So I’m sitting here at the computer trying to be brilliant and all I can hear is this little voice outside my door yelling, “Grandma!” every few seconds. This goes on for an hour, while I try to ignore it. I can’t. Not only is it incredibly annoying, but what if Grandma’s dead? What if the kid’s lost?
So I go out my front door. The building is set up with an inner courtyard open to the outside and some apartments have balconies on that courtyard. The voice is coming from the balcony right across the hall from my door. So I walk over there and find a little boy on the balcony, facing the glass door. No shade, nothing to drink, and it’s very hot out there right now. Nothing to play with but a toy rifle and a pile of full garbage bags. I figure he accidently got locked outside and Grandma couldn’t hear him calling.
So I go up to him and ask him a few questions. Do you need help? Nod. Where’s Grandma? Points inside. Do you know the number on the door so I can knock on it? Shakes head. Well, I guess I’ll have to go and take my chances. I knock on the likeliest door. A woman asks who it is. I say it’s about the boy on the balcony. She opens the door. Her hands are covered in food, like she’s been baking. I tell her the little boy has been yelling for an hour. She says, oh, he’s okay. I look around her and can see him looking in.
Obviously she’s locked him out on purpose. It’s an oven in that courtyard and she locked him out to punish him, or to keep him from sticking his hands in whatever she’s doing. Nice Grandma.
I couldn’t think of anything to do that wouldn’t start a war, so I said, I’m trying to work and he’s right at my door. It’s really annoying. She asks me where my apartment is (Why does that matter? But I told her anyway.) and I thank her and walk away. As I’m walking back to my apartment I hear the balcony door open. I think, hey, I made a difference. Nope. The boy says, can I come in? She answers no. “The lady says you have to be quiet.” Snick, and the door closes and locks again.
I’ll check on him later, maybe take him some iced tea.
I wish I knew who his parents were. I wish I had the guts to call the police on people I’ll be living beside for at least another six months.
After reading this page from snopes, I say call the police. Be brave, people have called them for stupider things, and a child’s health is at risk. At the least he may end up with a nasty sun burn, at worst, I shudder to think.
Whoa… it’s a tricky situation, but i have to say i’d go with alerting some authority. It might end up in embarressment, but then again it might end up with something much worse for the kid. Is there an equivalant to the NSPCC or Childline line we have here in England that you could call for advice before consulting the police?
I agree Suo na you have to do something. I’d suggest at least speaking to the grandmother first and making her aware your not happy with the situation, and if nothing changes call the athorities. It makes me sick to my stomach someone could do that to a kid no matter how bad they’v been shudder
If it (or anything like it) happens again I will certainly call the authorities. I will not, however, confront her or her husband. With my short temper I’m likely to commit a few crimes myself.
This woman doesn’t babysit very often by herself, usually if the kids are there the parents are too.
The boy was inside later.
Basically, I’m just too chicken to call the cops. I don’t want the retribution that would come with it. If this woman or her family had any kind of mean streak they could destroy everything I have. They know where I live. This is a closed community (it’s actually condos, one of which I’m renting), and the residents stick together. I’m not excusing my position; I just don’t want to be hasty. After all, much worse things could be happening. I hope the kid has enough sense to tell his parents what happened. I certainly didn’t at that age.
Most states allow you to make reports of child abuse and or neglect anonymously by phone. The people never have to know who called, if you could hear that child I am sure others could too.
A close friend of mine survived child abuse. He is still dealing with the consequences of living with the priest who raped him repeatedly over many many months. I know he is incoherent with anger about the people who knew what was going on and who did nothing. (In his case the local bishop).
It’s true that it’s hard to take a stand, but a child has so few resources. Please rethink your position on this.