Abandoned Streets

Colombo at night can be a bit spooky. After work (I finish at 8pm) I went with two friends from work to the Cricket Club for dinner ( England won today :) and then we walked home. l had to break away from them and turn off down a side street to get to here, Galle Road, which I then have to cross, and it feels unsafe, even with all this military presence around.

Anyway, as I was walking down the side road to get to here, I heard a crying baby. I followed the sound and it was coming from a dark shape, slumped over. It was a woman who was completely drunk and spaced out, hanging half out of the back of a parked tuktuk, fast asleep. The baby was hanging out too, but gripping onto her. I was shocked.

I called to a passer by, and one came up and thumped the woman and shouted until she regained consciousness. She mumbled something, pulled the baby to her, and fell back to sleep. I asked a police officer nearby to help, and he said, 'She is a pavement woman. What to do?' So I said, 'How can we help them? The baby is in danger.' He said, 'She has been here for years and there is nothing that can be done to help.' Hmm.