I've been watching Sports Night with Adam the past few days, and he's been really enjoying it, which makes me happy on two levels; Sports Night itself is a great show, and Aaron Sorkin, the creator, also created The West Wing, which I also dearly love. But the reason I bring this up is because a character from Sports Night, Dan, mentions at one point that he, from time to time, feels the need to take a day off from actively making sure he and others do the "right thing." That's poorly phrased, and gives neither Sorkin's writing nor Josh Charles's acting credit, but at the moment I know how he feels.
I think the woman across the hall from me is trying to escape from a domestic violence situation. I don't know if it's physical or emotional abuse (or both), or if it's not just in my head. Though I have a hard time believing it's just in my head when a guy pounds on her door at midnight (Adam was--and is--in bed) and yells, "I can be as loud as I need." Then he started begging/pleading (his words) with her to let her in because he just wanted to talk. She must have been on the other side of the door talking to him, because at one point he said "I'll talk nicely." Ultimately, she let him in. I couldn't hear anything after that point, but he did leave, muttering something (I don't remember what). I couldn't see her, but she did come out less than five minutes later (and back about five minutes after that). I couldn't see any evidence of physical abuse, but this woman--the one time I saw her in the lift--looks like life has beaten her down (granted, some people do just look like that, but...).
Now, there are two people I know read this blog regularly who can tell me with absolute certainty if I'm being overly paranoid or not (and I'm pretty damn sure I know what they'll say, but I still want to hear). One is my mother, one is her friend (and I consider her my friend as well) Barbara. So, please, if either of you reads this before 4am your time, Tuesday May 5th, please send me an email with any suggestions. Because, much as I would like to not get involved, I think this guy is a son of a bitch, and my neighbor (who I really haven't met) should know that I'm willing to help if she needs or wants it. People who pound on doors at midnight in apartment complexes with interior corridors make me worry enough, but to add yelling through a door adds to my worry tremendously.
Right, so any suggestions are welcome, particularly of what I should say to this woman. I'd love to take a day off from caring, but I cannot and will not walk away from potential domestic abuse, even if I would walk away from a jerk who potentially woke up half the floor.
And to irritate me further, this FUBARd my novel writing this evening, as I spend a goodly amount of time peering out the peephole to make sure I didn't hear anything that was going to warrant my pounding on her door and making damn sure I woke everyone up. I suppose it's bad that I'm not afraid of people hitting me. But then I believe in retaliation of the worst forms--legal and finanacial. Still...do people who feel as though they're morally superior (in certain situations) also feel invicible in those situations?
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