"Finally… " I sighed, relieved that work was finally over. Fatigue was overwhelming me; yet, the mall I had just entered was buzzing with energy. Throngs of people were scattered all over, all focused on securing their lunch for the day. Squeezing through the tiny gaps in the crowd, I finally managed to arrive at the restaurant I was looking for. Out of the blue, a person suddenly bumped into me! My belongings scattered all over the floor together with my black bag.
"Why did this have to happen?" I groaned, starting to regret coming to the mall as I stooped down to pick up my bag.
At that moment, a young teenager spotted me. When he saw the contents of my bag on the floor, he hurried over. Noticing his pierced nose and ears, I grew wary, thinking that he was some sort of gangster. To my utmost surprise, he bent down and started putting my belongings back into my bag. He was actually helping me! Once he was done, he passed my bag back to me and gently uttered, "Here you go, Ma'am. I believe these are your things." With that, he strode off with a smile.
As I watched him disappear into the crowd, I smiled to myself and thought, "Perhaps I should not be so quick to judge others by their looks."
While waiting for my queue number at the restaurant, I was shopping in a nearby keychain shop when something caught my eye. An adorable, tiny model of a baby penguin gleamed before me. "Aww… That's so cute! I should buy that!" I exclaimed, overwhelmed by its lovable appearance. With the miniature penguin in one hand, I sauntered over to the counter.
Once I placed the keychain on the counter, the lady pleasantly informed me, "That would be three dollars please."
Nodding, I reached into my bag to take out my wallet. However, my wallet was nowhere to be found! My smile immediately turned upside down. Nervously, I started pacing back and forth, biting my fingernails. Suddenly, a picture of the teenager appeared in my mind. "It must be him!" I shouted in realisation. Abandoning the keychain, I ran towards the direction I had seen the teenager walking towards. Miraculously, I found him!
As I made a beeline for him, I shouted in a shrill tone, "Stop him! He's a thief!" Hearing my exclamation, flummoxed faces turned towards me as a few others quickly restrained the teenager to make sure he could not escape.
"What? I've never committed a crime, let alone steal!" the teenager responded with a shell-shocked expression.
"Stop lying to me, you crafty viper!" I shouted back, arms akimbo as my brows furrowed. As time passed, our argument escalated. With each word we hurled at one another, the commotion grew louder.
At its climax, the teenager yelled back at me, "If you lost your wallet, then what's that silvery thing sticking out of the back pocket of your jeans?!"
Face purple and fists clenched, I panted for breath. I reached into my back pocket and… my wallet was indeed in there! Dumbfounded, I struggled for words. "What?... How?... "
Seeing the wallet in my hands, the adults holding the teenager released their grip. The teenager glowered at me and I stared at my feet. The crowd that had formed murmured in disapproval at my recklessness. I muttered meekly, "I'm so sorry. I should not have caused you such humiliation… "
In response, the teenager huffed in annoyance. "Next time, just remember not to jump to conclusions. Before you make an accusation, think!"
I nodded solemnly. After that incident, I learnt to think twice before acting. I would not want to wrongly accuse anyone ever again.
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