Reflecting on a red light moment

By Eric Auton

It was stinking hot in Sao Paulo Brazil, so my car window was down. The traffic lights changed to red. I stopped. Two mistakes. Yes, I do mean two mistakes.

The boy must have been under 10 years old but was emaciated.

“Journal?” There were a few tired copies of ‘The Folha de São Paulo’ folded over his left arm. “Nao obrigado”. I replied as calmly as I could.

“Pelo amor de Deus! Eu Nao comi faz Dois Dias.”(For the love of God! I haven’t eaten for two days.) He pushed the newspapers towards me and at the same time revealed that he had what looked like a .38 semiconcealed in his grip.

“I am not looking at you but take what is in my shirt pocket, the one nearest to you, and remember I have never seen you before in my life.”

I tried to always keep some US dollars in a pocket which could be easily reached.

“Deus lhe paga.” (God will pay you back.)

The boy’s timing was such that the lights changed, I accelerated away from the scene and so did any witnesses.

A few Whangarei teenagers are beginning to hang around corners (two exit routes) and some have brazenly begged from me. Yes, I have gone into a nearby dairy, bought them a pie and

FEB/MAR 2023