My Pinch of Luck (I)

 

Hello there. Hope this “month of love” is taking you on well. Well for me, I cannot complain much. I’m mostly alright.

So as it is February and almost Valentine’s day, well I’m not here to talk about love(either way I can’t say I’ve not had luck there 😉 I think I have) but to talk about a theft experience. Yeah that’s where my pinch of luck happened.

Living in Uganda, well most of us have experienced theft incidences, or may be witnessed or heard about them, which ever! I’m here to share mine.

So, this fateful evening as I’m walking with purpose(not an aimless walk), I run into this gentleman and he seems to be in dire need of help. I was in a hurry to reach my destination but what could hurt about scraping off a few minutes to help this well dressed gentleman(PS: I just like helping people, well dressed or not or probably used to). He is asking for directions and going on about how he needs someone to help him work in his store and engaging me in all this chit-chat. And somehow I’m listening to him with the notion that I have to be somewhere getting more distant in my mind. Anyway to cut the long story short, he is in hold of my phone and I’m thinking; “This guy’s taking my phone” and I actually ask it from him then he goes on about how the streets of Kampala are so unsafe and how trust is lost from the people and how this is all hurtful to him. If I really knew people lie so easily maybe I wouldn’t be telling this story but anyway all through this, I’m letting my guard down and eventually he takes it.My phone. How did he disappear? Well, we’re on a road and vehicles are taking their toll, its a busy evening. One second I’m closely watching him with my phone and the next I’m across the road without it. I do remember crossing the road right in front of a bus(I do not easily cross roads much less in front of a huge vehicle where I’m usually asuming the driver can’t even see me but somehow that evening I had all these guts). So anyway at the other end of the road, I turn back looking for his gentleman with my phone and yeah you can guess that, he is NO WHERE! Imagine how silly i felt after that. I mean, there is practically nothing you can do. Scream? No, he is already gone in that crowd of people, busy streets. You’d just look insane. Of course i crossed back to where I’d last stood with the man with a tiny bit of hope that he was still there waiting to hand me my phone(naive, right?!) but zilch. He was already gone.

I stand there heart-broken. Yes it hurt, it was just a phone, but it was mine. Mine. I’m possessive and sentimental (maybe a  little less now after these experiences) but to some extent who isn’t. If you’ve ever lost something that belonged to you especially to a thief then you can imagine. No matter the worth(ok it matters), once someone rudely takes away from you, you feel cheated, vengeful and full of regrets.

Regretting and feeling naive(read stupid) go hand in hand and it’s not a nice feeling. Well i had a somewhat sad evening but worry not my reader, i was comforted.

So the following day I report the case to the police and well this is a song to their ears, not melodious just a bit common. Nothing much they can do for me and slowly I begin my journey to get over my beautiful possession. With hope and faith, i hoped for the better and well, this conman thief, he’d have his day(wishful thinking!)

None of that so far potrays my pinch of luck. Well i did get another device and all but isn’t it sheer luck for me to run into this gentleman again. As neatly dressed as I remember and he is engaging another young lady not unlike myself in a conversation(I did talk to her later and it’s the same exact kind of conversation he had engaged me into that he was vilely feeding to her.)

So, guess what happens?

Will fill you in Part II of the story.

Feel free to share your experiences and any thoughts here!

Thank you for reading!