This is a story with a happy ending - but I will start at the beginning. Yesterday I received a text message from a friend asking if we could catch up - she wanted to chat. I replied but twice the message failed to leave my phone. I called into her home - but it was in darkness and no one answered the door.
I phoned several times in the afternoon and left a message, but there was no response.
This afternoon, after more unanswered messages, and an email, I set out to search for her. I went to her home again, and then went to the various places in town that she might be. I checked out our drinking haunt, and a shopping complex. I then called a politician who knew her, and we found someone who had seen her round about the time she sent her first message to me. Still no one had seen her. I went back to her house and a neighbour with the key to her place opened her apartment and we checked inside. No sign of her.
I left a message at her apartment, after knocking again. I had not long left her place - seems she was inside having a shower so didn't hear me. She'd been on a bus trip for the day, and her phone was (accidentally) turned down, so she did not hear the calls we made to her.
She phoned me, and I was much relieved to find she was safe.
It is quite a dilemma to be in. I could have just left it - and hoped she was ok, but I just had to keep checking until I KNEW!
All is well.
I remember a few years ago, when I went to a friend's place who had not turned up for work (we worked in the same place) and she didn't answer her phone. After work I went to her home and she was in a bad way - from alcohol as it turns out, and could have died. I had police and ambulance there, and she was lucky.
It is a hard call - do nothing and risk a friends life, or do a lot and risk embarrassment for all.
My friend knows that I care.
I phoned several times in the afternoon and left a message, but there was no response.
This afternoon, after more unanswered messages, and an email, I set out to search for her. I went to her home again, and then went to the various places in town that she might be. I checked out our drinking haunt, and a shopping complex. I then called a politician who knew her, and we found someone who had seen her round about the time she sent her first message to me. Still no one had seen her. I went back to her house and a neighbour with the key to her place opened her apartment and we checked inside. No sign of her.
I left a message at her apartment, after knocking again. I had not long left her place - seems she was inside having a shower so didn't hear me. She'd been on a bus trip for the day, and her phone was (accidentally) turned down, so she did not hear the calls we made to her.
She phoned me, and I was much relieved to find she was safe.
It is quite a dilemma to be in. I could have just left it - and hoped she was ok, but I just had to keep checking until I KNEW!
All is well.
I remember a few years ago, when I went to a friend's place who had not turned up for work (we worked in the same place) and she didn't answer her phone. After work I went to her home and she was in a bad way - from alcohol as it turns out, and could have died. I had police and ambulance there, and she was lucky.
It is a hard call - do nothing and risk a friends life, or do a lot and risk embarrassment for all.
My friend knows that I care.
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