Phone Saga

So last week Meredith and I realized that our Moroccan ID Cards (carte de sejours) were going to expire.  Being such law-abiding girls, we headed to Anezi (near Meredith’s site) to stop by the gendarmes and apply for new ones.  Usually visiting the gendarmes means a full day of waiting; therefore, when we were in and out in 30 minutes, Meredith and I were extremely impressed.  In fact, I believe we decided it was the single most efficient bureaucratic moment we’ve had in Morocco so far.

So we found a car to take us back to Meredith’s house where we were going to make lunch.  And then I left my phone in the car.  Ooops.  After lunch I went to Meredith’s souk to find transportation to my site, and put the word out that I’d lost my phone.  So Ali at the post office knew, and one of the butahanoots (store owners) knew, and an Anezi taxi driver knew.  All three said they would keep calling my phone to see if someone answered as well as hunt down the driver. 

I went back to my site hopeful that the wonderful people of Meredith’s site would pull through with this phone business.  But everyone I talked to seem to think that my phone was long gone.  So I prepared to buy a new phone and number that weekend.

2 days later, I went to my post office, and Hassan, my postman, told me that although I didn’t have any mail, my phone was waiting for me in Meredith’s site!!!!  Hamdullilah!

So after I left my phone in a random car, and three days passed, I got it back!  It is a true testament to the kind of life I’m living here in Morocco.  I mean, first of all, if that happened in a city, I probably wouldn’t even TRY to find it.  But people here know Meredith and me, and made a conscious effort to find my phone.  I’m just tickled pink by the kindness of people!!!!

As a side-note, my phone broke two days later and I had to get a new one anyway.  I think the phone gods were trying to tell me something.