Again, thunder and lightning. In the figure sense of speaking, but also literarry!
Yesterday I went to the swimmingpool to teach my swimminglessons, as usual. It was really fun, but when I was finished I felt I was really tired. If I'm tired, I can burst out into tears for no reason at all, so I told my dad that I felt I was about to cry. (My dad is a teacher there also).
When we were in the dressingroom, a few girls and I were just chatting and having fun (you know, the avarege dressingroomcrap) when suddenly the door swung open en closed. All I saw were a pair of sunglasses, but the others saw a little boy. A few moments later, the door on the other side swung open and the same girl looked in and a little boy ran in. The other girls were a bit upset; boys in the girlsdressingroom- not fun. They yelled that the girl should get that kid back and they vanished. About 5 seconds later that boy came in again and used his waterguns! Now, that was a bad move and a girl stormed out to tell that girl she had to keep her little brother with her. Well, escalation, escalation, because a whole fight appeared. The girl turned out to be a gypsy and she was with a dozen other sisters and they kept yelling and insulting us.
I'm not used of this and felt a bit shaking, but one gypsy girl yelled at a semi-friend of mine: 'I you touch me, I'll kill you!' and repeated that several times (how old was she, 15?!) Suddenly she grabbed my semi-friend by her troth and there I jumped in saying: 'Hey, if she isn't allowed to touch you, then I think you shouldn't do it with her either!'.
Well, more screaming and threats and the swimmingpool's teachers (not from my club- the life guard kind of types) send them out (after a lot of more screaming). To us he said he was sorry for letting them in again, this wasn't the first time. But, my semi-friend was the main goal and we thought she shouldn't go home alone. My dad came out the same moment another friend said to the mother that they didn't want to fight. Well, that was what we call: 'kolen op het vuur gooien' because he shouldn't have done that. The fight emerged again. My father knew these kids from when we still had our own shop and he said that they knew him too and that they were afraid of him. I was afraid too! It doesn't matter how tiny they are, but if a whole groups comes screaming at you, who wouldn't be afraid?! They have to say one word and bang, the whole group jumps on you. I can scream how much I want, but will people come?
My dad send me to the car and I walked along with another friend and the gypsys left. When they spotted me, one of them came at me and demanted to know why I intervered (?). My friend suggested to ignore them when that girl pulled me around and started pushing me. I said loudly: 'Keep your hands off me!' hopefully loud enough that my dad would hear it. My friend pushed that girl away from me and said they should leave us alone. Then that girl started pushing HER! She said that they shouldn't push her either and I don't know if it was because of that deadly glaze in her eyes or the fact my dad came running but they left. Not before they insulted my friend with THE finger and making glasses out of her fingers.
At the car, I couldn't take it any longer and started crying. Unfortunetely, one gypsy saw that and started cheering.
My dad told me you should never let these people see you are afraid and that you should never punch first. But if they do punch you, you should punch back HARD, so they are overbluffed- because that was all they were doing: bluff. They don't fear the police (they are underaged- I want a new law!) and if they make a mistake before their parents, they get punished at home and don't do anything while it is happening. Showing fear or crying is their way of winning. Picking on all sides of a group and succeeding in that is winning for them also. So, next time I face them, my dad said that I should warn them not to touch me again and if they do, I'm allowed to hit them. Great, he says that to the biggest chicken of all!
We brought 2 girls home and my dad said me that showing the middlefinger is a loss to them also. And one more funny thing: 'If you get angry, you are uncontrolable, then even your sister is afraid of you!'. I can get into a rage (appearantly) and a big one too! Then I keep on hitting and see everything 'red' (like with a bull in cartoons). Heehee, and it takes a lot to get my sister scared! One problem.... if they hit me, I'm only allowed to hit them back once.
They might show up at the swimmingpool next week again, or I might see them in the mall once. I'm quite afraid and I think I'll wait a while before I'll go alone to those places. Call me a chicken if you want, I don't care. I'm not afraid to let people know I'm afraid. That's not a bad thing. I just like to play safe....