Extortion

It's funny that the first time I ever got extorted (asked for money in a threatening kind of way) is when I'm 28. Now that my son is two, his run is already faster than my walk. So, yesterday while waiting to tapau food from a mamak restaurant near my parents, he ran out of the restaurant heading along the walkway of other shophouses (inclusive of closed ones). I never gave any thought about anything as others are also walking by, though it's quite dark.

However, just as we reached an alley (between rows of shophouses), someone approached me from behind asking for RM1 to buy rice! Huh?! Anyway, I continued conversation asking in malay "Wanna buy what?", while picking up my son, and doing a quick analysis of his wellbeing. Shoes, very badly tattered. Bottom of the pants totally off coloured, being soiled and never washed. This was a homeless dude, meaning he's got nothing to lose and desperate, that even RM1 is important.

I reached to the back of my pants to pull out my wallet, careful not to flash it (coz' asking for RM1 also should be a ploy to get a wallet in sight and I don't want a risk of him grabbing my wallet and running away) and while the wallet is still at my back, managed to flip out my smallest note (lucky I arranged it that way from left to right). To my dismay, my smallest note that night was RM5. Heck with it. Put back my wallet, take it out and handed it to him and walked away. As he was flinching to get a closer look at his RM1 being green, that's the best time to leave.

Two advices now. Firstly, not to let your child wander to where can be risky to any security threats though you're very familiar with that place. Secondly, learn one-handed tricks. :D