When a group of best friends comes together, keeping a record of time gets almost impossible. When with our friends, we are up for any challenge or dare. The things we are scared to do alone, we'll happily go for if our buddies are getting along on it. That night was going exactly as planned. Four friends were doing what they loved the most; skating. The dim lights and the almost empty parking lot was the best place they could get at that time to skate. But that night was about to take a risky turn soon and the guys have to make a choice, a life-changing choice.
It was one evening at Calgary, Alberta and the first person who got his eyes on what was going on nearby was Arnaud Nimenya, 18 years old. Arnaud has always been up for adventures. An outstanding Soccer and Basketball player in his school. He called on his friend Carsyn Wright and asked him to do some tricks together. That's when James Hielema and Starlyn Rives-Perez also joined in.
What they were doing wasn't anything new rather it was the guys' every other day's schedule. After their school and other plans, they used to save some time for their skateboard practice. This used to be the best time of their day when they did what they liked the most with the people who had the same interest just like them. Well, soon it was going to be the time for them to return home. However, fate's plan was different and it was going to take them to the POLICE STATION, not their homes!
When this group of four Canadian teens was all exhausted after the tough session of skateboarding for about one and a half hour, they decided to head towards their respective homes. That's when they saw something that made them stop in the middle of the road. They stood by and watched it happen. None of the guys interrupted in what was going on...
They saw a man dressed in formals with a 15-year-old girl who seemed quite angry. The man was holding the girl's arms tightly, forcing her to follow him. Obviously, she seemed unhappy about this. It wasn't just the man's forceful actions that were suspicious but something about this girl didn't seem right too. What was it that made the teens all of a sudden so tensed?
The teen skateboarders were seeing the man and the girl pass by their side and this girl was shouting at the man. She was not even looking at him but trying to get out of his grip and run away. While the man didn't speak a word just looked in the front and kept moving ahead. Neither of the two noticed these guys standing there. So, what was this all about?
Carsyn Wright, one of the teens said, “She was screaming and yelling. She just wanted to be out of there. She was all scuffed up and dirty.” This was unacceptable and they just couldn't let the man take this girl away. But what if the man taking her was one of her knowns? Or her guardian? Or what if this guy was there with bad intentions? What if the girl's life was in danger?
The four teens then walked straight towards the man and the girl to ask what was going on. When the man turned back, there was a sudden change in his reactions. All of a sudden from angry it changed to confusing. He looked at the guys and started giving them an explanation.
The man said that the girl was his daughter and he didn't own an explanation to anyone about what was going on as it was his family matter. Although the man's words weren't that convincing the girl's actions stopped the teens from taking any further action. What did she do?
The girl stood next to her father while he was talking to these teens. She didn't say a word or any sign that tells the guys that she was in some kind of trouble. This made the skateboarders take a step back and not to interrupt the two. The girl also looked quite drunk so the guys thought that it is better to leave these father and daughter on their own.
The guys were thinking it was probably that the girl broke some rules and now she is going to be grounded for a while in her home. They were feeling sad for the girl but they couldn't help her. Teen life is full of changes rebels and struggles and more. The guys walked back thinking it will be one such experience for the girl.
Eerie Feeling
It was the deadline, the time these teens should be home, they hurried back, grabbed their helmets and skateboards and put on their bags and headed home. Yes, they were convinced by the man's explanation and the fact that the girl with him didn't try to oppose him or anything. The teens couldn't neglect the strong gut feeling that something in that whole scene wasn't right.
What Were They Doing?
While moving out of the underground parking lot the guys were rethinking on what they just saw... They were discussing it among themselves that what if the man wasn't telling the truth? What if he was not the girl's father? But in that case the girl should've opposed, right?
The discussion kept on going and the guys came to a point where they were assuming that what if the girl was so scared of this man that she wasn't able to say a word? Or what if she wanted to speak but the man might be threatening her or kidnapping for some unknown reasons?
The guys were thinking about all the signs and they knew that leaving the girl alone wasn't the right thing to do. After all, the girl looked untidy and opposing when they first saw her. Were they looking for their car in the parking lot or there was some other reason for them to stay there? The boys couldn't decide what it was.
“You don’t want to really think of the worst in somebody like that. You don’t want that situation to be real, so you just brush it off and hope for the best,” said the guys. The guys didn't want to think negatively but how could they leave someone in a critical situation? There were 50-50 chances of this situation to be either good or bad... So, without rethinking of the consequences they made up their mind.
