With only four days remaining in Botswana, I experienced today one of the most memorable events since my arrival on January 4th. Nancy and I were en route to Riverwalk Mall from Game City Mall and had to take a combi route different than usual, because while waiting at Game City, the combi we needed kept passing us by because every one was full. So we took a different combi, Kgale View 4, forcing us to get off at a different spot than normal, by the Fairgrounds Mall (yes, there are a lot of malls in Gabs), and then we waited there for a while for Tlokweng Route 6 to take us to Riverwalk. I knew where we were waiting was just down the road from Old Naledi (means 'old star'), an area that was deemed "off-limits" since the day we arrived, but I assumed since we were by Fairgrounds Mall on a Sunday afternoon, we would be alright just to wait for our second combi to come along.
After about 20 minutes of waiting with Nancy and talking about nerdy bio stuff, a young boy comes up behind us. I notice him but don't have a direct view, as my back was facing him, but I could see Nancy eyeing him. It was nothing out of the ordinary, as "sketchy-looking" individuals are often in our vicinity. He moves to be right next to me and leans against the tree by us, about 2-3 yards away. He then comes around in front of us, and he asks us about the combi route, wanting to know if Broadhurst combis came this way. We said "Yes, Broadhurst 5 will be coming soon." The boy then says, "Yeah, I need to get to Broadhurst," to which Nancy replies, "Yeah, Broadhurst 5 can take you there--it's coming." The boy is now directly in front of me, and he leans into Nancy, who is just on my left, to say "What?" asking her to repeat what she had just said. And as soon as she starts to repeat her answer (along with my own answer to his question), the boy quickly snatches my wallet out of my hand and starts to sprint down the road.
It happened so fast (he obviously had this planned out) and before I even had time to say anything or even think about what had just happened, I dropped my backpack on the dirt and sprinted after the little punk. I'm wearing flip-flops, so after about 5 steps I run right out of them, knowing they're slowing me down. I sprint after this kid as fast as I can in my stretch-less khaki pants, because I'm realizing everything I have to lose in that wallet--credit card, debit card, driver's license, UB ID, and about 1500 Pula (200 USD)--money I was about to go use for a gift certificate to Primi Piatti for Batsi. As I run, I yell "THIEF, THIEF!!!" because that is what I had been told to do, and there are a lot people around who I assume will help me.
I'm sprinting as hard as I can, and yelling, to and I'm passing people who I thought would help me...the boy is running a bit faster than me, so I'm getting worried he is going to get away, with my wallet in his hand. I then see some people up ahead bend over to pick up rocks, and they look like they're about to throw them at the kid. I don't see them throw the rocks, but I do hear this woman on my right yell at me, saying "Hey!" or "Mma!" --I don't remember. After ignoring her the first few times, I turn my head to see her dangling my wallet in the air. I am a bit confused, because I never saw the boy drop my wallet, but that's probably because my eyes were focused on his feet the whole time, gauging the distance between us. So I stop running and approach the woman holding my wallet. I thank her, pat her on her shoulder, and go through the contents to make sure everything was there. Thank the Lord it all was, and I then walk back to Nancy, who I had last seen back at the tree at the combi stop. I see her walking toward me with my backpack and flip-flops. I'm totally out of breath and shaken up--REALLY pissed off at myself mostly, for allowing the whole thing to happen.
There are all these people around, talking (about me, I'm sure) and staring--most likely because they can't believe what they just saw, but I honestly do not care what they are all saying or thinking, because I am so relieved I got my wallet back and also SO pissed about what had just happened.
I don't think people helped me initially because they just thought I was going to stop running and give up--but after 100 yards of sprinting and yelling, people start to see I am NOT stopping and that's when a few of them picked up rocks. The rocks, in addition to my persistence, is why I think the kid dropped my wallet.
I'm sure it was a funny sight: a white girl sprinting after this black boy, yelling "Thief!" and pointing at the kid running in front of me. Nancy said she will never forget the change in my facial expression after the kid grabbed my wallet--it changed to a mad and determined face that was going to do anything to get that wallet back. She also said the kid looked back, saw that I was pursuing (or hunting, as Nancy says) him, and had this "Oh shit" look on his face.
I am so lucky I got everything back. It was a good thing he didn't dig through my wallet while running and then drop the empty wallet--that would have been smart on his part, but also tricky to do while sprinting. I still feel shaken up about the whole thing--a bit sick to stomach, too. It's like this feeling really deep in my throat. I'm really upset...not only at the boy, and at the entire situation, but most of all at myself. How could I let that happen? I always have my guard up...but I let it down when he leaned in to Nancy . I was so stupid--I had my wallet in my hand, and not in my backpack, and I loosened my grip when we were talking with him--the time it should have been the tightest. Plus, I had a lot of cash with me--in order to buy a few souvenirs from the Riverwalk vendors as well as Batsi's gift certificate. It was just a very unpleasant situation--I went through so many emotions--and now when I think about it, I just start smiling and laughing at how ridiculous I must have looked and also at how lucky I am that it ended the way it did.
Definitely a learning experience for me...one that I will never, ever forget.
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