Only this wasn't a scene from a trailer park or housing complex, as is the case many times on the television show, it was one of the town's oldest and most prestigious families who lived in a Victorian-era mansion in one of it's finest neighborhoods.
In order to "protect the family name" when the brawl got out of hand, rather than call the cops, they called me, a friend. Today I know enough about alcoholism and enabling to say, "If you have a problem, call 9-1-1." But this was many years ago, so I got up in the wee hours of morning, pulled my clothes on, and went charging to the rescue.
Can't Control Him
"Tom's drunk and he and his sister are having a terrible argument," his mother said on the phone. "I can't control him. I'm afraid it is going to get out of hand. Can't you please come help?"When I arrived a few minutes later, I could hear the argument as soon as I got out of the car. I went inside to find Tom drunk and screaming at his teenage sister and her date, who were huddled together on the sofa in the large living room, while his mother cowered in a corner.
Apparently, Tom did not approve of his sister's date and when he found them earlier cuddled up on the sofa, he had launched into an arrogant and belligerent verbal attack on the poor kid, who had no idea what to do with the drunk.
Needless to say, my arrival on the scene did nothing to defuse the situation, and in fact had the opposite effect. I first tried to reason with my friend and talk him into calming down. No such luck.
To make matters worse, now that I was there as "protection" his sister started running her mouth -- taunting him and provoking him to even more anger. I had to physically get between the two of them, to keep him from getting violent.
Provoking Him to Anger
I was much larger and stronger physically than my friend Tom, but I was having to struggle to keep him from attacking his sister, who continued to taunt him. When he went to the fireplace and got the poker and started after her, it was all I could do to restrain him and take the weapon away.I finally told his sister if she didn't shut up, I was going to let him have at her! That didn't stop her. I finally shoved and wrestled Tom out of the house and onto the front porch, but his sister followed us out there and continued to provoke him.
I don't know who called the cops. It was taking all of my effort and attention to keep the enraged Tom from physically assaulting his sister. He was screaming and cursing the entire time and she was too. I was beginning to believe that I would not be able to control him physically much longer, when the police car pulled up in front of the house.
