Gina Heslop
In the eerie hours of the night, when most of the world slumbers in peaceful oblivion, there’s an old adage that claims, “Nothing good happens at 3 AM.” While that may be a slight exaggeration, it holds a grain of truth, particularly when alcohol is involved. The dark shroud of midnight seems to coax out the most bizarre and mischievous behavior in people.
Even in the absence of alcohol, most pranks and nocturnal adventures have historically unfolded under the cover of night. There’s something about the veil of darkness that loosens our inhibitions and ignites the spark of mischief within us. A classic joke perfectly illustrates this phenomenon, featuring a husband reluctantly pulled from the comfort of his bed to investigate a mysterious knock at the front door in the dead of night.
Picture this: a man lying in bed beside his wife when suddenly, there’s a sharp, urgent knock at the door. He groggily glances at the clock—it’s half-past three in the morning. “I’m not leaving this warm bed at this ungodly hour,” he mumbles and turns away.
But the insistent knocking persists, louder this time. His wife nudges him, her concern palpable. “Aren’t you going to see who it is?” she implores. Grumbling, he hauls himself out of bed and trudges downstairs, cursing the untimely disturbance.
Opening the door, he finds a disheveled man standing on his porch. It doesn’t take long for the homeowner to realize that the stranger is intoxicated. “Hey there,” slurs the stranger, “could you give me a push?”
“No way, get lost! It’s 3:30 in the morning, and I was fast asleep,” the man retorts before slamming the door shut.
Returning to the bedroom, he recounts the bizarre encounter to his wife, who doesn’t share his lack of empathy. She reminds him of a rainy night when their car broke down while picking up their kids from the babysitter’s. On that fateful evening, they had to knock on a stranger’s door for assistance. “What if he’d told us to ‘get lost’?” she questions. Her husband grumbles, “But that guy was drunk!”
His wife, however, insists that it doesn’t matter. She emphasizes the importance of helping those in need, irrespective of their state. Reluctantly, the husband relents and gets out of bed once more, donning his clothes before descending the stairs.
He swings open the door, but the stranger has mysteriously vanished. Baffled, he calls out into the darkness, “Hey, do you still need a push?”
A voice from the shadows responds, “Yes, please.”
Perplexed and unable to see the stranger, he asks, “Where are you?”
The stranger’s voice emanates from an unexpected source, as he replies, “I’m over here, on your swing.”
In the dead of night, when the unexpected can turn ordinary situations into surreal experiences, this humorous tale reminds us that kindness and empathy should never be constrained by the hour on the clock or the state of inebriation.
