The
shopping mall was buzzing with shoppers.
It was as busy as an ant’s nest.
It was Christmas eve and everyone was in a festive mood as Christmas carols played melodiously from the loudspeakers.
I was shopping with Mom the entire day and my
feet felt sore like crazy. I decided to
sit at a metallic bench to take a breather while Mom continued her shopping
frenzy. I
waited and waited, getting really bored.
I spotted two children, an older boy, about eight, and a little girl,
probably less than four. Hand in hand, they
looked like they were looking for someone.
Just
then, I spotted a familiar figure. My
mum. She was waving at me, eager to show
me her purchase. As she was rushing
towards me, a girl lost her balance and fell just before her. It was the same girl I had seen earlier.
Immediately, big fat tears rolled down her cheeks. My mother felt bad and quickly helped her to
her feet. Her older brother was behind
my mom and did not even bother to help.
The girl thanked my mom and the two kids sped off.
Upon
seeing Mom laden with shopping bags, I sulked and pulled a long grumpy face, folding my arms in frustration.
“Sorry to make you wait. Hmm… How about
a large cup of Lao Lao yogurt with your favorite white chocolate chips?” she suggested
and gave a wink. I fell for it right away. My eyes immediately lit up in delight! How could I turn down such a tantalizing
offer? All the wait was well worth it. We
went straight to the yogurt store without delay.
As we
were queueing, Mother dug into her Louis Vuitton handbag, trying to fish out her
Chanel wallet. “God, where is my
wallet?” Her face blanched white as all
her cash and cards were inside as well.
I
looked around and saw, to my surprise, the same siblings savouring a cup of Lao
Lao as well. In the brother’s hand was a Chanel wallet. My goodness! How could he afford a Chanel? It was a limited edition one. Could it be Mom’s? Something inside me clicked suddenly. I put two and two together and realised that
the pair was a pickpocket duo. The young
girl was a decoy and the older one was the thief.
My mom spotted the two and must have realised
it too. Immediately,
she marched towards them and bellowed, “You useless midgets! How dare you steal from me!” The kids turned ashen-faced and were
trembling in fright. They were caught
red handed!
The older
boy came forward and stammered, “Here... is... your wallet! Could you give us a second chance and let us
go, please?” The children clasped their
hands together and pleaded with their doleful eyes.
Mom
checked and realised the contents were all intact except for some loose change. They could have spent it on the Lao Lao
yogurts. Just then, her phone
rang. It was Dad chasing to meet her at
the car park. Mom decided to let them
off after a stern lecture. After all, it
was just a few dollars and they were so young.
As we
hurried off, I turned to look at them once more. I sincerely hoped that the children would
turn over a new leaf. In a far
distance, the girl had tumbled onto the floor once more. They had struck again and gotten their
next victim. I shook my head and sighed
in disbelief. Well, I guess, a leopard
cannot change its spots.
Image source: https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/pick-pocket-505392.jpg
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