Today, no, it is now yesterday. It was yesterday. You see, I am not altogether together tonight. I am still reliving this afternoon, yesterday afternoon, to make certain it truly happened because I have been surrounded by this atmosphere of surrealism for hours. And I know my daughter, Melanie is having the same issue. There is so much to lead up to this but let's just go to the "robbery".
I have your attention now. Robbery.
I needed to go to the bank, but first we needed to take her dog to the groomer's. Before we headed to the bank we both felt the "urge" to stop at a popular candy store..See's Chocolates,for some self indulgence & an Easter gift.
When we got to the bank, we got inside & had to wait a couple of minutes at most before a female banker came over and asked us to sit down at her desk. After just a couple of minutes of information exchange and ID, she left us to make copies of the paperwork. Then..
I heard Melanie mumble something as she looked up and behind me.... I only heard the words, "...we are being robbed." I followed her eyes and knew I could not turn around in my chair to look - it would draw attention to me. Her hands then went to her cell phone slowly and I whispered for her to be careful. Then I looked and saw my wallet sitting so plain upon the desk.
At that same moment I heard his voice, quiet, but plain, asking for the money telling the teller that it was not a joke, that she was too slow, to hurry, faster, faster he said. I expected him to come over to us. I remember thinking, I will tell him to just take the whole wallet. But he didn't come to us, he just ran out the door. Melanie had called 911 and got an answering machine asking her to hold.. Unbelievable... She was the first to notify 911... as she had them on the phone I had to scold and get the women to shut up and help identify the robber. Benefits of being a police dispatcher years ago kicked in to ask for details of his appearance from head to toe and his direction of travel which was on foot.
One by one, each began to recall details. He was shaved baldwhich was seen from behind but was wearing a straw hat with a black band. He had an obvious bad curly and long phony beard and sunglasses... he wore an over sized track,running suit with double white stripes and shoes with green and yellow around the heels. He was white. Funny what you can remember when pressed and calmed.
It took another 2 hours of statements, lock down, detectives, videos, etc before we were finally escorted to our car with our paperwork finally in hand. Neither of us were ever shaking and I wonder why. What kept us so calm? To us, so much that afternoon happened at first, without rhyme or reason until we reflected later.. happened to put us there and then. How the story is told we won't know, but we do know that between her quick call and my interrogating the women to put the information out... the bad guy WAS caught in a near by theater having discarded his disguise.
Was it the wrong place at the wrong time? Or the right place at the right time? No one will ever know for certain. But, I will forever consider it one of my luckiest days ever. Not because we were in a bank robbery, but because when we were in one, the robber was scared, rushed and not violent towards anyone... unlike many others that result in death, injury or mental terrorism.
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