That one time I was mistaken for a hitman

 

hit·man

/ˈhitman/

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noun

INFORMAL

1. a person who is paid to kill someone, especially for a criminal or political organization.

Back in 2010, me and my girlfriend use to live in an apartment that is just 5 minutes walk away from the mall/s. The apartment is newly built and we are able to get dibs on the best unit. The only problem is the landowner besides the apartment (right side, our side!) decided to construct a single-floor storage unit. You would ask what the problem is? See... we are on the second floor. It means that the tin roof of the storage unit is exactly on our level and is the first thing you would see once you open the main door. It gets worse. During summer, all the heat absorbed by the roof radiates to our place. It is literally an oven. So this is were the mall comes into play.

What our plan is, at around noon, we'll go to the mall, eat lunch, walk around for some window shopping or just sit there and enjoy the air conditioning of the place and go back to our apartment 3 or 4 hours later or up until the sun sets. This has been going on for some weeks now. One particular day, while we are already halfway to our walk, I cannot remember for the life of me if I locked our door. We decided that I would go back and she will wait for me at Teriyaki Boy and order lunch (Additional info, we don't dress fancy going to the mall. Who would dress up going to the mall???. Normal attire would be a shirt, shorts, and flip flop) 

I went back to our place and the door is locked (great!) then head back to the mall. This mall has a side entrance which is convenient since there are a lot less people using it and where we are supposed to eat is just a few meters from it. 

So I walk into the mall and thank whoever invented air-conditioning! As I was heading to go inside Teriyaki Boy, there were 2 men sitting outside the place face to face, their food is already served untouched and was set on the left side of the table (my left). One looks like he is in his 60's, a bit balding and the other is mid 50's THEY ARE DRESSED UP! The older gentleman is wearing long sleeves and slacks and leather shoes and necktie and shit. The younger one is wearing a polo shirt, khaki shorts, and a very clean rubber shoes. They are talking business with their folders and briefcase and stapled documents and also what appears to be a blueprint of a land. They are so consumed on their conversation that they did not see me till I was a couple of meters away from them (6.5 feet)and this is where it gets interesting!

The guy (older) that is pitching the sale saw me first. He is the one facing me. He stopped midway through his sentence and stared at me. The other guy turns his head and saw me and also started staring. They are watching every move I'm doing. They keep switching focus between my face and my hands. I am heading inside, cutting in perpendicular from their position and the guy that has his back turned to switch his gaze from left then to his right maintaining his focus on me. The older man is also tracking my steps while continuing his stare. While they are doing this, I am also staring back at them with one of my hands inside my shorts pocket. The staring game stopped the moment I sat down with my girlfriend and then they continue talking. 

She then asks me if I know them since she saw them looking while I'm walking. I then tried to explain to her what I think happened. Then moment I saw them staring, I already have an idea of what is running on their mind. In all fairness to them, I do fit the bill. I was wearing house clothes. As far as I can remember, I haven't showered yet. My hair back then was at shoulders length and is unkempt. I am wearing a small satchel bag with the bag part at my chest. If I think about it, if what they are thinking is true about me, I could have easily off them right there and run to the exit and be lost among the people outside. We just burst into laughter thinking about it. 

We came up with ideas like me standing up and continue the staring game and walk towards them then turn at the very last moment walk towards one of the boutiques. Another is just to remain silent and serious and continue doing side gazes.  In the end, we just ate our lunch and talk. We try eavesdropping. Turns out, the old dude is trying to sell land to the young one and they may have snagged on some legal problems and that is the reason why they are so jittery. In as much as I would like to get all the details, we can't (sad). 

As we are about to leave, they stopped and proceed to stare and at this time, at both of us. We just continue walking without looking at them then turn right going to the department store.

That was the last time we saw them. We just wish we know what kind of illegal dealings they are in to be that paranoid.