Life in Orange Farm...

As you could read from my profile info, I'm currently working as an Occupational Therapist in Orange Farm. I also have/had this very nice Samsung U700 mobile phone which has taken a few knocks since last year when I got it, coz I kinda make anything fall easily (except for babies!). So I thought, hmmm...just another year with this phone until I can upgrade on my contract at my service provide. Okay...that's the background to what follows next.

Yesterday I was alone in my department at work at around 12H30pm when two guys saunter into my Child therapy treatment room (adjoining my office). They looked kinda weird, they smelled of alcohol and they were carrying an old plastic clothes bag (Edgars or Jet? I'm not sure) with them.

I was busy doing some sewing, and quickly had to iron a band to make its seam. So there I was ironing, with all my stuff laying on my desk - my phone, the sewing machine, a very sharp pair of scissors, all the material, the iron I was using to iron the material with, and so forth. You get the picture, a very messed up and "deurmekaar" desktop!

These guys then come and say that they wanna ask me something, so I'm like "Yes, how can I help you?". They were standing in such a way that they were blocking the room entrance from me, I'm basically in a corner. They start pulling out old clothes from the bag and try to sell it to me. I told them "I don't have money, no thank you", but they persist. So once again I tell them "I don't have money, I'm not interested, thank you". But they ask me, what about this piece of clothing. They just could not get the hint that I didn't want or needed to buy clothes (and I suspected if anyone bought clothes from them the guys would have used the money for MORE alcohol - I don't know, that's just a calculated guess I made).

Now the guys were standing so that one was on my left in front of me, one stood on my left, but more towards my back. So that one behind me asks again "What about this for R40?", and I turned to him and said "I'm NOT interested, I DON'T have money, can you guys please leave now?".

They did leave, and about 3/4 of an hour later, whilst I was busy packing up everything... my phone was GONE! I first tried to think and be rational about this and looked everywhere that it could possibly have been - my handbag, all my drawers in my office, rummaging through all the material I had just used.

Nothing turned up, so I calmly walked to our Matron's office and asked if I could use the Clinic's cellphone as I was looking for my cellphone and I thought it might be stolen. She was very shocked, and I told her it might just be missing, but I suspect that it was stolen, please give me a few moments. I went back to my department, called my phone and after the first ring someone put the phone down. I called again, same thing, after one ring someone put the phone down.

This is when I knew that I had to get my phone and SIM-card blacklisted, so I quickly called my husband and relayed the story to him (with a lot of emotion!). It turns out the guys distracted me with that last question and when I turned around to the guy behind me, the guy in front of me took my phone from my desktop.

I went back to Matron's office, and she asks me "Where is this therapist?" which I reply to her "this therapist has already left for home". She asked where the other two therapists were, and again my reply was the same. So uhm...ja, bit of a problem cause they left when they weren't supposed to leave!

I have since thought this over a million times, and I'm VERY greatful towards God. I was ALONE in my department, there were very sharp scissors on my desk --> these guys could've stabbed me. I was ALONE in my department, with 3 doors between me and the exit of the department --> these guys could've raped me. They ONLY took my phone, without me realising, and left me alone!

God is AWESOME, He truly protected me. So I have forgiven the guys, and pray that they will find the Lord and repent their wrong-doings. But I'm very frustrated as I lost a few hundred photos stored on my micro-SD memory card.

So this is what I learned yesterday:
1. It's not good to be alone in the department at 12H30 on a Friday afternoon (My husband says that I must tell Matron that I will be working half days on Fridays as a I'm no longer safe on my own and all my colleagues have left by then. On Friday ALL my fellow therapists / colleagues had left already for their "unofficial Friday half day" as always that the matron doesn't even know of! I don't take unofficial half days, I feel that I get paid for a full day, thus I must WORK the full day, EVEN on a Friday!)

2. God's mercies are new every morning, and this day He was REALLY merciful!

3. I must really carry my cellphone out of sight and VERY close to my body to prevent further such events.

4. I'm VERY greatful for insurance, I can now get a new phone --> YIPPEE and next time I will ensure the phone for more than it's worth as I will always have to pay an excess amount of R600 when I make a claim.

So this has been a very long post, but you know, I just had to get this all out of my thoughts and on ... uhm.. digital paper? Keep well and have a good weekend. Be safe and pray for God's protection - ALWAYS!

Ciao!