One school day in 1996, instead of dropping us off at school like we were expecting, Dad drove Noelle and me to the airport with him. He and Mom secretly packed our luggage for a 3-day business trip to Washington DC! Boy, was that a SURPRISE! I believe Noelle has told the detailed, upbeat side of this adventure on her blog. (part I) At the time, I remember feeling insulted that I wasn't brought into the loop on this decision; after all, I was in the 8th grade! What if I had important school project that I didn't tell anyone about? But my annoyance very quickly gave way to nervous anticipation and glee. Once in DC, we toured the Mall, we saw all the sites, and Noelle and I even got lost and had to navigate our way across town to our hotel--by our lonesomes! (part II) But that wasn't even the most dramatic part of our trip. You are about to hear, first-hand, the true tale of THE DC ATTACKER: part III! [Cue dramatic music].
The exciting adventure is set just outside of DC's underground train station. The time is 1:13 am. (Why is it that a 3rd-person spectator can always identify shady situations a mile away, but the characters wrapped up in the plot are oblivious until it is too late--OF COURSE SOMETHING SINISTER IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT A DC TRAIN STATION AFTER 1 AM!)
We climbed the stairs to the street having just finished watching Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible at the train station. It was a small, underground theater; perfect for a top secret viewing of a top secret movie in the city of 1 million spies.
Anyway,
Our minds still spinning, desperately trying to make sense of the convoluted plot to which we just bore witness, we were shocked to find that the streets of DC dark and empty. [Dun, dUn, DUN!] Light-headed from problem-solving, Noelle and I walked mindlessly on either side of our dad, who seemed to know the city like the back of his hand. I recall, the streets were damp and very dark, even for asphalt. There was a solitary lady in a hat walking just ahead of us. Her shoes made hollow clicking noises as her heels connected with the sidewalk below. I wondered where we were.
We turned a corner and could see our Hyatt Hotel only a block and a half in the distance. Confidently, I took step ahead of my Dad to assert my new-found navigational skills. All of a sudden, Dad grabbed us both by the hand and spoke to us in the voice that he only used when there would be no questioning what ever thing he was about to say,
"Cross to the other side of the street; now."
We obediently crossed the street.
Before we could even reach the other side, a scream filled the night's silence from where we just were. I looked back just long enough to see the lady in the hat regaining her balance and a figure in black making off with her purse.
Dad pulled us the rest of the way to the hotel, past the doorman standing resolutely but indifferent at the entrance, where we were immediately rushed up to our room. Dad informed the authorities, while I peered out our 30th-floor window in the hope of catching a glimpse of the perpetrator. I starred for at least five minutes before finally giving up.
I just witnessed a mugging! I thought to myself. My mind flashed back to what happened to that poor female CIA Agent, in Mission Impossible, for witnessing Krugar's theft of the NOC-list in Prague. Would we be next?!
At that moment, Mission Impossible became my favorite movie, ever!
Years later, I now wonder what I would have done in that situation if I were Dad. First of all, we must all applaud Dad for his skillful eye in noticing the mugger lurking in the shadows. But at that point, my choice would be, "do I warn the lady and, in doing so, possible endanger my kids?" Then the next question would be, "Do I take a more hands-on role in helping the victimized woman? What if she wasn't a true victim after all, but a scam-artist working in tandem with the thief."
That mugging, I'm realizing now, could have been the genesis of my fascination with New Orleans' most-infamous, two-bit thief, Muerte! for DEATH! Jew die today! (<---phonetic antisemitic.="" br="" not="">
Here is a diagram of what essentially happened:
this diagram is tight, as they say! You have really learned some sweet graphics for the blog...was it from that book you requested? I thought you might buy that for yourself from us for Christmas as we didn't know how! :)
ReplyDeleteThat was really scary. The only time I've witnessed a mugging actually. What a big day, first getting lost in an unknown city for 3 hours then witnessing a mugging. At least we got dinner at Benihana and my first midnight movie to cheer us up!
ReplyDeleteWhat a story! Thank goodness you preserved it here. Interesting to think about what you'd do in Dad's position. I think I'd have done what he did had my head been as cool and my eyes as quick. What adventures you have.
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