Guilt

One night i was getting hungry, and it was around 1:30am. SO i went out, and crossed Swanston to the 7-11 opposite for a meat pie. On the way back, i saw this huge shape of a figure stumbling out of the semi-alleyway beside Uropa. It turned out to be a fat caucasian man, a really big guy. And on his nose, all around his mouth is what appeared to be blood. He saw me, then went:"Call someone mate, i been mugged, i been punched in the face.." And he looked disorientated. I didn't have my phone, i didn't have my wallet. What i DID have, was the 20 cents leftover from the change. So i gave him that, and told him to use a payphone. I was alone on the streets, and i was feeling vulnerable, and for some reason i had this fear that he might be putting on a show and waiting to mug me. So i ran. On the way back, i passed Keegan's friend, LiWei. He didn't seem to have noticed me. I ran back up to my apartment. That guy was just 1 minute away from my place when i bumped into him. That incident was on my mind the whole of next day, but i went on with life.

So 2 days later i bumped into LiWei's blog. Heres the link: http://willywei.blogspot.com/ . Turned out that he and his friend bumped into the guy shortly after i went past them. They helped him, called the emergency number, etc. So it turned out that he IS indeed mugged. All of a sudden i felt the guilt. The guilt of leaving the poor guy behind as i ran away, leaving him mugged, disorientated, blood on his face. And it was pratically at my front door. I could have gotten down some tissue, went up to call the ambulance, gotten him some disinfectant. Something. Anything. Instead, i ran away. Somehow i felt like i have failed as a human being.

My mum told me that this is the first time i came across a situation like this, so i shouldn't feel too bad. But the pain is there. And i learnt my lesson. When you are out, BRING A PHONE. In case you are the one who got mugged, or met someone who did, you can contact someone. That, and to all the people out there, never walk alone on the streets at night. I used to run around thinking that i am all invincible just cuz i am a big guy. WRONG. That poor fellow was about twice my size. Yet he still got mugged, punched in the face, left in some deserted area. On big, safe ol' Swanston street. 3rd lesson, lend a helping hand to whoever who needs it. Carry the emergency number in your wallet, in your cell phone, anything. Lend out a helping hand to whoever needs help, who knows, this may happen to you or your friends.

And in the off chance that the man who got mugged may read this page: My sincerest apologies for leaving you out there. I will do better next time