Pickpocket

By Aurora

A garlicky stench of sweat filled the platform as I pinched my nose, trying to prevent smelling the stench. Shafts of bronze light shone into the shelter as commuters, workers and students mingled around. Finally, the bus screeched to a halt beside us. I elbowed my way through the crowd of passengers.With much effort, I managed to board the sardine-packed and stuffy vehicle. Soon, the door shut and the bus moved on. I could hardly move an inch.

Then my eyes rested on a girl, searching her pockets frantically with an air of despair. Soon, tears trickled down her rosy cheeks.“Why did she cry? Has anything happened to her?” I muttered under my breath. I approached her and asked her what had happened. “I....I lost my wallet,” she sobbed.“Had you dropped it anywhere?” I inquired. “I don’t know,” she answered. I scanned around the bus and my gaze fell on a man who was fidgeting continuously and trying in vain to keep a wallet out of my sight. He was waiting impatiently at the door of the bus.

“Could he have taken the girl’s wallet?” I wondered.I mustered up my courage and approached him. “Sir, had you taken anything?” I asked. “It’s none of your business!” he shouted. All eyes soon turned to us as interest in the commotion heightened. “How do you explain this?” I challenged, pointing to the wallet in his hands. “This is mine!” he bellowed.

Losing his patience, he delivered a well-aimed punch at my stomach. “Ouch……” I doubled over in pain. Taking advantage of my temporary disadvantage, he rained blows after blows on me. I could not endure it anymore, so I collapsed onto the floor.At this moment, the door opened and the man took to his heels. “Chase him……He is a……a pickpocket,” I uttered, grimacing in pain. Almost instantly, dozens of people jumped out from their seats and ran after him at breakneck speed. Soon, I joined the chase. “Stopp…” one of us shouted. Our legs felt like lead and our chests heaved after a few minutes. Our lungs felt like they were on fire but all of us were unrelenting. Arms outstretched, we tried to catch hold of the pickpocket. However, he seemed so near and yet was frustrating out of reach each time we edged closer. The pickpocket was panting hard as well. Suddenly, a stone was flung from somewhere behind me. It ricocheted off the man’s back and he fell with a heavy thud. A few muscular men rushed forward and pinned him down while another whipped out his hand phone and dialed triple nines.

Within minutes, sirens of police cars rent the silent afternoon. The wallet was returned to the girl and the man was arrested. “Thank you so much. Thank you, “the girl thanked me profusely. She reached out for her wallet and took a fifty dollars note from it. What a rich girl she was to have so many fifty dollars notes in her wallet. However, I declined the reward politely. “Please, take it. You are such a brave boy to confront the man,” she said. I still refused to accept it.“All right then, I will tell my father to buy you a box of chocolates. Would that be all right?” she asked. I nodded with a grin. Chocolates are my favourite.