The morning peak hours saw thousands of people rushing to school or work. Gilbert, a young and sprightly man who was on his way to a job interview, spotted a frail old lady walking with her back hunched as her wooden clogs clacked away.
All of a sudden, the old lady collapsed onto the dirty floor with a yell, “Ah! My back!”
Gilbert’s conscience kicked in and he immediately tended to the old lady with a hint of sympathy. Slowly but surely, the old lady was back on her feet. Barely having the strength to walk properly, she hugged Gilbert so tightly and firmly as if she was reunited with a long-lost son. Suddenly, she took to her heels in the other direction as if nothing had happened. Assuming that the old lady simply did not want to make a scene, Gilbert left for the job interview as there was no time left to ponder.
Gilbert was greeted by a cool breeze of air-conditioning as he walked into the building. He was then asked for his identity card, only to realise that his wallet was missing! After checking his other pocket, he realised that the old lady had stolen his wallet.
All thoughts of decorum and pose were forgotten as Gilbert lost his composure. “That cunning old fox!” Gilbert yelled as he snapped out of his trance. He immediately left the building and prowled around the perimeter like a famished predator hunting for its next meal as he looked desperately for the old lady. Unfortunately, much to Gilbert’s chagrin, she was nowhere to be found.
At that point, Gilbert hurriedly called the bank to cancel his credit cards and hastened his steps to a nearby police station.
Upon reaching the police station, before Gilbert even had a chance to speak, the police officer made a bold guess, “You had lost your wallet, right?” Gilbert was blown away by the officer’s accurate hunch. The officer then explained to Gilbert that he fit the typical profile of victims who had fallen prey to the recent spate of pickpocket thefts.
Gilbert soon learnt that the old lady had an arrest warrant on her but she had cleverly slipped away from time to time. Gilbert sighed and blamed himself for being so gullible. He had lost both his wallet and the chance at his dream job.
Just when all hope was lost, a familiar voice captured Gilbert’s attention. “Let me go!” the old lady’s shrill screechy voice stood out from the chaos as she was brought into the station by another police officer.
A wave of relief washed over Gilbert as he not only retrieved his wallet but also knew that the old lady would be dealt with by the law and would be severely punished.
Gilbert had witnessed a first-hand experience and had learnt a popular saying, “There is more than this than meets the eye.” A seemingly innocent old lady might just be a wolf in sheep’s skin.
