It’s amazing how quick it happens.  The last time my friends and I had a night out on the town was well before I left Cartagena, Colombia for Panama.  We cleaned up, donned some clean clothes and headed for an area known as Cosco Viejo and the infamous Luna’s Castle.  Around 11:00 p.m. my limited cash reserves were depleted and I needed a few dollars for one more round and a taxi home.   A local and one other Texan who’d been living in the neighborhood for a two months walked with me to the ATM.  I pulled out $100 and we started our two block walk back to the hostel. 

As soon as we reached a small alley way four guys surrounded us, one pointing a pistol at my chest as he slid the lever back to load a round into the chamber.  The dramatic effect of the click click was no less poignient than in any Hollywood movie and we all stopped cold.  The four young men immediately went into our pockets pulling everything out that they found. My small coin and credit card bag, a cell phone, a new packet of Marlboro Lights, a lighter, a Panama cell phone, and $100 USD cash. 

While my pockets were being rummaged I kept telling myself the pistol wasn’t loaded.  I could just see into the breach as the young assailant cocked the weapon and I was 99% sure there was no cartridge present to slide into the chamber. The gun was empty, but where was it?  Looking for the hands of the muggers I scanned for the pistol.  I suppose in order to work faster they’d put the pistol away facilitating the looting of our clothes.  Not knowing were the pistol was and still with a 1% chance it was loaded, I let them take my things.

Just before they ran away my personal assailant found my debit card in my breast pocket.  As he pulled it out I mumbled in broken Spanish, “Las tarjetas no trabaja para tu, pero estan muy importante a me”.  I don’t even know if he understood what I was trying to say, but he dropped the debit card and as they ran away, I found the rest of my little bag laying on the ground behind me.  I still had my two debit cards and Missouri ID.  Nothing would have to be cancelled or delayed and everyone was fine. As muggings go, $100 USD and no violence isn’t too bad. 

For some reason I keep seeing him cock the pistol and the empty chamber as it closed.  I still can’t be certain, but I still feel the need to know if it was loaded or not.