2009-09-12 - 6:09 a.m.
Alright, so I'm writing this while I have the chance - and my memory is still fresh.
Last night, I went to KFC with Gigi to meet Ferra and Mpeet. It turned out that they tagged Ipiet along with them. It's been a while since the last time I met them - and had a girls' night out.:D I realized that I needed that. Everybody needs balance, just to stay sane.
And I really did have fun with them.:) We had dinner, chatted, and even took pictures of each other and together with our cellphone cameras. (Ferra brought her own digital Nikon.) I haven't seen the girls in a long time, except online.
Somehow, my eyes suddenly strayed to the indoor part of the restaurant's second floor. I saw an attractive young father with a boy about six or seven, sitting face to face. Through the glass partition, I noticed they weren't ordering anything. They were talking, or - at least to me - the father was telling the boy something, because I could only see the boy's back from where I was sitting. Outside was crowded, so I couldn't make out their conversation. However, both his expression and body language said it all.
He was enraged.
After that, he did something horrible - to my horror and fury. He lifted his hand to slap the boy's face. Hard.
My blood ran cold. I sat rigidly, my eyes fixated on them.
The man did it again. And again. And again. All the while, the boy remained seated and helpless. I saw him wipe his eyes, so I could tell the boy was crying. But the man just kept yelling and slapping him...
Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. STOP!!!
Isn't it ironic? In a public place full of people, stuff like this tends to get unnoticed - or sadly ignored. It's none of our business, we might say. Or worse, some of us might say that the man was just teaching the boy to be a (tough) man.*rolls eyes*
No, he wasn't.:( He was teaching the boy to be the next abuser in line, joining the already flawless and biased society.
Then suddenly, the man looked up and found me glaring hard at him from across the room. I let our eyes lock for a moment before looking away, making sure my message got crossed. I had to do that, or else I might've done something worse if I'd kept staring at him. Inside, I felt like crying.
Please, Mister. Whatever he's done, don't make me come up to you and beat the hell out of you right in front him. Stop hurting that boy!
No, I never fear any gutless, spineless cowards who believe that hitting women and children gives them a sense of power and control. BULLSHIT!!!
"Asshole."
"What's wrong?" Gigi suddenly asked me as she noticed my stern expression. I didn't even realized I'd muttered the word out loud.
"He hit the boy," I drawled through my gritted teeth. When I explained more, the girls' attention turned to the man in unison. I looked down and drew in a sharp breath, trying to put out the fire inside and regain my lost composure. No such luck.
"Oh, God," Mpeet exclaimed.
"Yeah." I sighed. "Is he still hitting the boy?"
"No," said Ferra. "But he's still mad at the boy."
Of course, because we were watching him now. And he'd seen the fiery accusation in my eyes that simply stated: You are a monster.
I never respect adults who do such things to children. Okay, so I care that much. So What?
However, it wasn't just enough. In the end, I was just the silent witness among this carefree, ignorant society.
And sadly, I am just as guilty.:(
The Author
