Noise

A week or so ago there was banging and shouting and crying from the flat downstairs. My new neighbour was having a fight with his girlfriend and it sounded pretty horrid. I stood with my door ajar, ready to go down or call the police but feeling terrified to do either. Eventually she left. Last night I was up in my bedroom, which is two floors up, and I heard the most almighty bang, followed by more banging and shouting and crying. There's a sick feeling you get in your stomach at the thought of a woman being hurt and yet it's so hard to know whether to step in and whether or not it's interfering to call the police. Again, I stood by the door but, rightly or wrongly, didn't call the police. Eventually, she left. One of the things I overheard him shouting was 'look what you've done to my wall!'. I decided that if it was my flat that was being rented out then I'd really want to know what was happening. So I called the landlord and told him what had been going on. I've been going over it in my head all day today. Did I over-react? Should I just let them get on with it? Or should I have called the police? Should I have gone down?

I can't help but keep thinking about how upsetting it was to hear. And I can't help but think about how frightening it must be for children who experience that kind of thing in their own homes. 

I miss Nigel.