In the Nick of Time (An incident in Lima, Peru)
In the Nick of Time (An Incident in Lima, Peru)
We got into the taxi as usual; we were on our way to ‘Wong’s store’ in the district, called, Circle, Lima, Peru. There was no need to speak; my wife told the driver where to go. In the taxi, Delilah heard a shot, I looked out the back window, and someone was trailing us, flowing us closely, too close for comfort, and the men in the vehicle would not give much space between them and us, and this quickly alerted me to danger, real danger.
In Lima, there are many robbers, and they can be at times daring, if not foolish, yet they didn’t know I carried a gun, for most folks in Peru do not, even though it is legal with a permit, it almost seems the robber is expected to rob without any inconvenience.
I suppose they thought (the folks in the car behind us), they’d scare the cab driver into stopping, and then dominate us, take our possessions, they like robbing foreigners, children, women, or older folks, you know, the helpless ones; if not on the highways, buses, or in the cafés, right on the streets occasionally.
The taxi driver did as they expected, he stopped his automobile, and ran like a chicken leaving us, my wife and I alone in the back seat. We were only a half block from Wong’s, and the car behind us, three men jumped out, I pulled out my gun, shot through the window at them, they were awed by the sight of my gun, and grew quick to make cover, and did not stay close together as they at first had been.
I could smell the residue from my gun; feel the heat it made out of its barrow, a four inch barrow, and a 38-Special revolver, I had tucked against my left side for a quick draw with my right hand, need it come to that.
“You are dead mister,” said one of the three men, as they maneuvered around their car and one on the other side of the taxi my wife and I were in. I had my wife lay flat on the floor, a few bullets whizzed through the car windows. I knew my wife was hoping they’d leave quick, but I knew they wouldn’t, not yet (and I was hoping she’d lay still so I could concentrate on the situation at hand).
As for the police, it takes a while for the police to get activated in Peru (even if they are standing in front of you and an incident happens), if they don’t just simply run and hide and wait for it to be over with; that is why I always carry a gun, if one depends on them, you’d never be safe (or the robber would be long gone by the time they saw fit to get involved, sorry to say, but the truth is the truth, more so in Huancayo, Peru than Lima, but Lima is not far off from such lacks of courage).
After that last shot through the window, the truth of the matter came to light, we were going to be shot up in the car (the police I had seen on so many occasions along this walkway, were gone), so I opened the door, jumped out, entirely out, hoping my wife would remain safe where she was at. I felt the velocity of a bullet go by my feet, the assailant had shot a bullet under the car at my legs, and then I quickly hid them behind the wheel.
I gave up reasoning about everyone’s view point on gun control long ago, in the United States and Peru, I had to worry about me, and my wife, those good folks in gun control, don’t worry, they got bodyguards, or think the robber will over look death. I had decided long ago, I’d rather die fighting, and then hoping they’d not shoot me, at least I’d be a man about it. Thus, I knelt down, looked under the car, and to my surprise, my body started a light quivering dance, against the sight of a silver plated pistol being aimed at me, at once my body gave a flash of a warning, signal, and I moved but an inch, and a bullet, hot and speedy, ripped open my skin on my forehead (which remains a scar to this day).
I had pulled back; I suppose my impulses were similar to the robbers, I even had a tinge of artificial humor run across my spine. I was sure they would not be satisfied until they got something out of this deal, if they could squeeze me like a lemon into their cup of tea, but I learned in Vietnam, sometimes it is better to stand up and shoot one bullet after the other, in hopes the other will remain hiding, and thus, one bullet will at least kill the enemy, or snipe, if not have them run off like a dog chasing a rabbit. And that is what I did. I stood up, and started shooting, and all three ran. My gun was empty in a matter of a minute, but I always keep two bullets in my jacket pocket, or suite pocket, and thus, I pulled both bullets out, and reloaded, but I need not have, for they were gone.
“Darling,” I said to my wife, “you can come out now,” I reopened the taxi door, I had said that through the car window. She responded as she got up, and out onto the street, “How do I look?”
“Fine I said.”
Now the police came out from behind the bank, and other stores to attempt to figure out what just took place.
Note: “In the Nick of Time,” a daydream, while being driven home in a taxi, from 'Wong's' grocery store, in Circle, Lima Peru, written down by the author at 4:15 PM), 3-8-2008, upon his arrival home.
