The man snatched the woman's bag and ran toward me and Sherly. I reflexively stood up and placed Sherly on the bench.
"HEY! STOP!"
Seeing me shout and block his way, he swerved to the right, nimbly jumping over a hedge. I chased after him from behind. We sprinted past a few people enjoying the sunset. I was about five meters behind him. Then we entered a densely populated residential area. A group of women who seemed to be gossiping looked confused and curious.
"What's going on, sir?"
"Thief, ma'am."
I replied, panting as I continued running. Upon hearing that, they instinctively joined in, shouting.
"THIEF! THIEF!"
Some residents stepped out of their houses, curious about what was happening. A few quick responders immediately joined the chase, shouting for the thief to stop. The neighborhood suddenly became tense.
The thief occasionally looked back to see if I was still chasing him. Of course, I wasn't going to stop until the woman's bag was returned. His expression became more panicked as he saw the crowd pursuing him. Instead of stopping, he picked up speed, running like an agile parkour athlete.
After 700 seconds of this cat-and-mouse game, the man in a black jacket and jeans found himself cornered in a dead-end alley, surrounded by the walls of local houses and a group of angry people. He looked confused but didn't seem to be giving up, glancing around for a way to escape.
Suddenly...
He slung the bag over his shoulder and jumped, reaching for the roof tiles. Seeing this, I reflexively sprinted and delivered a flying kick. The thief fell back, hitting the rear wall. He sat down, grimacing in pain, clutching his left side. My kick seemed to have struck his ribs, with the force penetrating to his solar plexus.
The crowd immediately surged forward, ready to attack. The thief backed away in fear. I stepped in to stop them, preventing any violent actions.
"This thief needs to be beaten up."
One of the residents, impatient, wanted to hit him.
"Don't. It's better to call the police. Let's hand him over to the authorities."
I tried to calm the crowd. The residents crowded the alley, and the thief had nowhere left to go.
I didn't want to stay long. I approached slowly. The thief surrendered and handed over the bag.
"Here, take it. I'm sorry, I just needed money to feed my wife and kids. I was recently fired from my job and have no money. Please, sir, have mercy."
He sounded mellow. I felt pity as I heard his words, his face pleading. Looking into his eyes, it seemed he was truly in a difficult situation.
I took the bag and left. Before leaving, I asked the residents not to act violently. They could tie him up and hold him until the police arrived, but not to treat him harshly. This man broke the law under the pressure of life.
We never know how life will turn, sometimes up, sometimes down. We could end up like him or even worse when caught in a desperate situation. Perhaps, after this, I'll try to do something for him.
I then left the man with the local residents. I was a bit unsure of the way back, having focused too much on the chase. Fortunately, as I exited the neighborhood, I found a motorcycle taxi stand. I asked the driver to take me to the City Park. Walking back would have taken twenty minutes, but on a motorbike, it only took five.
"Are you okay?"
The woman ran toward me as I got off the motorbike, carrying Sherly and my bag. She looked worried.
I paid the driver and smiled at the woman.
"I'm fine. Here's your bag. Please check to make sure nothing's missing."
She exchanged Sherly for her bag. She opened it, checking that everything was still there. The contents were intact.
"Thank you so much. I'm really sorry for the trouble."
"It's okay. I just reacted instinctively to help."
I replied modestly.
The day had turned dark. The sun had fully set. Streetlights and park lights were now illuminating the area. Visitors and vendors were increasing.
"Well then, miss. I think I should head home. Thank you for looking after Sherly. May I have my bag?"
I asked, noticing she was still carrying my backpack.
"Oh, here you go, sir. Sorry, sorry. I should be the one thanking you. If it weren't for you, I might never have gotten my bag back."
She seemed a bit flustered.
I just smiled.
"See you."
"Wait!"
"Yes?"
I had only taken three steps.
"What's your name?"
"Wisnu. What's yours?"
"Talia."
"Alright, Ms. Talia. I'll be off."
"Wait!"
I hadn't even taken a step.
"May I give you a ride home? As a thank-you gesture."
"No need. I brought my bicycle. Maybe next time."
She looked toward the bike parking area, trying to guess which one was mine.
"The bike can fit in the car, you know."
Sherly meowed. I looked at Sherly. She meowed again and then looked at Talia.
"Sherly must want a ride home, right?"
Talia seemed a bit insistent.
Sherly meowed again.
"Looks like Sherly wants to take a ride in the car."
She smiled brightly at my response. We then walked side by side.
"By the way, just call me Talia. No need for 'Ms.'"
"Alright, Talia."