I live in midtown Sacramento. My bedroom window is a couple of feet from the sidewalk. So usually on Fri and Sat nights we can hear people coming and going from bars and clubs. Talking. Yelling. Laughing. etc.
I don't mind it most of the time. I like the sounds of the city and in the mornings if the window is closed I'll get up and open it so I can listen and it relaxes me and I sleep better.
But Fri night was unusual. For one thing I kept waking up after I was asleep. I don't usually wake up enough from the noise to remember it the next day. And usually I only hear them for a few seconds, maybe a sentence or two and then they are gone.
Fri night a group of young women passed by. (Most of the partyers sound very young although I don't get up and look.) And it sounded like they stopped right outside my window. Evidently someone named Ashley was throwing up.
What made it interesting and noteworthy is the conversation around the event. I could hear a few words at a time, half-sentences mostly, except for one lady that seemed very confident and strong and in control. "oooh, Ashley is throwing up" Strong Lady, "It's okay, she'll be okay." "Do you think we should call....unintelligible" Strong Lady,"No, she'll be okay, just let her throw up." "...drank too much..." A couple of minutes go by with milling around, waiting for Ashley, some conversation I can't remember. Then, "oh, look, Ashley is crying" "...." Strong Lady, "It's okay, let her cry, she's going to be all right."
Then Ashley sobbing loudly and talking about her father and getting angry and sobbing some more. I wonder if she remembered it the next day. I wonder if she appreciated Strong Lady who maybe wasn't as empathetic/sympathetic as the other ladies/girls but did seem to have everything under control and knew how to handle the situation.
Carol
