Last night on the way home I got a call from a consultant friend of mine, he was in a bar near his office and near to my home so I said I'd call in and have a beer with him. I was also waiting to meet my landlord, who was visiting from Europe and wanted to pick up some rent in local currency.
Little by little our group expanded as various IT consultants and American embassy constructors filed in for after work drinks. It was about 9pm when myself and my boyfriend (visiting from abroad) decided to leave - as the bill would be all mixed up with the various people joining at different times, we went to the bar to pay our share. Sitting up at the bar was a old african chap with a young white woman. I had a little look to see if I had seen her before, but no I hadn't and she looked to be new to the place....relatively revealing (by Rwandan standards) tube top and sunburn. Those of us who work here don't generally get sunburn for one reason or an other.
The bf had a stack of 100 franc notes from the last time he visited and wanted to get rid of them. 100s are the smallest notes and are worth about 15c! As the bar lady made the bill I counted out, 2 thousands and ten 100s from the pile the bf had given me, and left the remainer four 100 franc bills seperate. Next thing the old guy, who I assume was Rwandese but couldn't be sure as he was speaking in French only, reaches over (not too much of a reach as the bar counter was quite full) and takes the 400 francs.
"Excuse me", says i in French "what do you think you are doing?"
"Oh, this is not my money?" he replies
I that point i feel a familiar rush of adrenaline, THIS GUY IS TRYING TO FUCK WITH ME. He clearly thinks I am drunker than him and that I wont remember if its really my money. Or maybe he thinks i'm the kind of mzungu who wont think anything of donating 400francs to a guy drinking whiskey (so not exactly poor). So I reply slowly, coldly, giving him the death stare but not knowing how exactly I'm going to react yet as its become fairly clear that he is fairly drunk
"You know well its not your money, so you'd do well to turn back to your companion....before I cause some trouble - Are you going to make me give you trouble over 400francs?"
"Ya", says he "give me trouble" (hmmm, I wasn't expecting this)
"oh you want a piece of me?", says I seriously considering decking the guy although aware that I'm sounding like some bad movie dialogue.
We go eye to eye for a few seconds while I consider my options. I decide to back down, bf is here and we dont have much time together. Plus I don't want the bf thinking i'm a complete violent psycho...I mean, in that moment, I was acting like one but I keep hoping this a stress related thing and I'll revert to acting more normally, in more normal circumstances.
I wrestle the 400francs out his claws....he was keeping a tight grip till the last....while him and his attractive sunburnt companion laugh like its the funniest thing they have seen in ages. This angers me more and I pass a remark to the bar lady on the standard of clientele she's admitting. After paying the bill, I flick the 400francs at the man and tell him to take it if he is such a desperate person. But the blood is still pumping and I wonder why such a simple thing as paying a bill can become such a nightmare. I exit the bar to more uproarous laughter from the snozzled guy and the white chick.
After we leave, the bf, who doesn't speak French, asks for an explaination. So I translate what has just taken place but it doesn't leave either of us any closer to understanding.
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