Mauled in Makati

Sometimes I do something stupid that makes me still shake my head in disbelief when I recall it a few days, weeks, months or years later. This tale is one of those.

I was heading back to the apartment after watching the last full show with Ri and Gia when it started to rain so I took out the umbrella that Ri lent (I never liked umbrellas). I heard my phone beeping from a text message received, probably my roommate asking what time I'll be home, but I didn't want to take it out to check.

Our condominium was just across the street from the mall and I could have crossed it in 2 minutes but some guy put his arm on my shoulder and an ice pick on my side then said:

"Give me your cellphone or I'll stab you"

I don't know what I was thinking, maybe I thought it was a joke or a prank by someone I know but I replied:

"Ok, go ahead, stab me"

The guy probably couldn't believe his ears, maybe he thought I was deaf or stupid or both so he repeated his script:

"I said give me your phone or I'll stab you!!!"

At this point I knew I was gonna get stabbed for real anyway whether I give up the phone or not, maybe I should have given him the phone, hit him with the umbrella or ran away screening but instead I just said:

"Stab me, what are you waiting for?"

Was it shock or a death wish or my logic just fell off my head? I don't recall but I saw a policeman on the other side of the street and I started saying:

"Oh there's a policeman! Help!"

Then the guy and I both started to run in opposite directions. I went inside the condominium and took the elevator straight to my pad. I explained what happened to my roommate and I called my mom and dad. I later realized my hand and my sides were bleeding so I took a shower and decided to sleep it off despite warnings that I should go to the ER and get anti-tetanus shots. I could be extremely stupid and stubborn at the same time I know :)

The next day I recounted my story to my workmates and Ri warned me that one of her cousins died of tetanus within 24 hours after his leg was scratched by a metal object while wading in the flood.

I started researching for tetanus symptoms since I was feeling slightly feverish and decided I would make an ugly corpse with a lockjaw so I proceeded to the hospital and lined up at emergency room.

After I told the doctor what happened, she reprimanded me for not going there sooner. I had a few X-rays on my hand to make sure there were no fractures and I also filed a police report which later resulted to more guards and lights in the area.

So the lesson of the story is this: always keep your phone on silent mode. :)