They hadn’t seen him for a week.
Post sticking out of the letterbox.
Milk delivered but not taken inside.
The police were called, and forced entry.
An old man, naked and dead. Face down on some plastic.
The plastic of a now deflated, inflatable doll.
An undignified departure from this life.
beetleypete 
How doubly sad. First that his loneliness led to his behavior. Second that he died alone.
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That, and the gossip that blighted his memory.
Best wishes, Pete.
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You would think they might have held their tongues.
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No chance of that, on a South London housing estate.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Glad to not have lived there!
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Nobody deserve this at old age poor man
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Yes, it was a shame for him to be found like that, I agree.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Poor old boy…what a way to go…
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I suppose it wasn’t so bad, as he was enjoying himself at the time. Except that he was found like that by strangers of course. And then he became a source of gossip around the flats for a long time after that.
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Which is what happens but such a shame.
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Sad and funny at the same time, at least he wasn’t there to take the stick.
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There was a fair bit of chuckling on the day. The police were working out how to write it up so his daughter and grandchildren wouldn’t find out the details.
Cheers, Pete.
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A very sad story indeed. You know one thing I often hear from people after reading about someone who was found dead on the streets (not in a violent way or anything) is often along the lines of “one wonders how he/she came to this demise.” They say it in a way that implies concern of course. Anyway, keep up the great work as always. P.S. the reason I did not add a smiley face here is because it is a pretty sad story and it would not be appropriate on my part.
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Thanks very much, John. It was a sad end to a life indeed.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Well undignified certainly but at least he was having fun when he went!
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Yes, and doing well for his age, presumably.
(My mum said he was 78)
Best wishes, Pete.
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Good for him 🤣
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It is strange how we try to give privacy to people while they are alive, but when they are gone, Katie bar the door, Warmest regards, Theo
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Dying alone behind a closed door unfortunately means that a lot of strangers are going to be inside your house, and know all your secrets.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Or at least guess what your secrets were. Warmest regards, Theo
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No inflatable doll should ever depart life in such an undignified manner!
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The extra sadness was that he was one of my mum’s neighbours, and very well known in her block. Good fuel for all the local gossips.
Best wishes, Pete.
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You witnessed a lot, Pete. It would have been too much for me.
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This was one of my mum’s neighbours, Maggie. She called the police, and I happened to arrive, bringing her some groceries.
Best wishes, Pete.
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poor man indeed.
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He had a sad end, Wilma.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Poor man.😔
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Not a nice way to be found, Kim.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Humiliating! C
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Although he was past caring, I am sure his daughter and grandchildren would have eventually heard the gossip going around the district.
Best wishes, Pete.
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😰
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“Dark” thoughts as well Pete…not a dignified way to leave this mortal coil at all!
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It was awkward, as it was one of my mum’s neighbours, and I was visiting her at the time to take her groceries. It was her who had called the police.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Ignominious
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One of my mum’s neighbours, Sue. I had met him a few times previously.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Is that a real story?
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Yes, it was a neighbour of my mum’s, three flats along her balcony. It was her who rang the police. I was visiting her at the time, to bring her shopping from the supermarket. She told the policemen I was an EMT, and a young officer asked me to confirm he was dead to save calling an ambulance. A few years earlier, I had seen something almost identical on an ambulance call I attended on duty.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Wow
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