We got into the taxi as usual; we were on our way to ‘Wong’s store’ in the district, called, Circle, Lima, Peru. There was no need to speak; my wife told the driver where to go. In the taxi, Delilah heard a shot, I looked out the back window, and someone was trailing us, flowing us closely, too close for comfort, and the men in the vehicle would not give much space between them and us, and this quickly alerted me to danger, real danger.
In Lima, there are many robbers, and they can be at times daring, if not foolish, yet they didn’t know I carried a gun, for most folks in Peru do not, even though it is legal with a permit, it almost seems the robber is expected to rob without any inconvenience.
I suppose they thought (the folks in the car behind us), they’d scare the cab driver into stopping, and then dominate us, take our possessions, they like robbing foreigners, children, women, or older folks, you know, the helpless ones; if not on the highways, buses, or in the cafés, right on the streets occasionally.
The taxi driver did as they expected, he stopped his automobile, and ran like a chicken leaving us, my wife and I alone in the back seat. We were only a half block from Wong’s, and the car behind us, three men jumped out, I pulled out my gun, shot through the window at them, they were awed by the sight of my gun, and grew quick to make cover, and did not stay close together as they at first had been.
I could smell the residue from my gun; feel the heat it made out of its barrow, a four inch barrow, and a 38-Special revolver, I had tucked against my left side for a quick draw with my right hand, need it come to that.
“You are dead mister,” said one of the three men, as they maneuvered around their car and one on the other side of the taxi my wife and I were in. I had my wife lay flat on the floor, a few bullets whizzed through the car windows. I knew my wife was hoping they’d leave quick, but I knew they wouldn’t, not yet (and I was hoping she’d lay still so I could concentrate on the situation at hand).
As for the police, it takes a while for the police to get activated in Peru (even if they are standing in front of you and an incident happens), if they don’t just simply run and hide and wait for it to be over with; that is why I always carry a gun, if one depends on them, you’d never be safe (or the robber would be long gone by the time they saw fit to get involved, sorry to say, but the truth is the truth, more so in Huancayo, Peru than Lima, but Lima is not far off from such lacks of courage).
After that last shot through the window, the truth of the matter came to light, we were going to be shot up in the car (the police I had seen on so many occasions along this walkway, were gone), so I opened the door, jumped out, entirely out, hoping my wife would remain safe where she was at. I felt the velocity of a bullet go by my feet, the assailant had shot a bullet under the car at my legs, and then I quickly hid them behind the wheel.
I gave up reasoning about everyone’s view point on gun control long ago, in the United States and Peru, I had to worry about me, and my wife, those good folks in gun control, don’t worry, they got bodyguards, or think the robber will over look death. I had decided long ago, I’d rather die fighting, and then hoping they’d not shoot me, at least I’d be a man about it. Thus, I knelt down, looked under the car, and to my surprise, my body started a light quivering dance, against the sight of a silver plated pistol being aimed at me, at once my body gave a flash of a warning, signal, and I moved but an inch, and a bullet, hot and speedy, ripped open my skin on my forehead (which remains a scar to this day).
I had pulled back; I suppose my impulses were similar to the robbers, I even had a tinge of artificial humor run across my spine. I was sure they would not be satisfied until they got something out of this deal, if they could squeeze me like a lemon into their cup of tea, but I learned in Vietnam, sometimes it is better to stand up and shoot one bullet after the other, in hopes the other will remain hiding, and thus, one bullet will at least kill the enemy, or snipe, if not have them run off like a dog chasing a rabbit. And that is what I did. I stood up, and started shooting, and all three ran. My gun was empty in a matter of a minute, but I always keep two bullets in my jacket pocket, or suite pocket, and thus, I pulled both bullets out, and reloaded, but I need not have, for they were gone.
“Darling,” I said to my wife, “you can come out now,” I reopened the taxi door, I had said that through the car window. She responded as she got up, and out onto the street, “How do I look?”
“Fine I said.”
Now the police came out from behind the bank, and other stores to attempt to figure out what just took place.
Note: “In the Nick of Time,” a daydream, while being driven home in a taxi, from 'Wong's' grocery store, in Circle, Lima Peru, written down by the author at 4:15 PM), 3-8-2008, upon his arrival home.
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