“Do you sell wedge shaped rubber door stoppers ?” asked a customer at the store I work. And before I could say I didn’t think so I was transported back to a particular evening long ago and some place far away.
“ If we do Sir I would consider looking in aisle 14. ”
And as he headed to aisle 14 I returned to some place far away and long ago and a particular evening when I had done what I habitually did on my travels to places deemed …… exotic. I had driven the rubber wedge shaped door stop deep under the crevice between door and floor with several harsh and well placed kicks with the intention of preventing unwelcome intrusion. That rubber wedge was an old friend and veteran of many of my travels and was with me there that evening in what was known as a “Western style” hotel because frankly I just needed to experience something somewhat clean and safe if only for a night or two.
Hours after checking in the sound of the key entering the lock had me up on my feet instantly and the hard pushing on the door had my heart beat rise to well above norm. After several attempts by whomever it was it was obvious my old and trusted friend had performed its job well. And then the phone rang…..
“Open door” said the feeble excuse for a request in English
“ Who is this ? ” and I asked this even though there was no way I’d be opening that door regardless of the answer, which happened to be…..
“ Open door….must clean room.”
“It’s after 9 pm and this room is clean enough….I ain’t opening that door.”
Should you ever travel through obscure parts of Northern Pakistan you will likely notice that any official that serves in any capacity will more than likely go out of his way to make himself …. noticeable… and that would include undercover police. The man who hung with nonchalance in the hall down from my room in that “Western style ” hotel for instance. He was there for two days and I had no doubt it was he who had taken my expired passport well hidden in that room. I had carried it to show the nearest U.S. consulate in case of loss or theft of the current one and even though well hidden… it was suddenly gone.
In all liklihood this unwanted attention was my own fault having been picked up by the local “Gendarmes” while returning from areas closed to tourism just a few days earlier….but that be a story to be told some other time.
As for now….I’ll be busy searching aisle 14 for memories and trusted old friends.
