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| That night could be as beautiful as Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. |
How could I forget this scary scary dark night? This happened about 12 years ago but it seems like it's just yesterday...
It was about 2am when I alighted from the cab, just a block away from my home. As the cab drove off, I was left alone walking steadily towards my home. I'm still slightly tipsy from a party and drinking session with my friends an hour ago, in one of the pubs at Boat Quay.
Feeling worn-out, all I wanted to do was to have a quick bath and dive into my bed and fall asleep.
As I turned around a dark corner, a man suddenly jumped out of nowhere and stopped me in my tracks.
He was lanky and fit, approximately in his early 20s (I was 18 years old then), wearing a black cap, white t-shirt, dark blue jeans, a pair of track shoes and carrying a black backpack. I remembered that there was a handphone in one of the netted side pockets of his bag.
"I don't even own a handphone. What do you want from me?" I thought, as I only had a pager at that time.
In the dim lightings, I could clearly see him sweating and panting as I held my breath in shock, waiting to see what he wanted to do...
"Can I kiss you?!" he suddenly blurted out, breaking the dreadful silence.
"No!" I firmly replied.
Then, he started walking towards me, as if closing in for the kill. I was scared stiff as I didn't know what he'd do next. At this point, I was thinking: "Should I run now? What if he kills me if I run?"
Before I could decide, his hands reached for my neck and he gave an abrupt pull before stepping back again. He was right then holding on to my silver and gold necklaces, gifts from my godmother who doted on me. Then, it hit me: "Oh s**t, this man is robbing me."
"Give me back my necklace!" I found myself stupidly demanded, instead of letting him go to end the episode.
"Yes if you'd let me kiss you!" he proposed.
"I said no!" I replied angrily this time as these necklaces are significant to me and I wanted them back badly.
Next, as if he didn't hear me, he started advancing towards me again. I took a few steps backwards until I found my back against a large wall. He is, at this point, right in front me. I could clearly see his face. And I remembered he had a mole on his left cheek.
Then, he tried to kiss me on my mouth and neck, I repelled, darting his attacks with my arm. He then forcefully tried to pull down my skirt.
I gave a loud scream.
The young man stepped back immediately and said: "I'll be back for you." He then scurried off into the dark shadows of the night. I tried to take off after him to get back my necklaces but I was too shocked and too weak.
I walked home battered - with messed up hair and (I later realised) a torn skirt - unable to believe what had just happened to me. I walked into my brother's bedroom, woke him up and told him what had happened, just before I collapsed and cried.
"WHAT? Huh? Where's that person! I'm gonna get him!" My brother uttered angrily in his sleepy state. And he ran out of the front door to try and nab my attacker.
After crying out for a few minutes, I got hold of myself and thought, "I should call the police". But I called my friend Mic first instead and told her about my ordeal.
"Robbed? Ya right! Very funny. Ok lah we'll meet and talk tomorrow, I'm turning in le", she said before I could fill her in on the details of the near-rape part. Her reaction was comprehensible - "Hello Mic, I had just been robbed and almost raped" really sounds like a joke.
Then I proceeded to dial 999...
To all women out there, please take good care of yourself!
Do not try to walk home alone in the middle of the night or at a deserted area, even if it's a short walk.
Get your father, brother, or a friend to fetch you from the bus stop or from your cab and walk you home. You'll never know whether such things will happen to you.
Do not live to regret it. I am thankful that I escaped from this robbery (almost rape!) unscathed and will be extra vigilant in the future.
Note: In the year 2000, a 27-year-old jogger was raped and assulted in a local park. And she died 8 days later due to her wounds. Till today, the attacker is still at large.