Sunday night I was heading back to the house after driving a couple of guys home who were visiting us over the weekend (more on that in a minute) and I pulled out and passed a motorbike. Only as I pulled up beside them did I realize they were police officers.
I casually passed them...didn't make eye contact...which is what I do whenever I pass the police...and then prayed (uh...chanted...)...
"Please don't pull me over...please don't pull me over..."
We drove on for a couple of blocks and then they pulled up beside me....and my heart skipped a beat...and then they passed me by to pull over the guy in front of me. I couldn't believe it. That NEVER happens. Usually they see my truck and dollar signs start flashing in their eyes and they can hardly manage to maintain their glee and elation as they wave me to a stop. But not this time...
I was still revelling in my joy and...well, smugness to be honest, a couple of seconds later when I turned a corner and drove straight into a police checkpoint.
The timing of it was stunning...
I calmly (on the outside) pulled over and an officer came up to my window. I greeted him cheerily (on the outside) and he asked for my Driver's License. I handed him my International License and he just kind of looked blankly at it. I have a Bolivian License but my card was in my wallet when I lost it last spring (along with my Bolivian Identity Card sadly). Rather than fight with the transit police to get it replaced, I just got a International License when I was home in Canada.
Without a word, the officer walked over to a parked police truck and soon someone a little higher up the food chain walked back over to my truck. On the way he checked out my windshield and immediatly asked me where my SOAT sticker was (that's like the registration sticker we put on our license plates back home).
I pointed to where it was on my window (he hadn't seen it in the dark) and there was a pause and a definite sense of disappointment on his part. I think he thought he had an easy win.
He then asked me where the other sticker I was suppose to have was, my "Tercera Placa" (third plate). It's an ID sticker they came up with a few years ago. I've never actually gotten it (on the last couple of trucks) and no one has EVER asked for it. Ironically Yimy and I were just talking about that and he asked me why I didn't have it. "'Cause no one ever asks for it..." was my reply.
I should learn to keep my big mouth shut.
So I explained that I had just bought the truck (true) and that I'd be sure to get that sticker soon (um...truuue...although "soon" is a kind of a vague word when you think about it. What's "soon" for me may or may not be "soon" for you). I went on to explain (and here's where the magic happened) that my friend...dramatic pause...the Director of Interpol in the city (who I do actually know and have his name and number in my phone)...another dramatic pause...would, I was sure, be happy to help me with the process.
My officer friend hesitated and then handed me back my license and said, "That would be best." and then waved me on my way.
It was awesome. I get so few wins that one needs to savour them...
The two young guys (brothers) I was taking home are two guys we know from the boy's home where I used to work. I haven't seen them in (we figured out) nearly five years. That would have made Yeddy around 13 and his brother 10 at the time. Yeddy was in one of my Bible Study groups and was also one of the guys who I took camping back in the day (when none of the guys had ever seen a tent or cooked hot dogs before).
We used to call Yeddy, "Jedi" because it's close to how his name sounds in Spanish. My friend Kara and I used to yell at him during soccer games...
"Use the force Jedi!" "Jedi! Use your powers!"
It quite entertained us...
It was interesting to talk to them. It came out fairly quickly that they're having problems at home living with their mom. That seems to happen a lot with the guys I talk to. Most of them didn't spend much time in their houses growing up and are now supposed to have good relationships with whatever parent is around.
We're going to get together a little later this week to talk some more about what's been happening. So if you have a moment, please pray for that. The guys came to our house on Saturday for supper and youth group, and then came back for church on Sunday morning. I think they were enjoying seeing everyone and hanging out.
It was great to see them. Jedi hasn't changed at all really...his "little" brother Denar on the other hand...
And there you go...that was my day...
PS My one last funny moment...I woke up in the middle of the night and glanced over at my laptop on my desk that was still on. I freaked out 'cause there were weird, black lines all over the screen. I jumped up to see what was wrong and realized that I'd been looking at the screen through the metal wire cover of my fan that was six inches from my face....
I casually passed them...didn't make eye contact...which is what I do whenever I pass the police...and then prayed (uh...chanted...)...
"Please don't pull me over...please don't pull me over..."
