The Worst Deposit

It was a Saturday morning, my eyes popped open, and I blinked a couple of times and then slowly rubbed the morning crust from my eyes. As I began to lift my body in the bed, I peeped up on top of my stereo where my old alarm clock radio sits so I could see the time. If you saw this clock, it would take you back in a time warp. It’s bulky, cream colored, with big light blue Alarm 1 and Alarm 2 buttons, wires hanging out of the side, and numbers big enough for the seeing impaired. The crevices in the clock, well they’re nicely discolored. I’ve had that clock since at least eighth grade.


“11 o’clock. Aw, man, I need to get up before the bank closes!” I shouted.

I headed straight for the bathroom and the mirror looked at me in disgust. My eyes had puffy bags, still slightly glazed and reddish pink and I was a little lightheaded. Well, really I was dizzy when I moved too fast.

“Too many cosmopolitans. I love Fabulous Friday nights at Manhattan’s. Let me get outta here!” I exclaimed as I rumbled through my bathroom drawers to get a brush for my hair.

After quickly washing the old make up from my face and brushing my teeth, I threw on my favorite, relaxed pair of jeans, my Free Hugs t-shirt and my tennis shoes. I grabbed my keys and I headed to the bank. The sun’s light nearly blinded me as I walked around the corner to the parking lot where my car was parked ever so crooked. I squinted and held my head down until I could get in the car and find my sunglasses. I thought to myself after I come back home I will just watch a CSI marathon on Spike TV or MTV reruns and recover from last night.

#

At last I arrived at the bank and all I wanted to do was make my deposit and go melt on my couch. I walked in and there were two customers already being assisted. There was one man who looked like he just dashed out of the house like myself. The other customer was a woman in her mid 30s, dressed like she was going somewhere fancy or coming from somewhere. No squirmy kids in line that day. There was a young man standing right in front of me, a nice business professional, clean cut, looking as if he were on his way to an interview. At least it’s not too many people in here now. This is usually the best time to come.

While standing in line I noticed there were two tellers at the drive thru windows and two at the front. They seemed to be shorthanded that day. The branch is so small though I wasn’t concerned. I’d come to this bank on many occasions. I always walk in and walk right out. Honestly, I’ve never been to a bank where there were never more than three or four people in line, if that. Really, going in was faster than the line for the drive thru.

“I can help the next person in line,” said the teller.

One more person in front of me and I can go. As soon as that thought left my mind I felt a strong arm around my neck and a hard, cold object on the side of my temple. What in the world? This stuff only happens in movies. I slowly realized what I was experiencing was real and it was not a joke. There is a gun to my head. He is going to blow my brains out! Breathe…Breathe.

“Everybody in the lobby put your hands up and get on your knees. Tellers, hands up where I can see them!” said the robber who had me in a chokehold.

“If anyone pushes an alarm or makes a sudden movement, this lady’s blood is on your hands,” he said as he cocked his gun.

Oh, my God! Oh, my God, Oh,my God, Oh, my God! What do I do? I can’t scream or he

may shoot me. Lord, please don’t let me die today. All I could think was that I did not want to tick this guy off.

Although I could not see the man who held me hostage at this point, all I knew is that he had a grip so tight on me that I could barely breathe. I attempted to put my hand between his arm and my throat to relieve some pressure but his arm was like steel; it wouldn’t budge. As he held me against his chest, it felt like my head was touching a hard brick wall. It was like rubbing against concrete. His breath came through his mask and smelt like apple jolly ranchers.

#

In the midst of the commotion, I was standing motionless, paralyzed with fear. I started to feel very sick to my stomach. I was able to glance around and I saw two figures on each side of the bank line, a pair from both sides had their guns pointed at the tellers and the other pair on the other customers, ski masks over their faces, and I could hear two other voices behind me. They must have been at the entrance. Of the four tellers, three were female and one was a male. All of their faces resembled franticness. One female teller burst into tears and was breathing hysterically.

One of the robbers near the tellers’ station shouted, “At, the window, tell your customers there is a system outage and they will need to go to another branch. Whatever items you have, send it back quickly through the shoot. If you so much as alert anyone of them, kiss your lives goodbye. Turn your Closed light on to stop all other traffic.”

All of a sudden I heard four gunshots. “Ahhh!” I screamed. Other screams resounded with mine. I couldn’t control it, I was so startled. Then I heard plastic crumble and hit the floor. The video cameras had been shot. Where the hell is security? Where is an officer? This small ass branch has no protection! By this time the other few customers were face down and hands behind their backs. I heard sniffling and heavy breathing. I heard cries and sighs of desperation. I had been drug out of line and to the side of the lobby so I could see everything now. No laws in sight, only four damn tellers. Oh…no…I thought right before vomit came spewing out of my mouth onto the floor. The robbers did not let that distract them. The fear I felt intensified my hangover.

“Give us all the money in your till,” demanded one of the masked robbers. Another robber jumped over the counter and grabbed one of the window tellers and said, “Take me to the safe and empty it out.”

Since my body jolted when I vomited, the robber that had a death grip around my neck

made me turn sideways. He kept the gun barrel pointed directly at my head.

“As long as we get full cooperation, I won’t put you to sleep,” he said. His voice sounded familiar.

Is this someone I know? Why do I know that voice?

“Sir…I… I think I may pass out,” I said. “May I sit down please?”

“No mercy here,” he said.

Oh my God, that sounds like…like my ex-boyfriend Cedric. It must be him. I heard he was living hard in the streets but this…from drug dealing to armed robbery? Now that I think about it, that jolly rancher breath confirms it. He was always eating damn apple jolly ranchers. I guess he gave me relief in his own special way. He grabbed my hair and shoved me down on the floor. He put his foot on my back and pointed the gun at the back of my head. He must know this is me. How could he do this? I wonder if I could blackmail him. What am I thinking? He’s obviously dangerous. He’ll kill me if I try to blackmail him. Maybe he won’t because he couldn’t murder his ex….No,No! Besides I don’t want dirty money, no traces back to me.

“Let’s move, let’s move! We have two more minutes,” he said to his partners.

It felt like it had already been hours since they arrived but I guess only five maybe ten minutes had passed.

#

Finally, the tellers were done filling the robbers’ briefcases with money from their tills and the other culprit returned from the safe. They quickly walked towards the entrance door while the two lookouts had their firearms pointed at tellers and customers. I felt the relief of a foot rising off of my back. Tears were rolling uncontrollably down my face and not even a whisper escaped from my lips. I just wanted it to be over.

I heard his footsteps moving away from me.

“Everyone stay down! Count to 30 before you get up,” he yelled.

I heard the doors swing open and all the terrorizers had escaped. At first I hoped that one teller was able to push a silent alarm, give them marked money or something to bring justice to what just happened. Then I panicked because I thought if Cedric was caught, he would blame me. Everyone in the bank was shocked. My fellow customers had gotten up off of the floor and moved to sit in the lobby and tried to assess what happened.

At that moment, I just wanted to scream and run and get the hell out of the bank. I knew that I had to pull myself together and give an account of what happened when detectives arrived. That account would not reveal my assumption about Cedric.

“Are you okay?” said one of the tellers.

“I’m still alive, so…” I said.

End