Helpless

Today, my husband and I happened to pick our daughter up from school together. As we were approaching the stop sign to pull out of the parking lot, there was a little boy on one side of the car, about six years old, calling "Where is my mom?" We thought for a second he was lost and bewildered. He was bewildered, but not lost. We realized he was calling to his mom, who was sitting quite a distance away on a bench, on the opposite side of the row of cars. Over and over he would peer around the cars (the exit driveway is really only wide enough for a single row) saying "Mom? Mom? Come on!" She just sat there and looked at him, never moving from her spot. I couldn't figure it out, although something felt not quite right.

Then, my husband said "she looks like she might be tweaking". Keeping in mind he is a police officer in a community riddled with meth, he's pretty astute at picking up the signs - involuntary body twitches, "itchy" skin, staring, etc. We watched as her son finally crossed back over, and was approaching her as we were herded out of the driveway with the other cars. What did we do? Well, nothing. In our society, everyone turns a blind eye, for fear of "being nosy" or "sticking your nose in someone else's business." What if we were wrong? What if there was some other reason she wasn't coming? What if she had a medical condition? WELL, then we really should have offered help! What if? What if? What if? I was guilty today of "minding my own business." Now I can't stop thinking about that little boy, and why his mom wouldn't get off that bench.