Tuesday 31 May 2011

Not The First Time

After much pressure from family and friends and the clear message from your comments and emails (for which I am very thankful), I did report the incident and the police were surprisingly sympathetic and confident that they could find the culprit

I’ve been a bit wary since the incident last Monday but not scared. When I told my colleagues the next day at work, four of the women said it had happened to them. For one it had happened twice. Nice.

Anyway, soon after writing that last post I suddenly remembered something that happened when I was very young. Not a mugging but a similar incident – one that I had pretty much forgotten

I was about 13 and I was coming home from a piano lesson just a couple of streets away. I had turned the corner on to my road and a car passed me and beeped. The driver was looking round at me but I didn’t recognise him. He stopped the car, got out and held open the back door, As I got nearer, he said “Hello love, you look nice. Get in and we’ll go for a drive.”

I said no thanks and tried to walk on but he blocked my way and said with a smile
“Come on love, just get in the car.”

I didn’t know what to do then and he moved forward but fortunately a neighbour came out of his house and shouted something. The guy ran into his car and raced off.

Mr Blackstone came running over to me to see if I was OK and like Nathan he walked home with me and rang the bell. When my dad opened the door he told me to go inside which I did and then he must have told my dad what he saw.

Dad was fussing over me then all evening and asking if I could remember what he looked like and if he touched me and I remember being very blasé about the whole thing. After all, I hadn’t felt scared at any point. I clearly didn’t realise the potential danger of it all.

I’m guessing my parents didn’t involve the police as I don’t remember ever speaking to them, or anyone else about it. However, thinking about it now it probably explains why Dad pretty much gave me a lift everywhere after that until I started driving myself. All my friends thought I was terribly spoilt but he was clearly scarred by what could have happened to his precious little girl, whereas I just put it out of my head ……until now.

8 comments:

  1. The sad truth is that our so-called civilized world is as dangerous and wild as when we were still living in caves. I often wonder if we've developed as a species at all.

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  2. yikes. had similar happen when i was little...we used to get dropped at the bottom of our hill and take a dirt road up the back side to our house, approx 1/4 mile...one day a truck chased us up the dirt road...luckily he got stuck in one of the culverts that ran through it...

    i am glad you reported it...

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  3. Strange isn't it how memories can be locked away for so long then retriggered by events in the present day. I think your dad's behaviour was spot on. It would have been worse if it had been brushed under the carpet. Would have sent out completely the wrong message to a young teenager. Hope you're not dwelling on it too much now. Sounds like your neighbour arrived just in time.

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  4. I sure hope they catch the "culprit" soon and throw him in jail!!

    I would have done the same thing your dad did.

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  5. I get the thing about what happened triggering past memories...

    But you're safe now. Alive. And doing well. Think about that one.

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  6. Saw your blog on the old Geezer. I'm excited to get to know you better.
    Sandy
    www.twelvemakesadozen.blogspot.com

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  7. You know, now that my 2 girls have to go to school afternoon/evening (damn earthquake messing up things), they don't get home til around 6.30/7pm and being winter it is cold and dark and I make sure I am at the bus stop to take them home each night, even tho' it's only about a 20 minutes walk. Somethings just can't be 'un-done' and I won't take a chance if I don't have to with my girls, I TOTALLY get where your dad was at!!

    Am glad you're safe now tho'.

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