¨Look at that young group of gringos¨ He thought, ¨They have some nice looking things.¨ Cars, buses and taxi´s sped in both directions as a group of nine of us tried to cross the street. I could feel his eyes caress my body, I ignored it. Kids yelling, vendors viciously selling, cars honking and people everywhere trying to get somewhere.
As Kelsey was getting help down the step on to the busy street, Helen and I got pushed back four feet away from the group. That’s when I felt his hand violently grab the right side of my neck, ripping my gold chain and jade piece off. With my left hand I grabbed the necklace, he pulled it from my hand so hard leaving a red chain burn. I turned and watched him run, I opened my mouth but nothing came out. His white striped shirt disappeared into the busy sidewalk and at that moment my confidence, hope and luck disappeared with him and my necklace. I was left feeling naked, hurt and alone.
¨Oh my god, are you okay?’ I couldn’t answer, I grabbed Helen´s hand and crossed the street. Once across the street and around the corner we saw the rest of the group getting onto a bus. ¨Are you hurt?¨ I shook my head no, while holding my neck with both hands. I couldn’t breath, my whole body was in shock and disbelief. Tears started to stream down my face.
¨Its gone,¨ I whispered to myself, holding my neck where my necklace had hung for six years. The tears and rapid breath became uncontrollable as what had happened became my reality.
¨What is wrong?” A lady asked in broken English. I don’t remember saying anything but in my heart I was grateful she had come up to me. Ten minutes later while waiting for the bus another lady approached Helen and I. And in our broken Spanish we tried to explain what had happened. Helen was doing a lot of the talking because I couldn’t talk in English let alone Spanish. The conversation was a blur but at the very end she placed her hand on my right shoulder and we just looked at each other.
The bus arrived to take us on an hour adventure to La Offilia where then we had a ten minute walk to the Working Boys Center where we were staying. With tear stained checks and anger for Quito as a city and all the people in it, I tried to reason with what had happened. I tried to figure out why this had happened to me and what I did to deserve such sitty karma. I wanted to believe that the guy with my necklacewas going to use the money to feed his ten starving kids. Tears uncontrollably streamed down my face , everyone in the cramped bus was looking at me.I wanted to hate this amazing place I was in but i couldnt do it. I was so sad my necklace was gone, and so mad that it got stolen, but so happy that the two ladies had talked to me and cared about me. I looked to my left and a boy around my age was staring at me. His energy was so positive and caring my heart sunk and I started crying more.There were so many mixed emotions I was feeling and all I wanted to do was be back in the Center. When the bus stopped Helen and I waited as a rush of people hurried out the doors. I felt a tap on my shoulder, the boy who had been looking at me earlier gently reached for my hand, put something in it and ran out the doors and into the crowd. I watched as the boy with curly black hair and a gray shirt ran out of site. At that moment my confidence, hope and luck was restored. I unwrapped my hand to find a plastic necklace. My faith in humanity was renewed.
I had just experienced the most violent side of a person in Quito and an hour later I had come across the most caring heart warming people. I believe that this experience as a gift in disguise. A gift from the universe to remind me that for every bad person there are three good people and a fat boy that stares at you.
Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you and I took my necklace on this trip. I have learned that you are ALWAYS right, I guess I needed to find out the hard way. I’m sorry, I love you.
Maleea Ezekiel