Friday the 13th

Welcome to the weekend.

After a challenging day, I got in my car Friday afternoon, glad the work week was over. I was looking forward to spending an evening of quality time with my mom who had been visiting for the week. That was the agreement but she decided to rather go home.

No wonder my biggest buttons is people not sticking to their agreements. My mom, being one of the biggest offenders in this regard, but most certainly not the only one. But let's leave that there, some things are never going to change. So I need to just accept what is.

Listening to the traffic on the radio, I heard that 2 lanes were closed down on the highway I was to travel home. I chose to take an alternative route home. All went well, till I got to the outskirts of Joburg. When waiting at a red robot, my car's engine just cuts out. With a sigh of resignation I switched on my hazards, tried the started a few more times and knew, I ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon, not without a tow. I dialed my brother, already knowing that he is going to huff and puff a bit about the time this situation is going to take from him. Thankfully he agreed, but had something to finish at home first. Next I dialed my mom's number, just to let her know what was happening.

Three security guards from the Liberty Building came round and offered to push my car out of the middle of the road into a parking space, for which I was immensely grateful. I thanked them with a big smile and as they left I settled in to the wait for my "rescue". Unlike before though, instead of feeling frantically frightened, I felt an unfamiliar calm settle in my being as I thought back on my day. Which only a few minutes before, I was still a little upset about. I was truly grateful for the calm, and I thanked my Angels for being there and asked them to please stay.

An hour and some minutes later there he was. Not my brother, like I expected, but one of his friends. I seemed to feel even more grateful that I did not waste any of my brother's valuable time.

He took a few minutes to assess what was wrong and just smiled, shrugged and said: "Let's tow". Rope tied and ready to go, I did something I never do when I drive through the city.

I left my window open - as we approached a red traffic light, my phone rang - again, I did something I never do when driving through the city - I answered my phone. It was my mom, it was her 4th call since I called her the first time, just to check in and if my brother was there yet. So, not paying attention to my actions, I answered the phone. Stationary at the red light. I hear someone outside the car speaking to me. I look out the window, the guy is casually closing the last three feet to my door. I smile politely and greet, and asked: "Sorry, what did you say?"

Still holding the phone to my right ear. He bent down, leaning on my door ever so casually and said: "Give me your phone and your valuables". Well, I was dumbstruck. I could feel the smile sliding from my face like slick mud. I transfered the phone to my left hand and held it over the passenger seat. "NO", I said very calmly.

"I'll shoot you, you *$^%^$^" he said very calmly. But just then, some mechanism must have triggered my fear, and I yelled more forcefully "NO" as I scanned him from head to knees. I couldn't see a gun anywhere, but the thought just swirled around my head, what are you doing, what if he has a gun, give him the phone. But my body stubbornly wouldn't listen to my head. Just then the red light turned green and we started moving. I nearly sighed in relief as I saw him start to turn away, but then he turned back, and I thought. There it is... this is the end... my mom is still on the line and she is going to hear me being shot...

I blinked as his hand came through the window, but when my eyes were open again, there was no gun, he just reached into the car and grabbed the keys from the ignition, turned back and ran. I looked after him in shock, and as he ran down the block, and we were slowly moving. Then my steering locked, my car traveled to the right and finally my brother's friend shouted at me to stop. So I stopped and I remembered again, my mom was STILL on the phone. She must have heard the exchange and be worried. I just put the phone back to my ear and said, he took my keys. My house keys and my tag to clock in at work. I will call you later.

My brother's friend, Jannevic, got to my window, asked what happened, apologized that he did not see anything, and he looked down the road. There where 9 - YEP - 9 Uniformed Policeman, standing huddled in a crowd on the corner, less than 50 meters away. Jannevic, went to them to ask if they saw the guy. They shook their heads and just said, nope, didn't see anything.

In the meanwhile, my body entire was shaking and quivering in shock as I watched Jannevic speak to the cops, when I suddenly remembered, I have a spare key in my carrybag. I put it there less than 2 weeks ago. I jumped out of the car, suddenly in a hurry to get out of there. Pulled the lever on my back seat, flipped it down, stretched into the boot to grab my carrybag, as Jannevic got back to the car. Still shaking I zipped open my bag, the first thing my fingers closed around, was the spare keys. I grunted a triumphant yes as I yanked my hand out of the bag... dangled them in front of Jannevic. I handed him the key... told him, I am driving in front. And 4 minutes later we were on our way. This time... window tightly wound up to the top.

All the while, towing, I just kept repeating like a mantra to calm me. "Thank you God, I am still alive. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Somewhere along the line, it calmed me enough to focus on the rest of the journey to my brother's house. Which evidently I was going to need for the rest of the evening.

The first thing I got from my brother was not a hug, but a talk on how I should invest in a new car. My eldest brother and his wife were also there, so after greeting them an hour of listening to some really hectic stories. I decided it was time to go home, I phoned my mom again. This time to ask if she would mind bringing me her set of keys to my house. She laughed at me. I was in tears. I couldn't believe my ears. I just wanted to go home, didn't anyone understand that, or what happened? Are we all so desensitized to the crime in this country that we are already indifferent when it happens to a member of our direct family?

I dried my tears, greeted my mom and walked in the house. I walked up to the Angel of my day, Jannevic. He gave me a confused look, then just said. I will take you to fetch the keys. How on earth did he even know? I was outside speaking to my mom. My gratitude knew no boundaries. One person understood.

He drove me to my mom's house in Vanderbijl Park, where she finally asked if I was ok. Gave me her set of keys and also promptly decided that I can borrow her car. Jannevic followed me home to make sure I was safe. We walked in my door at 12:28AM. Five hours and fifteen minutes after the incident. Jannevic kept me company and let me talk about the night till I no longer wanted to, to make sure I got as much of it out of my system.

I am grateful that there are still people out there that cares. Sometimes, it is just not the ones we normally would expect to.

I am profoundly grateful that I am still around.