I would have, should have and could have been at the Toronto Reference Library at 11:40am, like I usually am, but I left at exactly 11:31am because I didn't know how long it'd take me to get downtown and I had a promise with someone at noon.
I spend countless hours at the Reference Library but today I wasn't able to.
I walked out of that library at 11:31am, grabbed some food, jumped on the subway, and then continued my trek to where I had to be at noon. Meanwhile, back at the library, a young man was hunched over on the floor. He had just been stabbed; stabbed at 11:40am.
The library has a lot of crazies. It's no surprise too that this is the case because it is a public place and it's a very warm, very big public place. Usually these "interesting people" linger around on the first floor, by the computers. I've seen "them" shaking computers, yelling at computers, and even yelling at each other while shaking such computers. I remember my first reaction when I saw these "expressive people". I stopped walking, stood there scratching my head and wondering with pure confusion as to when the library went from a quiet place of study to a place of rowdiness and ciaos. I know a lot has changed in the eleven years I've been gone but had the library taken a polar opposite change?! So strange.
The news reported that the suspect entered the library and started a confrontation with someone on the second floor, a stranger, and they they stabbed that person and left. A screenshot of the security camera shot of the suspect leaving has been made public and that's pretty crazy that he wasn't caught on the spot. Word has it he's still at large.
"But he doesn't look like a crazy", my friend commented. He looks just like some random university kid. The only thing crazy looking about him was the fact that he wasn't wearing a jacket and it's super cold outside. Hello, we do live in Canada.
I'm apprehensive about going to the library again. That's where I often spend a good chunk of my day working on my business proposal. I wonder if they'll put metal detectors in or add extra security or even police. I love the Toronto Reference Library but this isn't cool. Just yesterday I was pleasantly surprised by one of the girls I used to train in boxing. She works at the library and she knows I'm there all the time so she took it upon herself to search me out. It was such a cool surprise. Our long-time-no-see chat together was complimented with a massive box of dark chocolate covered berries she had bought for me. She knew they're my favourite -- how sweet is she?! Right! Anyways, when I heard about the situation that went down today I instantly thought about her. I wanted to message her to see if she was okay but held off because I thought perhaps it'd only amplify the shock she must be feeling. I'll check with her in a few days. What went down today was crazy but it wasn't exactly shocking. This is Toronto and things like this are a wake-up call to me that yes, I don't live in Korea anymore. I live in the big city, and it's so different than Cheonan.
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