What Are Neighbors For?

Gladys had infantile paralysis and was lame. When she walked, she needed a cane. However, since she was able to drive a car, she worked at a company and supported her mother and herself. In the small town in Canada where Gladys lived, she would hire someone in wintertime to shovel the snow off the driveway around the house.

Last year, however, there was no need for that. The father of the family that moved in next door kindly shoveled the snow for her when he did his own walks. Gladys tried to give him something for his trouble, but he always refused, saying, "I hope my mother who lives alone in Holland will be helped by others."

One night there was a very heavy snowstorm. On the following day, Gladys thought she would have to take the day off. But when she saw that her neighbor had cleaned off her driveway before he went to work, she was able to drive to work.

When she came back home that night, just as she was turning into her driveway, the wife from the house next door ran out with her baby in her arms, shouting, "I'm sorry, but will you please take me to the hospital?" The baby's face was blue, and gasping for breath.

At the hospital the baby was immediately put into an oxygen tent. According to the doctor, if they had been even a few minutes later, he didn't think he could have saved the baby's life.

Gladys thought to herself, "If that child's father had not shoveled off my driveway, I couldn't have taken them to the hospital.

隣人とは・・・

　グラディスは、子どもの頃小児マヒにかかり、歩く時、杖がいる。しかし、彼女は車の運転ができるので、ある会社に勤め、自分と母親の生活を支えている。彼女はカナダの小さい町に住んでいて、冬になると人を雇って家の周囲の雪かきを頼む。

　しかし、去年はその必要がなかった。隣へ引っ越してきた一家の主人が、自分とグラディスの家の周りの雪かきをしてくれたからである。グラディスがお礼をしようとすると、彼は何も受け取らず、「オランダで一人暮らしをしている母が人に助けて貰えるようにと思いましてね。」と言った。

　ある夜、ひどい吹雪があり、グラディスは明日は仕事を休まなければならないと思った。しかし、彼女は、隣の主人が仕事に行く前に雪かきをしてくれたので、彼のお陰で、彼女は仕事に行くことができた。

　夕方仕事から帰って来て、車をガレージに入れようとした時、隣の奥さんが赤ん坊を抱いて家から走り出てきて「すみません。病院まで連れて行ってください」と叫んだ。赤ん坊の顔は真っ青で、息も絶え絶えだった。

　病院に着くと、赤ん坊は、 すぐに酸素吸入のテントに入れられた。医者の話では、もう少し遅ければ命は助からなかっただろうということであった。

　グラディスは思った。「もし、あの子のお父さんが朝早く雪かきをしてくれなかったら、私はあの子を病院までつれていけなかったんだわ。」