The sense of duty

It was at the beginning of May...

Early morning, I just left home walking to the tram stop and passed by our neighbours house. Quite fresh neighbours, a Chinese couple with two small kids. The house also freshly built.

There was a strange scene. Kids, girl and boy in good schools uniforms were knocking at the door of the car. They also tried to pull out a garden hose stuck in the narrow gap in the car window.
My first thought was - they were watering some plant in the car and accidentally locked the door.
"Can I help you?" - I asked, but the kids did not take any notice.
Then their mother ran out of the house, still in her nightgown, she tried to force the car door, to pull out the garden hose. No effect. She ran back into the house.
A minute later she ran out again, with the car key, she opened the car door and switched off the engine. Only then I noticed a person inside the car and realized that the other end of the garden hose has been placed in the exhaust pipe. Finally I understood.
"I will call the ambulance" - I offered..
"I called it already" - answered the woman not turning her head towards me.
At the same time a neighbour came out from the house on the opposite side of the street. I explained to her what happened.
The woman, mother of the children, was talking to them in their language, an older woman, grandmother ran out from the house carrying the school bags.
"Can I help somehow?"  - asked the neighbour.
"No, I will take him to the hospital" - answered the brave small woman and was pushing the man in the car onto passenger seat.
I decided, that I was not needed there and walked away.

Few days ago I met the neighbour, the lady who was with me at the accident site.
"Sorry, that I left you alone, but I felt of no use, only adding embarrassment. How it ended?".
"Well, I offered help with the children" - answered the neighbour - "they were quite upset and crying. I hugged them, but then their mother called them to the car, to get to school. In the evening she knocked to my door with thanks, even brought me a small gift".
"And do you know how the man recovered?"
"He was treated in the hospital and recovered quite quickly. Actually the same day in the evening he flew to Malaysia as the next day he was to start a new job there".

Polish version HERE.