It was finally when I wiped the blood from my forehead that I could not help but laugh. Laughter felt better now than fear. Altough temporary, it offered a way of coping with what has just happened – I was assulted at gunpoint.
It was 8:43 pm when I got off the subway and started my 5 minute walk home. On the walk home, all I kept thinking was about doing my laundry but figured it was too late and that I had to go to work early the next day. When I entered my building lobby I noticed a couple waiting for the elevator. They were concentrated in their conversation, and I into my ipod. As we got on I noticed them press floor # 5 and I asked for them to press floor #2. They continued their conversation.
The elevator stoped on floor M. (M is the floor where the laundry mat is found in my building). As the doors open I noticed a young man standing there about to get on. As he was getting on, he waived to another guy to get on. 2 guys got on and one of them pressed the number 5, although it was already pressed and lit up. When the doors opened on the second floor, still listening to my ipod, I walked out. As I walked down my hallway, I felt a shadow upon me. From the corner of my eye I could see it. 2 shadows. My heart stopped.
“Give me your wallet” one of the man from the elevator yelled out. I stooped. I froze. Holy Shit! Was this really happening????? Wait this cant be happening, I thought, this is my building and am 20 feet away from my apt door. “Give me the fucking walllet!!” they yelled again. Still frozen, I could only muster the words, “Wait, are you serious??” He reached for his gun.
I can’t really explain the feeling but it was something that seemed to play out in my head from a movie. I mean shit like this dont really happen in a hallway, does it ? ?? I could not say anything. To my surpise I was not scared. All I can remember was a conflict in my mind as to try and figure out if this was real or not. Was this really happening?
They came for me and tried to reach into my pocket. I struggled and my coat was broken. I was struck in the forehead with the edge of the gun. “Stand back ama shut this muthafucka” yelled the older one. I quickly grabbed the young one and put him in front of me. I could hear my dog barking from my apt. I wonder now if he knew what was going on or if he was simply excited to hear my voice and for me to get home. “Dont shoot”, yelled the young one as I threw him down and ran up the stairs at the end of the hall. “Lets go”, yelled one, but by them I could not make out who was yelling. I was two flights up.
I noticed something red on my shirt. My blood. I knocked on a door and tried to ask for help. “Call the police man” i yelled out. To my surprise there was no answer although I could see a shadow beneath the door. I grabbed my cellphone and dialed 911 all the while still thinking….wait, did this really happen? A neighbor opened the door and asked what was going on. Noticing that I was bleeding form my head, she offered a wet paper towel. I held it against my bleeding head.
It feels all to strange to think that something like this can happen. But it does. But it did. The most stricking thing of all was that it happened 20 feet away from my apt door. That feeling is something that I can’t seem to shake. Can”t seem to deal with. Can’t seem to forget. A feeling that will be remembered when I get home tonight.
so i forgot to tell you that this also happened to me, right around when i was your age. it happened about 10-15 feet away from my apt in Atlanta. but there was no gun involved and i was highly intoxicated. they did take my wallet but thanks to technology, i got my credit cards deactivated by morning. life brings us all sorts of surprises, just make sure you listen to what the world is telling you. might not make sense now, but eventually it will.