December 17, 2008

Worthless

YESTERDAY morning, around 11 am, I was in a cab w/ my mom and the maid. We were traveling along Visayas Ave. on our way to the Edsa Shangri-La Plaza mall where my mom had an appointment w/ her eye doctor at the American Eye Center.

Mama and I were in the usual chatty mode, when another cab drove by on our left, and I saw two men riding in the backseat, pummeling someone I couldn't see. I was aghast and told my mom about it, and I could see even their cab driver taking a look at the back while he was driving. He didn't even look a bit concerned, just checking things out.

I took out my cellphone because I wanted to help whoever was in that cab, but was stumped. Who do I call? We have no 911 emergency hotline here that could immediately connect to a police station, so I felt utterly useless and helpless at the situation. The cab w/ the unknown person being beaten up, then made a left into the Shell gas station into our village and was gone. Our cabbie said it must have been a kidnap victim.

I was in shock. I absolutely didn't know what to do. I texted my friend to tell him about it, but what could he do except feel sorry for me for being unable to do anything? As we finally made our way into Edsa from East Ave., I saw a parked police car, with the cop inside asleep, his mouth wide open. And I thought, if only I knew the phone number of the Quezon City police department, maybe I could have helped that person who was being beaten up. The cops could have maybe heard my report and sent the patrol car to scout the area to look for that cab w/ the mysterious passengers.

I have never felt so worthless in my entire life. And I just hope whoever that person in the cab was, that he or she survived the attack.

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