Flying home! The old home!

March 1st
I made it into the plane, without any damage. But what a day this already is!
Checked out of my hotel at 09.00. Checked my emails.... the house is sold??? What a perfect but slightly weird timing. Wanted to buy a book to read in the plane. Went to the Cathedral Bookshop again, this time I didn't find anything that appealed to me. A call from Janeth! 'Where are you?' 'I'm in a bookstore'. Silence. Then something I didn't hear, then the connection was lost. Neither of us called back.

Took a dalla-dalla to the airport. To find out that I had to go to the Ethiopian Airlines office in the city to pick up my ticket. They gave me the wrong information before. I wanted to leave my bag in the restaurant at the airport, but that was a bit of a problem. First because of security. They took it to the check-in desk to get it checked! That solved I put my bag behind the counter and locked it. Then of course about money. I told the guy I would give him 2000 Tsh. He started whining, then he said we'll talk about it when you come back. Thank you, I said, took my bag and left. It took me one and a half hour to get to the office in the centre. With my tickets back to the airport. I had one hour to get back again. At the busstop a young man started a conversation. He also was going to the airport, he was waiting for his daddy to pick him up. You always travel by dalla-dalla? he asked me. I said Yes, taxies are too expensive for me. I was thinking of asking a ride, when he offered one. I accepted, let the bus leave without me and we waited for his daddy to arrive. He came in a taxi. He didn't really look like the daddy. Far, far away there was a little alarmbell, but I ignored it. We talked about music, they were in a band picking up a friend from South-Africa, also a musician. They picked up another friend in the city first. Now I was seated in the middle at the back of the car. I could not move. Next the taxi needed petrol. None of them had any money. They asked me for 5000 Tsh. (4 dollars), they'd give it back at the airport. I had just that in my shirt, didn't take out my wallet. Another alarmbell was ringing. Again I ignored it. I was ok to contribute my 5000 Tsh., no problem. We talked about Amsterdam and travelling. About Tanzania. One asked if I had a girlfriend. I said 'Yes, but we are fighting right now'. The one in the front said the problem with Tanzanian women is that they think they know everything. Hmm, yes I can relate to that. He said he likes to make them pregnant and then leave them. They think they know everything? Let them deal with that! Hmm, I tell him I don't like that much.
Near the airport the one on the left of me said 'You know, my friend, we are bad men. And now we want money'. Aarghh.... I had a feeling something like this would happen ever since I decided to fly back to Holland. I have been more alert and careful, but now it seems to get me in the last two hours of my trip???

I said I have no money, that 5000 was my last. 'Show me your money belt!' I don't wear it since the second day of my trip, and I show him. 'What is that?' 'That?' 'That is just my dick!' He checked my pockets on the left side. They are empty. Where is your wallet? It's in my bag (which is in the back of the car). It wasn't of course, it was in my right hand back pocket of my jeans. I was in fact sitting on it. I said it's in my bag but it's empty. He checks my socks and the legs of my jeans. I have no more money, that is why I am flying home. Ah, said the one in front of the car, that is why your girlfriend is fighting with you? Exactly! All I have left is in my shirt, here my last 1500 Tsh. No, said the one to my right, the 'nice' one from the busstop, we don't want to take all your money. Keep that for a drink.

The one on the left didn't believe it, played angry. Reached for something in his pocket. I play angry as well: 'You want to cut me? Kill me? Just go ahead! You can steal my bag too, I won't be able to fly anymore. Just go ahead, I don't care!' 'We don't care either' says the tough one, but the one on my right side cooled him down. Then they check my right-hand pocket. What is this? That is my cell-phone. Show me your cell-phone! No! Why? You've never seen a cell-phone? Show it to me! No! Again he is angry, reaching in his pocket again. What does he have there? A knife? Again I react in the same way too.

We have passed the airport now and are making a detour. It's busy on the street, we pass a police-car. The one to my right sees it too. And he notices that I have noticed too. I am looking for an opportunity to create a scandal. And I feel that he realizes that too. My only fear is that they will take me to somewhere really desolate. But they turn back in the direction of the airport. They start about my cell-phone again. They want to see it. Now they all show me their phones. They were joking... they just want to see it and then will drop me off. I don't even have to hand it over. The one to my left has the same phone as me. It makes me laugh. I show him mine, put it back in my pocket right away. We are now near the airport, they are going to drop me off. They still will check my bag to see if my wallet really is empty. If I lied they will take it all. We stop on the mainroad, a bit away from other people. The one in the front gets out to check my bag. It is locked! I will open it but have to get out first. I guess it's too busy for them on the road, I take my chances, take my bag and start walking. They drive off! In my wallet, in the one pocket they didn't check, I have almost $450! We are bad men? Sure, but you also are really bad thieves!

Just before boarding I send Janeth a message. Some sweet talk, not to leave in a bad way. It's sickening but you really can't say anything sweet that hasn't been used in a song already. And the most crazy thing of the day is her answer. After 17 days of hardly a gentle word for me, she now says: 'Oh baby, I miss you so much!' Omg, that woman is crazy. But maybe it's quite logical... you have to be gone to be missed of course!!!