A sobering tale
Mar. 23rd, 2010 06:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flyboy_foxI can't remember if I ever blogged about my neighbour Bruce before. I think I might have done, if only briefly. When I'm back with my mum, I live in a very small village in North Somerset, in a very small private road with only three houses. On one side is a very nice couple called Jill and Dave, and on the other was a chap called Bruce who lived alone. Bruce's wife left him a while ago, because of his drinking problem. He was a really friendly jolly guy when he was sober... but he spent his life down in the pub, all night every night, drinking until no one would serve him any more. He was clearly lonely and probably depressed, and he had no outlet other than the drink. People did try to help him, but even his children were estranged from him by now.
Last year, he became very ill with cirrhosis of the liver. He was in hospital for a while and it seemed like he would probably die. My mum and brother brought him fruit and said that he'd swollen to twice his size and was yellow and scarcely recognisable. He went home, discharged himself, and when my mum saw him a little while later he seemed much better. But it wasn't long before he was seen down at The Queen's Arms again.
He'd been becoming more and more reclusive lately, and my mum told me that last week she and the neighbours got concerned after not seeing him for a few days and him not answering the door and they called the police. They found him on the floor drunk and in a bad way, but he refused any help and refused to go to the hospital.
And then today, after not seeing him again for a while and unable to get an answer again, they called the police once more. The police broke in and found him - he'd committed suicide and left a note. The police were still round there when I was talking to my mum and she was telling me. I'm not surprised to hear that he'd passed... but I didn't expect him to kill himself. This is a very very sad story.
My mum, being my mum, blames herself partially for not 'doing more' to help him. But what could she do? She and the neighbours did what they could, but it wasn't up to them. He was in control of his own life and he chose to drink and ignore all the help that was offered to him.
My mum's other neighbours, Jill and Dave, are off on holiday for a week now, leaving my mum alone in our little backwater street in Bleadon. Naturally she'd rather not be alone there now. I wish I could go back sooner - but I'll be going back next week anyway. I'm looking at jobs this week. A couple of leads have come up.
RIP Bruce. I think I'll pass on the booze tonight :\
Last year, he became very ill with cirrhosis of the liver. He was in hospital for a while and it seemed like he would probably die. My mum and brother brought him fruit and said that he'd swollen to twice his size and was yellow and scarcely recognisable. He went home, discharged himself, and when my mum saw him a little while later he seemed much better. But it wasn't long before he was seen down at The Queen's Arms again.
He'd been becoming more and more reclusive lately, and my mum told me that last week she and the neighbours got concerned after not seeing him for a few days and him not answering the door and they called the police. They found him on the floor drunk and in a bad way, but he refused any help and refused to go to the hospital.
And then today, after not seeing him again for a while and unable to get an answer again, they called the police once more. The police broke in and found him - he'd committed suicide and left a note. The police were still round there when I was talking to my mum and she was telling me. I'm not surprised to hear that he'd passed... but I didn't expect him to kill himself. This is a very very sad story.
My mum, being my mum, blames herself partially for not 'doing more' to help him. But what could she do? She and the neighbours did what they could, but it wasn't up to them. He was in control of his own life and he chose to drink and ignore all the help that was offered to him.
My mum's other neighbours, Jill and Dave, are off on holiday for a week now, leaving my mum alone in our little backwater street in Bleadon. Naturally she'd rather not be alone there now. I wish I could go back sooner - but I'll be going back next week anyway. I'm looking at jobs this week. A couple of leads have come up.
RIP Bruce. I think I'll pass on the booze tonight :\
