 interlude by thomas simpson i pay little attention to the surrounding world a million different things happen to me as i walk down the street yet my focus is on none of them my eyes remain straight ahead and that s when i see him lying on the pavement i doubt very much he is sunbathing so my first thoughts are he s collapsed is he breathing i don t know he certainly isn t moving how did he come to be lying there on the grubby pavement he looks too young to have had a heart attack but these things happen perhaps he s had too much to drink and is having a lie down he doesn t strike me as the type to drink himself into oblivion on a tuesday morning though i presume this based on his presentable appearance no this man was on his way to work when his health deteriorated and now he lies on the ground being gawked at by strangers i approach closer paying particular attention to the people that walk on by it s not that they re not interested some look down while others look straight ahead pretending not to have seen no one stops to check on him someone else will do it they say to themselves i know this because the same thought goes through my own head as i get nearer i don t want the responsibility what if it turns out that he s violently drunk and attacks me what if it s some sort of caught on camera tv show i ve no wish to be involved in such predicaments i have my own business to attend to it s not my place to get involved so i pass him offering a sympathetic glance at least i acknowledged him he certainly is still i ve passed him and i wrestle with the thought of looking back my resilience caves to my curiosity and i turn i have no intention of going back i must make that clear i haven t even stopped walking but i have looked back to my surprise a young woman has stopped to offer him aid a man then offers further assistance closely followed by a third samaritan i stop now to watch the scene unfold the holy trinity roll the man into the recovery position and phone for an ambulance people continue to walk by but now they are paying more attention than before as am i yes i could have stopped to help but i knew someone else would i m as comforted by the thought as i am disgusted at myself issue 3 thomas simpson 