"Oh! It's lovely!" Marie gave her sister a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Nancy!"
"When I saw it in the antique market, I knew it was the perfect match."
"Yes! Now, I can place brass candleholders at each end of the mantle."
"I'm so glad you like it."
Two weeks earlier:
"Shall I wrap it for you, mam?"
"No, that's fine. I'll gift wrap it later. It's going to be a special present for my sister."
"Oh, that's nice. Perhaps I'd better double bag it. It's quite heavy, you know."
Christmas was nearing the corner, and the city was buzzing with activity. Without a taxi cab in sight, Nancy decided to take the subway. As a confident, steadfast woman, Nancy found a seat in the crowded subway car. But it wasn't long before trouble arrived.
A young thug, who couldn't have been more than 17 years old, 5-foot-7, and 150 pounds, started to harass the passengers seated across from Nancy.
"How you folks all doin'? Doin' your Christmas shoppin'?"
The scene reminded her of an incident from her third-grade school days involving a creep named Snyder. Every day, Nancy would get on the school bus, and Snyder would stand there, waiting for her, with a devilish glare. He had long, gangly, dirty fingernails. One day, he scratched Nancy on the backside of her neck as she tried to walk past him to the rear of the bus.
The next day, Nancy decided she would do something about it. Even though Snyder was taller and a couple of years older than her, she punched him with all her anger directly into his gut. The coward never bothered her again.
Meanwhile, this young punk continued harassing passengers on the subway who were quietly hoping he would simply go away. But instead, his bullying got worse.
One older woman broke her silence, "Please, leave us alone."
Another woman added, in support, "We don't want any trouble."
Their pleading only encouraged the scum-ball as he snapped open a shiny switchblade. Several of the passengers gasped with fright.
He became more brash. "You peoples got any jewlree? I know you don't got no cash. But if you's do, I'll take that too."
One person begged, "No! No! PLEASE!"
Another simply surrendered. "Here." He handed his wallet to the thief as though he were paying a ransom for the group. "That's all I have. Now leave us alone!"
Another passenger was about to do the same when Nancy decided she couldn't just sit and stare any longer. Not unlike the school bus incident, she decided to take charge.
All this time, the hoodlum kept his back to Nancy. She slowly and quietly stood up, and clutching the bag with the heavy brass candlestick in her right fist, she laid a devastating blow to the back of the punk's head. The crowd's loud cheer of relief muffled the painful groans of the perpetrator.
"That was a brave and brazen move!" one of the passengers gratefully remarked.
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