were spraying each other with the hose. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a car speed up, a little too fast for my liking. I then heard a women screaming. I then saw two men throwing punches, one of them men falling to the ground (pretty hard I might add). I yelled to Mike across the street that there was a fight and a child was standing in the middle. I kid you not, the men were throwing punches right over this child, who was not much taller than Isaac.

Mike with golf club in hand started down the street. While I watched, holding my own kids by now, as the madman that drove up, jumped back in his car and sped off. I watched Mike go over the hill and saw him pass where I had seen the action. I wasn't too happy not to be able to see Michael, so took off with the kids to find him. We met up with him as he was coming back up the hill, because he didn't see anything suspicious (the madman had already driven away).

I kept walking toward the house where I had seen everything go down. I saw two men in the yard and asked if everyone was okay. One man had a bloody lip, and massive bump on his head and his arms skinned up from when he had fallen to the ground. The other man was another neighbor who had seen the fight and was trying to help. Like me he had seen the child and was worried.

The man who was beaten was a little delirious, and really didn't know what was going on. He was able to tell me that the child was fine, and it was his child. The women who I heard screaming at them men was his wife. The madman was his Brother-in-law, who he said was VERY DRUNK. Which didn't make me very happy that some crazy guy was driving around my neighborhood wasted. Not happy at all.

As I double checked to make sure everyone was okay, asking the guy a second time if he was sure he was okay (seriously huge welt on his head), which I am not sure he really even knew yet, because he was shaking so bad. He said he was a little scared. . . I am thinking LITTLE?! As he is saying this I see a speeding car heading our way. As the man driving parked he hit a trashcan across the street, my heart sank. I looked at the injured guy and his wife and said "we have to go, I don't want my children here." We turned around and started booking it. Yelling had started up again, and I didn't want to be anywhere near there if fighting started again. As we were leaving I glanced over my shoulder and saw a police car driving up the street, and felt somewhat relieved. We will just say that man must have been pretty drunk, or just plain stupid because he kept screaming at his brother-in-law and sister and trying to throw punches even after the police man had stopped.

I feel bad for the neighbor who went over to help and stepped in front of the two men trying to calm them down. Crazy drunk guy wasn't in the mood for a mediator and got a few hits in this kind guy that was concerned for the child. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I would have been right there with him if I didn't have children of my own to worry about. I hate when people fight and my adrenalin gets pumping, and well I am just glad I do have children of my own!

Now that I have the story out, my heart goes out to that poor child. How often does she have to witness this kind of violence? What kind of future will she have? My other thought is that this kind of behavior better end now, because I am not pleased to have drama neighbors so close!

Okay adrenalin rush over, time to go have date night with Mike. . . renting a movie off pay-per-view. Romantic I know.