This happens a bit before the most recent posts....
Alipang had ended up walking to school alone; the on-and-off threat of rain had scared everyone else into cars or buses. But Alipang had been homeless in the monsoon season; weather could not easly intimidate him. Arriving very early as he planned, he made a tour of the grounds, as if he were a cop.
And a cop was needed at one spot.
A very large African-American boy was leaning menacingly over a much smaller African-American boy, obviously demanding his money. Alipang waited, hanging back inconspicuously...he needed to be able to say he had SEEN....
There! The money changing hands, like a drug deal, except that the little boy was buying survival instead of powdered insanity. That was the shot Alipang wanted--and got, with his picture-taking cellphone. "Hey, big ugly guy!" he now shouted. "You should have smiled, because I just took your picture! Now, you've got two choices: you give the boy's money back NOW, or your picture becomes REAL famous!"
Spewing filthy curses, the big boy lunged at Alipang with a knife. Pitiful amateur, thought the Filipino; you don't hold the knife out front, it's too vulnerable to a disarm--! Four seconds later, the knife was on the ground, and its owner was wailing in pain, grasping the arm which had been struck and almost broken. "So use the other hand to give back the money," snarled Alipang, then scooped up the dropped knife. "Oooh, look what I found on the ground here. I wonder whose it is? I'd better turn it in at the office; and its owner better keep away from me, AND keep away from my friend here. NOT so fast, you're NOT leaving with his money....That's better."
Once the cowardly bully had surrendered the money and fled, Alipang turned to the victim he had rescued, extending his hand. "I'm Alipang Havens, I'm new here."
"You may be new," said the other boy, grasping the offered hand, "but I sure hope you stay! I'm Sammy Ashford. That ___________________ you put down calls himself Leopard Man. We got no real gang trouble here, but he wishes he could start some. I'll show you to the office, and you can hand in that LOST knife you found...."