strangereality162

I was out and about in the street. It was around 15.30, the time when the street is filled with parents and children going home from school. A few yards in front of me a young boy – around 6 years old – suddenly broke from his mother's side and ran out into the busy road. I think he was trying to get to the other side.

The mother went berserk. She yanked him back onto the pavement and started to shout and scream. "What the fuck are you doing?" Yes, she said fuck to her child in public. This is not unusual behaviour in my part of town.

She then started to hit him. With one hand holding him by the fabric of his coat, she half-turned him so that he was facing away from her. Then she proceeded to wallop him hard on the backside, accompanying each wallop with more words of dire imprecation.

"How – MANY - fucking – TIMES... Stay – OFF – the – ROAD."

The little boy started to scream and cry. I had continued walking and was now just a few feet away. The mother had a friend with her who was standing a little way away from the scene, looking on. As I was almost level with the group, my foot kicked a stone that was laying on the pavement. The stone shot at the friend and hit her on the shoe. As I passed I said “Sorry” quietly.

Then I heard the mother: "What did he say? What did he say?" She was asking her friend what I had said, thinking that I was passing comment on her hitting the child.