So I'm now a volunteer Sherrif's deputy on the weekends...

Warning to the reader: the following is a detailed account of my adventures in the city...which led to a Rwandan sting operation, and hopefully the capture of a criminal. It is long. It is also my second post of the day, the first being somewhat more informational, about what we do at work. So, if you want that, please feel free to skip down to the earlier post. Otherwise, grab some popcorn, a blanket, and some goat-on-a-stick and read the story of...

THE STING

You know how I said Muzungu must translate to 'sucker'? Well tonight took that to a new level...

Setting: Rwanda, evening.
Me: Backpack and no money.
Time: 5:15.
Backstory: Conner and I left the coffee shop at 5:15. I on a moto speeding towards a bank that would take my ATM card. Conner on a moto speeding to the Bloom to meet the others for Bible Study. I would join them in 30 min. Or so went the plan, alas it was not to be.

First, the bike I went to didn’t want to take me where I wanted to go, so I headed off on foot to find a bike that wanted business. Then I found one, and 15 min. later, when he stopped driving, did I realize he didn’t know where I wanted to go…I was on the wrong side of town. I hopped on another moto and finally made it to the bank—5:45. I was going to be late. Little did I know how late. (That is called foreshadowing, a literary tool, used to fill the reader with a sense of impending doom. Is it working? Can you feel the doom?). The bank closes at 6, so I had but 15 min. Should be enough time. Well I got to the counter, but as seemed to be the theme, the lady didn’t want my business and pointed me up the stairs. Finally got to where I was supposed to go and got in line. I reached the window and glanced at my watch. 5:57. 3 Min. “I’m sorry, we’re closed.” What!?!? No money? I walked back down stairs, frustrated, my mind whirring with options. I had no money and I was in the center of town. I glanced across the street at where Andrew was parked. No car. Hm… what to do? Not sure.

I looked down the street and saw a FOREX – a currency exchange. Perhaps they were open? I had 2 USD $100 that I could exchange. I began to walk towards it, when a guy appeared and asked if I wanted to exchange money. I relievedly told him yes. (Not sure if that is a word, but it is meant to be a derivative of relieved. Why not just say relieved? Because it is not as fun. And I am in Rwanda.) He asked me to follow him to his shop. A ‘bell’ went off in my head. Actually it was more of a ‘hm..’ why are you not in your shop? But I followed him anyway. We went a block down, then a block over, then up some stairs and finally arrived a Forex. The gentleman behind the counter was Indian and his exchange rate sign was off. Another ‘hm…’ They said some things in Kinyarwanda that I have not learned yet, and they guy asked me how much I wanted to exchange. I gave him $100 and he gave me $50000rwf. Another ‘hm.’ Last time we got 54000. What is going on. I walked out, then turned around and saw him cross the street. I crossed over and told him that he got me a bad rate and cheated me. He said the rate dropped the night before. I had read about the rate dropping, but 40rwf/$. Hardly. I said lets go back to the exchange place, and he said that it was closed.

With nothing else to do, I ran to another FOREX and saw on their wall the exchange rate was still 540rwf/$. I’d been cheated. So I went back to the original place. The owner came out and explained that the guy brought me in, the Indian asked how much to give me, and was told 50,000. The ‘perp’ as we’ll call him, pocketed 4000 once I left. The owner said that he was sorry, but there was nothing he could do. He was a business man and needed business. He said that he knew this guy though, he came by every day, and I should come back tomorrow and ask for my money back. Unlucky for him I was going on the field the next day, and would not have time to come back. This matter needed to be settled tonight.

Feeling righteous anger rear up inside me, I left and went looking for the perp. Not surprisingly, I didn’t see him. I must not have looked happy, as a few people asked if I was ok. I told them no, I’d been robbed, and was looking for the fella. One guy even asked if I needed a FOREX. Ha. To get cheated again? Fat Chance. I grabbed a street phone, called Kim and explained that I would be late for Bible Study—start without me. Then I went off to find a cop.

Rwanda is crawling with security guards; just about every business establishment has them. It didn’t take long to find one who spoke pretty good English, that I could explain my story too. He and I set off to find a cop. We finally went down a few streets and up these stairs to the top of a street-side building. In a room with only a wooden table and two chairs, there were two police officers, sadly, they spoke no English.

30 minutes and 2 additional cops later, everyone finally understood what had happened, and we left for the FOREX bureau. We left the building and arrived on the street, a picked up another cop who wanted to come along. I took them to the FOREX which looked closed. We peered inside and could see the owner shutting things down. He hurriedly invited us in and prepared to tell his side of the story. After he explained how sorry he was at what I went through, and wondered what I must think of Rwanda etc…he said that we could all come back tomorrow and I would get my money back. Well the police officer decided that wasn’t a good idea, so he told the owner to give me my money back, and to get the rest from the perp. “Ok, but you must back me up.” So the cop gave him his phone number to call when the perp appeared with another hapless victim to squeeze money from. I can only hope that he was caught and prevented from doing any more damage to unsuspecting tourists.

As the security guard and I left, I asked if they would stop the perp from doing this anymore, and he assured me they would. He also said that this was partly the fault of the owner for letting this happen, and I readily agreed. I hopped on a bike and made it back to Joel’s as the bible study ended.

All in a day's work... :p