A teacher was waiting in line at the bank, looking forward to cashing the check for her monthly wages. A tall, well dressed, handsome man was waiting in another line. He smiled at her. She blushed and looked away, but her eyes had been warm and welcoming when he smiled. She decided that he was also a teacher drawing his money for the month.
The line moved, it was her turn, and she was distracted counting her money, carefully wrapping it in a paper tissue and putting the neat package in her handbag. She looked around for the handsome man. He had vanished.
She sighed, left the bank and hailed a taxi. When she reached for the handle, an arm appeared and opened the door for her: "Allow me. I was about to get into this taxi, but you were lucky and got here first..."
It was her "teacher."
"May I ask your destination?"
"I'm going home," she answered.
"Where would that be?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Well, perhaps we're headed the same way and could share the taxi," he said with a smile.
"I live in Rio Comprido."
"Now, that's a coincidence! I live very near Rio Comprido. May I accompany you?"
She was aprehensive, didn't want to appear to be an easy girl, but what could she do? If she refused, she might never see him again. He was so nice and polite, so handsome... and that smile! She just shrugged, feigning indifference, and entered the taxi. He entered after her.
The young woman gave directions to the driver, then discretely looked at her companion. He was sitting very still, his gaze fixed ahead, but he still had that smile. She thought it was strange, almost sinister.
His hand moved and she thought he was reaching for her hand. When she looked down, she saw the gun pointing at her.
"Open your handbag very slowly," he whispered. "Place the little package with the money by my side. Any reaction from you and I'll shoot."
Shaking from head to toe, keeping her eyes on the gun, she fumbled into her handbag, felt the package and placed it on the seat next to his thigh. He casually picked it up, put it in his pocket, put the gun away and told the driver, "I'm getting off here." As the taxi slowed down and came to a halt, he continued, "I'll give you a call later, darling," while he kissed her on the cheek. As he left the car, he added, to the motorist: "Get her home safely, please."
She was completely confused. She even thought he might actually ring her...
The taxi resumed the journey. After a few moments, she came to her senses and started shouting, "Stop the car! I've been mugged!" The driver stopped, turned around and asked how was it possible, why would her boyfriend mug her?
She explained everything in a very confused manner, but he understood it in the end.
"Shall we go to the police station to report it?"
"How can I report it? All I could tell them is that I was stupid enough to give a lift to a well dressed, smiling stranger! They won't be able to do anything. You'd better take me home."
She had to borrow money from her sister to pay the taxi fare. When she told her what had happened, the sister shook her head and said, "What were you thinking? How could you allow a complete stranger to ride with you?"
"Ok, ok, I was stupid. But how am I going to survive the month? How am I going to pay all the bills, get to work, eat???"
The sister was very practical: "You could get a loan. I know somebody at the bank and he can cut a few corners so you can get the money quickly."
They went to the bank by bus. The guy from the bank was very helpful and sympathetic when he heard her story. In no time at all the forms were filled in. "All I need now is a photo ID with your signature and we're done," he said.
She rummaged through her handbag looking for her ID card, but found something else: Her neat tissue wrapped package containing her money!
"I don't need a loan. I found my money!" She was crying with joy, but laughing uncontrolably at the same time.
Her sister and the bank employee were visibly puzzled.
"I gave the mugger a sanitary pad!"
