Lydia Hartsell

So I have been phoneless for about three days.  On Monday night I got my phone stolen.  It was not one of Lydia’s smartest moments.  I generally pride myself in taking appropriate caution and extra measures to ensure the least amount of unwanted incidents as possible.  In fact in Kenya, I was like 2 out of 28 some students that didn’t have anything stolen during that time.  However, on Monday night I was riding in a Bajaji (an open three-wheeled motorized taxi) with Abe and Amy (a girl in Abe’s group) and began texting at a stop light near the Mwenge dala dala stand (a busy intersection).   Since I was holding my phone outside of the bajaji in the lamp light and not paying attention, someone ran up and grabbed my phone. Turning around, I watched as they ran away through the row of vehicles behind me.  Surprisingly (even to me still), my attitude was one of “I just got my phone stolen, oh well, guess I got to get a new one…” I wasn’t shocked or angry or in a panic.  I just sat there wondering why I was so careless.  Abe and Amy didn’t know what happened until I told them about a minute later.  Abe quickly replied, “Why didn’t  you tell me?? I could have ran after him and gotten it back for you.”  As a distance runner for his track team at Bemidji State, I had no doubt that Abe could catch him, but it was now too late.  The traffic light changed and our Bajaji took off into the darkness.

My depiction of the crime scene. I'm in the red Bajaji in the left lane. Yeah, my artistic abilities are limited...

Riding to school the next morning (yes I found a carpool for the morning commute!), I recalled the scenario to the owner of the car and my next door neighbor, Darlington.  Darlington is from Zimbabwe and has been working for Barclay’s Bank in Dar for the past few years.  He said that phone theft is a common occurrence.  Other people have tried to steal his Blackberry phone from him several times and some even when the taxi window is open several inches.  In telling him my frustration with not having Abe chase after him, he laughed and said that it’s stupid to chase after thieves because they will just beat you.  I told Abe this and joked that by responding emotionless, I saved him a hospital visit.  Since he already had one here due to a bacterial infection, I realized that my response was just an unconscious big sister instinct.  The next day I was able to get my same number reissued and I plan to buy a phone today.  My old phone was no loss other than sentimental value from Kenya.  It is four years old and I highly doubt that the thief could even find an adaptor for the oddly shaped charging port. 

Also last night when I arrived home from class, I discovered a new mode of communication.  Abe has been trying to reach me for the past several days with no success.  Yesterday he stopped by when I wasn’t home and instead of writing a note, he left a “call me” message on my door mat written in toothpicks.  It took me about five minutes to figure out who it could possibly be.  Don’t worry Abe, I will call you tonight.

Abe's message in a bottle..oh wait a rug