911
2:30 am. Poke, poke, poke, poke. Kim is trying to wake me up. I grudingly open my eyes and ask, “What’s wrong?” She tells me she just heard a woman screaming at someone to leave her alone. I wake up a little more and hear a scream. It’s quite faint and obviously a block or more away. I pull on my robe and head downstairs to look outside. Nothing.
A few years ago, I would have gone back to sleep. This morning, I picked up the phone and dialed 911.
I described what we heard to the operator who quickly said, “We have units in the area. They are checking it out.” She kept me on the phone while they searched the neighbourhood. I had very little information to offer her even as she asked for all kinds of details including the direction the scream came from. I was out on the porch when the unmarked police car cruised by, spotlight scanning the block. I waved. I felt a great appreciation for the police at that hour we all should have been soundly asleep.
The 911 operator kept me on hold a little longer in case the officers had more questions. Eventually she said they had received another, related call and let me go. I hope that woman’s ok and that my action got help to her a little sooner.