Yesterday was a strange day in the shop.
Weather crap, and due to the lack of disposable cash, for most; we had a bad day trading…crap.
Then around 4 PM this Asian lady walked in, hood up on her furry parka coat, and said, "Do you remember me?”
I said, “No.”
She then removed her hood and embraced me, I recognised her straight away.
You see, several months ago she’d come into the shop cry her eyes out and in great distress.
Mentally she was all over the place and seriously confused.
She blubbered, “Do you have a self -help book?”
I asked her, “relating to what.” I thought I had a proper nutter on my hands.
She done her best to explain that her son had taken her car, smashed it into a wall then ran inside the house and begun to slash his wrists and neck with a knife.
I grabbed hold of her, to straighten her out so she was actually listening and told her to go straight home phone the police and the ambulance service and have her son sectioned, and do not listen to a word her son utters before their arrival, as he’s not alright.
The upshot was, as I found out yesterday: the police came straight away, they had to handcuff the kid, and then the ambulance service arrive and sedated him, which enabled them to take him to Walgrave psychiatric unit where he was kept and treated for 3 weeks.
He’s doing well now and is still under observation, but from home and on medication.
His mother explained that both she and her daughter have been in the shop a few times looking for me, as they wished to thank me for what she says was saving his life.
Got me seriously thinking if there’s more to this life than we know, as I lost my brother to suicide back in 2010.
I mean, what would make a seriously distressed mother leave her son, run into a book shop and ask for a self -help book. I find that absolutely incredible now, and did on the day in question.
Just doesn’t make sense.
So if you ask me, “Is there some sort of higher force at work?” I wouldn’t say no.
Kinda think my brother was there, in some shape or form, showing her the way.
Weather crap, and due to the lack of disposable cash, for most; we had a bad day trading…crap.
Then around 4 PM this Asian lady walked in, hood up on her furry parka coat, and said, "Do you remember me?”
I said, “No.”
She then removed her hood and embraced me, I recognised her straight away.
You see, several months ago she’d come into the shop cry her eyes out and in great distress.
Mentally she was all over the place and seriously confused.
She blubbered, “Do you have a self -help book?”
I asked her, “relating to what.” I thought I had a proper nutter on my hands.
She done her best to explain that her son had taken her car, smashed it into a wall then ran inside the house and begun to slash his wrists and neck with a knife.
I grabbed hold of her, to straighten her out so she was actually listening and told her to go straight home phone the police and the ambulance service and have her son sectioned, and do not listen to a word her son utters before their arrival, as he’s not alright.
The upshot was, as I found out yesterday: the police came straight away, they had to handcuff the kid, and then the ambulance service arrive and sedated him, which enabled them to take him to Walgrave psychiatric unit where he was kept and treated for 3 weeks.
He’s doing well now and is still under observation, but from home and on medication.
His mother explained that both she and her daughter have been in the shop a few times looking for me, as they wished to thank me for what she says was saving his life.
Got me seriously thinking if there’s more to this life than we know, as I lost my brother to suicide back in 2010.
I mean, what would make a seriously distressed mother leave her son, run into a book shop and ask for a self -help book. I find that absolutely incredible now, and did on the day in question.
Just doesn’t make sense.
So if you ask me, “Is there some sort of higher force at work?” I wouldn’t say no.
Kinda think my brother was there, in some shape or form, showing her the way.
Last edited: