The Plastic Bag

This story happened on 14th of February 2010 and I'll just post it here since that time I still did not have a blog. This is my REAL personal experience and it is a bit thrilling. So, enjoy!

CHEERS

Do you believe in mind over body? Due to today's incident, I strongly espouse. I have never stolen a thing before and I am sure that I am not a kleptomaniac. However, unconsciously I took somebody's plastic bag filled with towel.

I went to one of the shopping malls in Jakarta with my family and when we were about to go to the parking area to go home, I went to the toilet myself. In the damp restroom, while washing my hands, I saw a man put his plastic bag on the ledge in front of me then he proceeded to the urinal area. Then, something trickled in my brain, "If I take the plastic bag, will that man notice?" After finished washing my hand, I was not thinking about that mischievous idea again and I led my way to the door

However, I was shocked when somebody shouted from the back and was pointing at me.

I took that plastic bag.

I did not realize that I have accidentally taken the bag. "I'm screwed," my consciousness yelled and at that time I was blaming my previous thought to steal.

"Hey kid, give me that bag. What do you think you are doing?" said a robust man harshly as he was approaching me, he had a fierce-look.

"I'm sorry, sir. I did not intend to do anything," I said and he grabbed his possession back from me.

And in my thought, "Okay, let's get this over quickly, it is not a big deal, it's just a plastic bag with towel and I know I have done a wrong thing."

Then another man, who was less muscular (fortunately), joined. I jumped to him, "Sir, please believe me sir, I did not really mean anything."

I was about to exit the room but my shirt was held and at that moment, I realized the value of the towel was not important anymore but my act of stealing was.

"Let's get this prick to the security," they were talking to each other.

"Please sir, let me go, I did mean anything, really, and my family is waiting outside," I pleaded repeatedly until my knees dropped and my hands held on to each other.

"Okay, you just wait here first. I will bring you to the security to solve this problem," the less muscular man said while he was meticulously screening me. I assumed he was judging me whether I am a real thief or not.  Then I stood up, while my knees were shaking involuntarily.

The other man left the toilet.

I was very frightened. "Maybe he will come with more guys. Maybe I will be dragged. Maybe I will be..." assumptions kept terrorizing me. I was sure that I would be mighty beaten up by "the security".

I took out my phone and repeated my words to the man while trying to call my mother. Unfortunately my phone screen indicated "no signal". Shoot, that's why I hate when technology blunders, it was due to my phone not able to read the SIM card not because of the location of the place that caused “no signal”. I continued restarting my phone, hoping it would solve the problem.

"Wait sir, let my mother explains this to you."

"You just wait here and let me hold your phone. Scared that you will flee," but I refused to give my phone and kept restarting it. However, it seemed I was on my own and my phone did not willing to help me.

I prayed in my heart, "Oh God, please help me, let me get out of this situation."

The other man came back.

I began pleading them again. "Sir, before this, I was holding a bag also and I went to the toilet. But I forgot that I already gave the bag to my mother after that. Please, sir, just let me go," I lied, trying to draw sympathy from them.

"So, how?" they began discussing again. Sometimes white lies would do, they seemed to believe my story.

"Let's just settle this to the one with authority."

My effort seemed futile, I was still trapped in the room and unconsciously they cornered me. Well, I thought for that moment that I would return home with swollen body or police report. Or maybe both.

I prayed one more time, hoping a miracle would come.

"Come on, let's go outside," and I followed them.

"You, say sorry to him!" the other man said.

I saw an old man was waiting outside the toilet, smoking unperturbedly, his face was very calm as if nothing has happened. I assumed the two men that have victimized me were his hands.

"Sir, I was not planning to do anything. It was under my consciousness, I thought it was my mother's plastic bag," I tried to explain again and pleading to be freed for myriad times.

To my relief, the old man said, "It's okay. It's okay, but don't do it again next time, okay?"

"Yes sir, yes sir. Thank you," my heart tumbled down and I took my pace as fast as I could to the parking area.

I was still worried about "the security", I was afraid that they might come out anytime and beat me up.

To my relief, I met my father, he was standing at the railing waiting for me.

"What took you so long?" said my father.

"I was in a big trouble. I was very stupid. I did not know why I did that," I said with my heart was still throbbing like a running train.

"Why? What happen?" my father questioned.

I did not say anything; I was still in a shock and kept walking towards my car.

In the car, I explained everything to my whole family. My father giggled and said, "Every human has blind spot and we have to be aware of it"

"You just self-hypnotized yourself," my brother contributed to the conversation while my mother was at the backseat and still digesting my story.

"That's why. You cannot have a blank mind, your brain have to be on standby every time," advised my mother after she fathomed my incident.

In the car, I only said ‘yes, mom’ and ‘yes, dad’ while my brain was still confused about the incident, why on earth I could do such thing?

I kept silent in the car until we reached home and tried to find a valid reason why I have done such a ridiculous thing. Then, I concluded 2 things myself: firstly, mind controls the body and secondly, every little thing, whether it is good or bad, it begins in the mind.