Today we visited friends staying in the city, right on the water front. So summery and sublime to walk with them along the inlet bounded trail interwoven with bikers and walkers moving peacefully down the path under the gift of sunshine. And then a lady fell flat on her face in front of us.
After a shocked stare several of us moved toward her. We each offered and did what came to mind. Moments later she sat on the sloped grassy side, paper towel pressed to bleeding eyebrow. A jogger calmly called 911. I sat next to the fallen lady, hand steady on her shaking back. Otherwise she seemed surreally calm. It was like suddenly being in a movie about a lady who fell on a path. We fell into our roles as if we'd rehearsed them. Time moved barely but softly.
The paramedics were on their way. They arrived. Three clean shaven, strong men in efficient navy blue who seamlessly took over. They assessed what paramedics assess and we didn't think to. The 911 phoning jogger turned out to be a stewardess. She put in her earphones and continued her run. Our friends and we mumbled a few more words to each other about the incident, then walked on into new topics and out of the mini movie. It was like another story decoupaged or cut and pasted onto the regular one of visiting friends staying in the city, right on the water front.
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