(;_;)

June 15, 2008

Father’s day. Sunday morning. Broad daylight. Three of us talking while we walked over the bridge. Two teenage boys came up the slope from the parking lot at the side of the bridge just where the railing ends. We weren’t paying attention to them. Suddenly they’re too close to my friend. Then she’s saying no. All I know is that I have to get them away from my girl. I don’t even know what is happening yet but I’m pushing them off of her. They snatch her bag and run across the street and disappear into a gulley.
In shock we go to tell the mall security guards, the ones standing around chatting instead of checking the perimeter (I’m sure this wasn’t the first time this spot had been the scene of a crime). They must have been board as the mall was just opening and they had nothing better to do so they went to look for them. They too disappeared into the gulley. We watched and waited. We didn’t think much would happen.
Suddenly a guard came running at full speed from the mall. We looked up at the bridge and a guy with a gun was nudging the two young ruffians forward. Our mouths dropped open. As they walked past us we froze. Urged to follow by the security guards we did at a distance. All of the excitement gathered a crowd who were tagging along.
There were too many people stuffed into a mall security office, including the two boys. Suddenly they looked so young. One of them I was certain about the other I could not positively ID. But when we were adamant about his guilt he turned his own buddy in.
Security smacked them around a bit. Out came her cell phone. They smacked them around a bit more. Out came the SIM card. They smacked them around some more and lead them back to the gulley. Her bag, wallet, glasses, and other odds and ends resurfaced.
Did we have to fill out any paperwork? No. Can we go? Yes. What will happen to them? We will call the police.

* Please excuse me if I spoke to you on the phone that day, it was a rough day- Ben, Jam, O, Booda.