We drove on for a couple of blocks and then they pulled up beside me....and my heart skipped a beat...and then they passed me by to pull over the guy in front of me. I couldn't believe it. That NEVER happens. Usually they see my truck and dollar signs start flashing in their eyes and they can hardly manage to maintain their glee and elation as they wave me to a stop. But not this time...
I was still revelling in my joy and...well, smugness to be honest, a couple of seconds later when I turned a corner and drove straight into a police checkpoint.
The timing of it was stunning...
I calmly (on the outside) pulled over and an officer came up to my window. I greeted him cheerily (on the outside) and he asked for my Driver's License. I handed him my International License and he just kind of looked blankly at it. I have a Bolivian License but my card was in my wallet when I lost it last spring (along with my Bolivian Identity Card sadly). Rather than fight with the transit police to get it replaced, I just got a International License when I was home in Canada.
Without a word, the officer walked over to a parked police truck and soon someone a little higher up the food chain walked back over to my truck. On the way he checked out my windshield and immediatly asked me where my SOAT sticker was (that's like the registration sticker we put on our license plates back home).
I pointed to where it was on my window (he hadn't seen it in the dark) and there was a pause and a definite sense of disappointment on his part. I think he thought he had an easy win.
He then asked me where the other sticker I was suppose to have was, my "Tercera Placa" (third plate). It's an ID sticker they came up with a few years ago. I've never actually gotten it (on the last couple of trucks) and no one has EVER asked for it. Ironically Yimy and I were just talking about that and he asked me why I didn't have it. "'Cause no one ever asks for it..." was my reply.
I should learn to keep my big mouth shut.
So I explained that I had just bought the truck (true) and that I'd be sure to get that sticker soon (um...truuue...although "soon" is a kind of a vague word when you think about it. What's "soon" for me may or may not be "soon" for you). I went on to explain (and here's where the magic happened) that my friend...dramatic pause...the Director of Interpol in the city (who I do actually know and have his name and number in my phone)...another dramatic pause...would, I was sure, be happy to help me with the process.
My officer friend hesitated and then handed me back my license and said, "That would be best." and then waved me on my way.
It was awesome. I get so few wins that one needs to savour them...
The two young guys (brothers) I was taking home are two guys we know from the boy's home where I used to work. I haven't seen them in (we figured out) nearly five years. That would have made Yeddy around 13 and his brother 10 at the time. Yeddy was in one of my Bible Study groups and was also one of the guys who I took camping back in the day (when none of the guys had ever seen a tent or cooked hot dogs before).
We used to call Yeddy, "Jedi" because it's close to how his name sounds in Spanish. My friend Kara and I used to yell at him during soccer games...
"Use the force Jedi!" "Jedi! Use your powers!"
It quite entertained us...
It was interesting to talk to them. It came out fairly quickly that they're having problems at home living with their mom. That seems to happen a lot with the guys I talk to. Most of them didn't spend much time in their houses growing up and are now supposed to have good relationships with whatever parent is around.
We're going to get together a little later this week to talk some more about what's been happening. So if you have a moment, please pray for that. The guys came to our house on Saturday for supper and youth group, and then came back for church on Sunday morning. I think they were enjoying seeing everyone and hanging out.
It was great to see them. Jedi hasn't changed at all really...his "little" brother Denar on the other hand...
That's Jedi on the left...
And that's Denar on the right...
And yea...Jedi and Denar Sunday night...
PS My one last funny moment...I woke up in the middle of the night and glanced over at my laptop on my desk that was still on. I freaked out 'cause there were weird, black lines all over the screen. I jumped up to see what was wrong and realized that I'd been looking at the screen through the metal wire cover of my fan that was six inches from my face....
4 comments:
Funny about the laptop.
Maybe time to get the sticker...could be a 'sign' ...:o)
Hi Lundy! Glad to have you back! Missed ya! =) And yea...the sticker is on the list of things to do...
That's awesome Ken about the police, I know the feeling so many times of being helpless, nice to know occasionally you have an ace of spades in your pocket . . .
Ken's List of Things To Do:
Put off getting the sticker as long as I can. Which means I won't get it until some guy gives me a really expensive ticket for it. Then I will get it. And complain on my blog about it. And Kate will laugh.
P.S. Your P.S. was my fave.
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