Thursday, January 29, 2004

STOLEN... AND FOUND!

I went to Regency Condo for a swim around 5pm. Usually, I leave my wallet in my car, but I forgotten to do so this time. After I changed, I juz stuff everything into my bag and left in on the bench in the toilet. Everything was well after I return there for sauna.

It was then when something queer happened. I kept hearing the sound of door unlock, then the sound of flushing, followed by another sound of locking again. These sounds kept repeating, and I kept walking out of the toilet to check. The toilet booth that was locked kept changing. One minute it was the 5th booth, next it was the 4th. I even heard a muffled sound after the toilet bowl was flushed.

When I finished using the sauna, I entered the shower room, but I paid a lot of attention on the lock/unlock/flush sounds. Once I heard the unlock sound, I hurriedly wrap the towel on my waist and scout around. There was nothing… After several attempts, I finally saw the culprit… It was a fat suspicious-looking Indian kid. I juz gave him a glance while I started to tidy up my clothes, and he vanished into the toilet booth again.

After I changed my clothes, I left the toilet and walked for a distance b4 I felt that sumthing's wrong… sumthing's… missing! I can't feel my wallet in my pocket! I check my bag hurriedly, but I juz can't find my wallet… Remembering all the suspicious sounds, I rushed back to the toilet again. This time, the 3rd toilet booth was locked, and in the toilet bowl of the 4th booth, I saw a familiar business card and a piece of news article beside a 'submarine' shit… They belonged to me (except the shit)! They were always in the wallet!

I knew then my wallet was stolen, but I was surprisingly calm and rational even then. I walked towards the guardhouse to make a report, while telling my mum about it thru my handphone on da way. Man she scolded me badly… And all the time I was thinking how much cash did I carry in my wallet… RM 100? Or 200? I have no idea... A guy at the guard house help me search for the 'suspect', to no avail. Also, I notice another suspicious guy who kept staring uneasily at me... maybe he is also an accomplice? Well, in the end, I decided that the toilet was still the best place to trace the dissapearence of my wallet... 'Crime scene', eheh...

I search for it everywhere, but I still can't get it... Then an idea struck me... Since the 3rd booth was still locked, perhaps the thief hadn't leave the 'crime scene' with my wallet yet! If that was true, he must be incredibly stupid, or a coward... Nevertheless, I remained hopeful, and enter the 4th booth where I saw my card floating in the toilet bowl... I glanced around the booth, and then I knew at once where the wallet was... I opened the 'toilet box' (the part where we flush), and viola, there it is! My wallet! I hurriedly grabbed it out, and checked if my money was still in there... They were! Rearranged (probably cuz the thief was counting), but still there! Thank God!!! And there were more than RM 400 inside! Whoa... Even I myself am dumbfounded by the amount. What have I been doing with so much money with me?!

Well, that settles it. But there's still the card in the bowl, which I wanted it back badly... Only problem was, there was the 'submarine' beside it... I looked around outside the toilet, and found a curtain peg on the floor (dun ask me how it got there). So I picked the card up using that peg, washed it at the sink, and 'escape' from that place... The guard weren't really concern about the theft at all it seems... After knowing that I've gotten back my wallet, they started chatting among themselves. Hey man, there's a thief out there, in the toilet! Do something will ya?! Brrrrr.....

I really thank God that I found back my wallet... Not juz bcuz of the huge amount of money in the wallet, but also all the important 'cards', i.e. IC, Driver's licence. This could have ended up as a pricey lesson. I will not leave my wallet in the toilet ever again!

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