Walking around this city I find myself in this late at night is quite dangerous but the allure of some danger is quite better than sitting at home and churning through the thoughts that would be ravaging my mind all night. It did seem like a crazy idea when I slipped on my casual slippers and started opening the gate but a couple of streets from the house and the idea starts looking not so bad after all, I'm feeling a lot better already. It must be the fresh cool breeze of the night or the stars or maybe the moon but whatever it is; it’s got me feeling lighter already.
What was that? Footsteps!!! But whose? Doesn't sound like one person's footfalls, sounds like about four people...but whose? I ask myself once again, running at this time of the night? What do I do? Do I look for somewhere to hide? Do I run also? My heart is pounding and I realize I am panicking, no this is not me, I have to calm down and walaaa!!! It’s just like magic, as soon as I think about being calm, I find out I'm as calm as the night itself. Then it hits me, the footfalls are getting closer. I step to the side in the front of a truck parked to the right side of the road, the truck casts a much needed shadow close to the gutter and believe it or not but that’s the spot where I find myself crouching. I start thinking to myself, "maybe it was a crazy idea stepping outside at this time of the night", I should have just stayed in my room. The steps are coming closer and closer, then it starts getting mixed up, like all the steps are scratching somewhat just as they come into view. I can't believe what I'm seeing, its young lady being hassled by two hoodlums. From her dressing I can hardly tell if she is a working lady or a lady of the night but it does seem like she tried to outrun these thugs but with the situation unfolding before my eyes, it is quite obvious she wasn't successful. They seem to be trying to getting something from inside the lady's handbag rather than take the entire hand bag. OMG!!! Am I truly seeing this? Should I step out and help this young lady? Should I really? I take a look just to be sure, OMG one of the thugs does have a gun...ahh this night just got even worse. I quickly duck back into the shadows. These blokes have got the lady's phones and some other stuff I can't really make out but from what I am seeing, it does seem like they are getting set to rape this helpless young lady for good measure. C'mon!!! What the hell? I can't hide here and let this happen, but what can I do? They are armed. They are pulling at her clothes and I can hear them start to rip, nooo...I can't let this happen. I step out from the shadow and smack it hits me, I stupidly stepped out without even thinking up a plan...What to do? What to do? I got 2 secs to think something up, and then I hear someone scream out HEY!!! It was quite loud, really high pitched. Who was that? OMG that was me, ok I got hey out of my mouth, then what else? Then I go ahead to shout over here!! Over here!! See thieves!!! Catch them!! Catch them!! And like its some words from a great sorcerer it works, just like magic they are up and running, I assume they think I have some sort of back up so they take to their heels. I walk over to the young lady, she has her clothes all ripped up and she is quite visibly shaken. I don't know what to do. First I ask her name, she says, she is Jennifer...ok Jennifer, where are you coming from and where were you headed and how did you come by those thugs? Well she seems to be coming from a late night at the office and the cab seemed to have broken down in the area which is still pretty far from where she is heading to and was looking for an alternate means of transport when these thugs came upon her.
Well I can't let her continue on her way in the state she is in. She is almost naked and scared out of her mind. I tell her my name and that I am going to take her back home with me...Hmmm I do not know if to say the night just got better again, but I find myself suddenly talking like a hero. She can barely get to her feet and I have to pick up her shoes and carry them by hand, but as soon as she stands up, she manages to walk with me the not too short distance back to my place.
As I open the gate to let us in I think to myself that the story of tonight has just taken a whole new turn.....To be continued
