Mood:  blue
Now Playing: The Snatching Incident
My mom asked me to go with her to see a trade exhibit at the Megatrade of Megamall last Saturday, September 3rd, and i was only too delighted to go, even though i had just returned from attending Ladies Breakfast Fellowship in Church that morning when she asked me. We have just alighted the bus that took us there from Fairview, and began to climb the first few steps of the overpass to cross over to Megamall. She was at my right side, holding onto my right wrist, while i held onto our umbrella to keep us cool under the hot noontime sun. It was around 12:20pm already.

Suddenly, from behind us, I heard a man's voice mumbling incoherent words, and right between us, reached his hands out for my right forearm, and held it tight. In an instant, he pulled-off my white-gold flat bracelet and ran back downstairs faster than I could have even looked at him. I let out a scream, basically because of fear that someone has inflicted harm upon me. My mom had let go of her hold on me and was leaning against the stairs' metal railing when she also managed to scream "magnanakaw, tulungan nyo kami..." in a fearful, trembling voice, one that was all too familiar to me, a tone of voice we only hear when she's crying out of desperation. When i saw that the snatcher had immediately fled downstairs, all I ever thought about was our safety. My mom's already 68, and, there were just the two of us then. It was a good thing i was the one who was assaulted, i dare not think of what would happen if someone hurt my mom. And that time, i don't think i'd be able to protect the 2 of us from anyone who'd try to physically harm us.

After i looked behind me to see where the snatcher had fled, i realized that i had let go of the umbrella i was holding, so after reaching for it, i calmed my mom and said, "hayaan mo na, Ma..." and began to help her up the rest of the way to the top of the stairs. She asked me what the man got from me and told her he got my bracelet. While i referred to my arm, i looked at where my bracelet was and saw that the area was beginning to turn red where he held me. When we got to the top of the overpass, on the last step, i then realized that i was trembling. Instead of dwelling on it, i remembered to tell my mom that she should not use that route ever again, especially if she was alone. We then saw a security guard standing there, and my mom began to report to him that a snatcher took my bracelet. When i showed my arm to him, the area that was beginning to turn red had gotten bigger and the color became a brighter red. It was as if the man's hands have left an imprint where he held me. The part where he pulled at my bracelet showed a lump that later on became a bruise, and underneath it showed a cut, which hurt even more when we got inside Megamall because the temperature inside, especially at the Megatrade hall was very cold. The guard at the overpass only managed to say, "kararating ko lang po kasi eh..." but i wondered what he would have done if he had witnessed the snatching. Noel later on said he could fire a warning shot to caution the snatcher from proceeding, but then i don't think that would make me feel any better. I had actually thought that the best that could be done at that time was if someone from behind us who saw what happened would trip the snatcher while he was running, and then we'd have a better edge in catching the guy without him making any further harm. However, one of those who were behind us said he would have helped us if he wasn't carrying a suitcase. He said he even saw the man get on a bus. But i doubt that he would have helped us even without a suitcase. In those kinds of situations, it was difficult to help out if you're not armed with a weapon, or trained in self-defense, or street-smart and gutsy enough to try to even stop and help out.

Until now whenever i look at my 5mm long cut, i still hurt especially when it's washed, bumped or pressed. I've learned though to lift up the man to God.