Disappearance of Wallet

Every other person would have lost his Wallet or some of his belonging; either flicked or lost by negligence. For me too; it was not an expected event; but i too now have a story to narrate now ! This incident happened on December 29, 2006.

We took a taxi and were on the way to the Giza Pyramids to see the Sound and Light show. The roads were quiet empty which was not quiet common for Cairo roads. The taxi reached the vicinity of Pyramids and we were able to see the pyramids in the moon light. The taxi stopped near the entrance of the Pyramids and we were surrounded with guides and shop keeper marketing to visit their shops/gallery selling Egyptian Souvenirs. I took my Wallet from the pocket and paid for the taxi and slid the Wallet again into the pocket. We paid 15 pounds as told by one of the colleague at work place. Though all the taxi's are fitted with meters i have never seen one working or being used; which reminds me only of the autos in Chennai. The taxi driver was asking for extra 5 pounds which i guess happens to all foreigners ! So i tried to get hold of another 5 pounds from a collection of lot of small and dirty notes in another pocket. We paid the extra money.

We were out of the Taxi and we just spoke to one of the guide there to find the timing of the show. The guide directed us to a nearby gallery/shop as there is more than 1 hour for the show in English. I do not know how; but i realised in a flash that my Wallet is missing in the pocket. I just told my friends that my Wallet is missing. We checked the road to see if i have dropped the Wallet on the road. It is not there. Were could it be now which i had it in my hand a minute back. We turned back and saw the taxi in which we came was leaving the place. We realised it could be in the taxi.

We tried calling the driver of the taxi to stop but he did not hear us. A Few guides with us ran behind the taxi and as the taxi left the scene without noticing us running behind. We wondered what next. My mind was working in full speed better than any computer to find how much i am loosing. A few hundred Euros, Egyptian Pounds and the pack of credit/debit cards. Another mind tells get your cards hot listed immediately. My eyes are searching for an Internet center to issue notification to the Banks which issued the cards. Another eyes reaching to another Taxi (Taxi 2). All of us running behind the taxi got our ideas synchronised in a flash and got into another Taxi 2 and got ready to chase the Taxi 1.

One of the guides asking me are you sure did you loose the Wallet in the Taxi 1? I only questioned myself what a ridiculous question he is asking; How can i be so sure to say i lost in the Taxi ? It can be only a fair guess. Any how no arguments now. Another travel guide instructing in Arabic the Taxi driver 2 to chase the Taxi 1 which just left the scene. I can only guess that this is the Instruction he would have given, as i do not know Arabic. I am in a foreign country; lost my wallet; with know knowledge of the local language they speak and with a few strangers in a taxi on the suburbs of the city in a quiet dark place. What could be next ? Only consolation was i was not alone; i was accompanied by two friends. One of the friend on the car with me now and another left behind with my camera Sony DSC H1 which i purchased for around $ 600 a year back. We left him back as there was no space available in the Taxi. We were chasing the Taxi 1 which is not in the vicinity now.

One of the guide asking us; is it this Taxi or that. It was like a typical Indian film; suddenly we find there were a few Taxi's alike and now we are confused ! What an irony. My friend told that the Taxi 1 had a blue reading light in the back which he noticed when he sitting in the back. A nice bit of information. We found a Taxi picking up few customers with a Blue light on the rear seat and speeding on the main way. We had a good chase passed along side of the taxi. All the Arabs in the car shouting at the Taxi to "Stop" in Arrabic; which again i guess. The Taxi stopped on the middle of the road and we were lucky it was the Taxi 1.

We surrounded the Taxi 1 now and i opened the front door where i was sitting earlier. The driver looked familiar now. The wallet is not in the seat; where could it be ? Obviously the driver would have returned or picked up the wallet if it was on the seat. We inspected the floor of the taxi and found that the Wallet was found there with all my Gold cards glittering there intact. We thanked the Taxi driver 1 and got in to the Taxi no 2 to return back. Another 20 pounds now paid to the 2nd Taxi driver for the fantastic chase. My hands now checking again to see if i have the wallet and mobile etc. I have them all !!! We thanked and tipped the guides who gave instructions in Arabic on our behalf to the 2nd Taxi driver. (I know my narration is like Visu's comedy with Taxi 1 and Taxi 2; but could not help now !!!)

Now the guide speaking the truth; told us the correct show timing in English which correlated with the timings checked in the Internet earlier. He directed us to the ticket counters. We thanked him again to see the Sound and Light show. to us. The incident was unexpected and quiet cinematic and i was lucky to get back the Wallet which i had lost. I thank the guides, my friends, the taxi drivers and God for helping me out. I still don't understand how the Wallet slipped out as myself i struggle some times to get it out of my pocket !

Mohan Raman V