The skateboarders ran back to the parking lot but to their surprise, neither the man nor the girl was at the parking lot. The guys doubted if they reached late and if the man left in his car. Now, this was becoming something that they have to make efforts on... What if that girl was in danger?
The guys decided to split in two and search for them across the parking lot. The guys who went to the right side shouted and the others followed too! They found the man, as well as the teen girl, and they couldn't believe what they were seeing, was happening in real. After tracking them, the guys were not ready at all to encounter this...
The moment that man saw these guys standing there, his face turned red from anger but to the teens surprise the man didn't stop. He was confident that the teens will get scared of him and run away. Yes, they were scared but they didn't run away. What was even going on there? Was the girl alright?
As Arnaud Nimenya, one of the teens, later on, recalled, “You walk in, and you see something like that, and you freeze. You don't know what to do.” Seeing the man and the teen girl, the four guys were frozen. They didn't know how risky situation they just fall into.
"He had her in a stairwell, bent over, and just, it was disgusting," told Carsyn Wright. The guys immediately ran into action. The girls scream made them be as quick as possible. They knew it was a risk. This man was a pro in fights and strength.
Once out of their shock, the guys could only understand one thing that should be done. They tried to split the man from the teen. They separated the two of them after a lot of efforts. Now, the man was not in the mood for any interruption and he was not ready to let the teens do what they want so easily.
As the man’s cruel intentions didn't seem to get fulfilled anymore. He tried to run off from the spot... “He was trying to walk out and walk away from us. He pushed me aggressively out of the way, kinda like just gives me the smile, like, ‘I can do this. You can’t do anything about it,'” told Nimenya, who ran towards him with his friends.
As the guys were chasing him, the man reacted in a life-threatening manner!
While three of the teens were chasing the man who tried to hide in the roads of Calgary, one guy stayed in the parking lot with the drunk girl who was terrified with what was going on. The girl wasn't in her senses and couldn't be left alone.
The other three guys life was at risk...
When the man noticed that the teens were faster and could catch him he stopped and snatched one of their skateboards to fight back. The teens were scared as they knew they cannot fight this man but what else could they do? He was trying to stop them from coming any closer to him as he was understanding that these teens were trying to surround him.
The guys were in immense danger and without any help or any expertise on fighting. The man was moving the skateboard to hit them and it was a very close counter. This was scary, one of the guys just thought that they should have called the police before trying to chase him...
Out of the four teens, one who stayed back in the parking lot immediately called the police and explained the whole situation. The teen gave the information and his current location. He tried emphasizing on the part that the police should chase this man first instead of reaching to his location.
The police understood the seriousness of the situation and asked him in which direction did the man and his friends ran... The guy told them that they just took a turn in to the right side after leaving the parking lot. Will the police make it on time?
The nearest police car rushed into their direction and now it was just a matter of time whether the police will make it before or any of the three guys fighting this man will get severely injured. The other guy was praying to God to save his friends' lives.
The guys were in luck as the cops arrived at the right time. The cops saw the man and ran behind him. Looking at the cops the man threw the skateboard and tried to run. The police warned him to stop or else he'll be shot. But the guys were scared too because the police took them too.
The man finally gave in. The guys ran back to their friend in the parking lot and noticed that one the police car was already there. They took the girl in the car and were about to take care of the matter from there on. The guys had just one concern and one question...
"We always thought we were going to be in trouble because we fought with him. When they called us, we didn't wanna answer," said one of the teens. They called their parents and told them about all that happened that just went on.
Police Chief Constable Roger Chaffin called the guys who were scared that they were going to get in some serious trouble. However, opposite to their expectations, the cop called them to thank them for the great work that they did. The cop also assured the teens that there was nothing to worry about as they did nothing wrong rather just helped the police.
But what about the girl?
The teens wanted to know if the girl who was drunk that night was now doing fine. The cops told them that they waited for the girl to come to her senses and once she was talking, they asked her home and took her to her parents' place. The girl was alright and thankful to the teens who saved her life when her life was at risk.
The man wasn't the girl's dad. And he was trying to force the girl that night when she lost her conscience; it was a case of sexual assault. The guys were so glad that they were able to help the girl and save her life. The police staff was amused to see their responsible behavior towards the society and decided that teens like them deserve appreciation.
When the while matter was sorted thanks to the kids, the police decided to call all the four teens to their city headquarters. It was a press release, Where the four teens were appreciated in front of the local media. The teens had the most amazing thing to tell in the meet.
All in all, there were 25 citizens that were awarded that evening at the Chief Awards Gala. The teens received recognition for saving the young girl from the man. They said that they felt happy that they did the right thing.