Moral Dilemma - Short Story

‘Look Lilly, I really like this training set.’ Ricky pointed at the sport shop window. ‘For next birthday you can buy me something like that’ he added jokingly as the price was quite high.

Still Lilly knew he would really like to get something like that but he perfectly understood that money was not something that grows on trees.

Lilly and her nephew were just standing in front of a local sport shop selling goods specifically aimed at young football players. She promised him a pair of football shoes for his birthday but she preferred he picked something he really liked so they were on their trip through shops today. He had a rough idea of what he wanted but he hasn’t seen anything particularly awesome so far.

They were chatting for a moment longer and suddenly they have noticed a man, most likely a drunkard, walking wobblingly for a second or two before falling to the ground. He was lying on the pavement and seemed unable to get up.

‘Lilly, look, the man has fallen, we need to help him’ Ricky’s voice was urging her to do something but she was still standing in the same spot unable to move herself. Her mind was thinking through millions scenarios rapidly.

‘What to do, what to do?’ she was wondering. ‘He is probably a drunkard and once he feels better he gets up without anybody’s help’ she thought. ‘He is heavy and I have a little boy with me so what if the man suddenly tries to attack Ricky?’ she was worried. ‘But he might be actually ill and may need an ambulance’. Worries about Ricky and the feeling that it’s safer to stay away were battling in her mind with an urge to help and seconds were passing by.

When she was thinking she noticed two men walking quickly towards them. One was young, in early twenties, sporty look. Another older, in mid-forties, looked more like a businessman in his smart suit. They were both deeply lost in the discussion they had when they have noticed the man lying on the pavement.

The older one haven’t spared the man another look but the younger kept looking and even turned his head when they were passing by. He was puzzled and actually worried. ‘Hey, this man there might need an ambulance’ he said to his colleague. ‘It’s probably a drunkard, leave it’ the older said without slowing down. ‘It doesn’t matter, he might have had broken something or could have had a brain concussion. We need to help him’ the younger man said with a determination while already going back to the lying man. The older had no choice as to join his friend.

Lilly felt huge relief as her battle could end without any action. She didn’t have to make a decision as someone else took over the burden. The younger man called the ambulance and helped the man to get up. This man, drunkard or not, was now in safe hands she thought and she urged Ricky to the shop.

When Ricky was trying on different shoes fussing about, she kept rethinking the situation that has just happened. She actually felt guilty. She felt ashamed of her behaviour. She wished she was like Ricky who seeing someone in need of help, just wanted to help and saw no reasons he shouldn’t.

She was really proud of her nephew and grateful for the young man. The media kept showing the world of violence when people were indifferent to others pain and misfortune yet she just could see with her very own eyes something completely opposite. Older people kept blaming the young generation for all the wrong things in the world but looking from the events, they actually should feel ashamed as she did. ‘Thanks God for the young people like this man and her nephew, the world is not lost yet’ she thought and somehow started to feel safer.