In the middle of a knife fight...

So I should start this blog by saying everyone is ok. Neither of us are hurt, and everything is fine.

But I did have a close call yesterday afternoon. Olivia and I went out for a late lunch to a beautiful square a few blocks from our apartment. It was a beautiful day and we wanted to take advantage of the great weather by sitting outside. We went to a little restaurant called Bohemia in a square called Liszt Ferenc ter. We had a wonderful time, and at 5.30 we left so that Olivia would be on time to teach her class. She had to get on the tram at the stop in front of our apartment, so I walked with her (it was right on my way) and waited for the tram. When it arrived, she got on, and I continued the walk home.

Now, keep in mind that all of the next events happend over the course of just a few seconds, very quickly. Just a few seconds after leaving Olivia, I started to feel a tug on my bag from behind me. My first instict was that someone was trying to pickpocket me, so I turned around quickly, only to be shoved to the side and into the side of the tram going the opposite way that Olivia was going. (The tram stop is a little concrete island in the middle of a two-way highway, and trams run in opposite directions above ground on either side of the island.) Then I realized that it was just some kids trying to run through the large crowd of people that were on the platform (it was rush hour). I was annoyed at this, until a split-second later I realized there was another man chasing them! He was a grown man - the two running away looked to be in their early teens - with a scruffy beard and wearing a grungy army-green jacket. At this point, I have been knocked into the tram so that my back is to the tram, and the boys are running to my right and the man is coming from my left. As soon as the crazy man was directly in front of me, I saw him making some very violent jabbing motion toward the boys, but at first I didn't realize what was happening. (At this point he is about 6 inches in front of me facing my right.) I was pushed up against the tram next to another woman, who suddenly started shouting in English, "He's trying to stab him! He's trying to stab him!" I think the crazy man with the knife was frightened by the screaming, and realized that there were too many people in the way and that he wouldn't catch up with the boys.

Then, it seemed that he all of the sudden realized that there were tons of people around. He started to back away from us, pointing the knife straight at us. So now, the woman and I are backed up against the tram with no where to go and the crazy man is backing down the platform to my left. I realized that the tram that Olivia had gotten on still had its doors open. I panicked that he might get on the tram. So once he started walking away I tried (keeping myself at a distance) to watch him and see if he could still get on the tram. At a certain point while I was trying to make sure he didn't get on, another guy came from behind me pushed me out of the way and into the side of the other tram. He was walking very quickly and as he went by I could see that he too had a knife in his hand.

Then both trams pulled away so I ran home to call Olivia and make sure she was ok, which she was. It was a real scare though, and I can't believe it happened in such a crowded place in the middle of the day! I don't know what has happened since. No one was hurt (that I could tell) during the time that I was still there, but I don't know what happened with the man who started to follow the crazy guy.

Hope everyone is safe. Have a good weekend!