ROBBERS ON THE LOOSE - 3OTH SEPTEMBER 2024

ONE SHOULD NOT MAKE PLANS FOR TOMORROW, LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE, THE UNEXPECTED CAN HAPPEN IN A SPLIT SECOND. “QUOTE BY POET” I woke up to a brilliant sunny spring day, The flowers blooming, the birds were chirping, The tree leaves dancing to a gentle wind blowing, Rustling their young leaves, our chime tinkling. The jacaranda trees which looked so dashing Giving us a glorious show, their flowers tumbling To the ground beneath, resembling purple carpeting. Our annual optician’s appointment was today, So off to mall we go, reluctant to leave our patio. We were right on time, and the optician saw me first, All good he said after my consultation, go have fun And choose your specs. Whilst choosing my funky frames, a petrifying noise Surrounded the mall, the six of us froze. So scary ,surreal, horrendous and mind boggling, Loud shots, automatic gun fire, people shouting, Shots fired from where no one knew, people screaming, We huddled under the counter, shots still ringing, The brave receptionist ran to shut the glass door and locked it Then ran back to join us under the counter. Normality returned all too soon, as an elderly man who Seemed shell shocked and disorientated, stumbled in as the Receptionist cautiously re-opened the door. He told us the Robbers were professionals, and were in and out in 5 minutes, Well-rehearsed he added, and the almighty thunderous Bangs we heard, were from hearsay, that the robbers Shot and broke the glass display cabinets, taking All and every piece of jewellery with them. A getaway car, revving, In the open parking on the third floor all ready and waiting. The jewellery shop was just above us. The ear shattering Sounds were thus inevitable. My thoughts however went to those terrified people shopping, In the corridors of the mall, Who had no shelter at all. What happened to that wonderful sunny spring morning that I woke up to, flowers blooming, tree leaves gently swaying in the breeze and majestic jacaranda trees carpeting the ground with their purple flowers. We are mere mortals who live on a very turbulent and troubled planet, a planet called earth. Miraculously, no one was injured, to my knowledge. THIS IS A TRUE STORY - IT HAPPENED TO US ON THE 30TH SEPTEMBER