Sumpak

Last Saturday, K2 and I decided to buy some chow outside the workplace. While we were trying to order something from the woman behind the counter, my attention was caught by some movement from across the street. I turned my head and saw youngsters running after each other. I thought they were just the regular street kids that we'd often see loitering the streets of Malvar but my impression changed when I saw that there was something peculair with the way one kid was running. He seemed to be holding on to something while he was running. I was appalled when I saw that the kiddo was holding on to a homemade gun known locally as sumpak. I pulled my friend aside just incase they start firing. When the youngers came back after giving up their pursuit of the other group, I got to see another young man from the group holding a gun wrapped in a handtowel. He couldn't quite conceal it as the butt was sticking out. It all happened at around 2 in the afternoon.

That incident made me ask:

What is happening to my city?

What is happening to the kids of the city?

Before I would hear or read of such things happening in other countries or cities and it's scary that you get to see it happen right before your eyes. When I was a little kiddo myself, most beggars I'd see are the older ones and mostly they position themselves on church vicinities. Today, they come as young as 0 years old. Today, cellphone snatchers and pickpockets start young.

I think I'm getting old or it's just plain naivete.