Friday, June 17, 2011

Pickpocket

I am no longer the only one in my family who has been the victim of a  pickpocket.

Yesterday, when Graham was leaving school to meet us for lunch, he had his iPod forcibly taken from him by some older teenagers. He tried to resist, but unfortunately, he was outnumbered. One pushed him against a wall while another literally took his iPod from his pocket. Seven to nine other kids in the gang stood by watching. After taking his iPod, they told Graham to get lost.

Graham pretended to comply, but only really moved a few feet and immediately called David, who was just a block away at the time. He told his dad what had happened, and that the thieves were still there. David hurried to Graham's side, but when the culprits saw David coming, they bolted. David and Graham chased the group of hoodlums for a few blocks, but eventually they lost them.

After coming to get me, David, Graham, and I drove around Massy for awhile looking for the guilty parties. When we could not find them, we went back to our language school and asked our teachers for advice. They instructed us to go to the police toute de suite.

At the police office, we filed an official complaint with a kind and sympathetic police officer. Graham was able to give very detailed descriptions of both of the teenagers that had attacked him. The officer then had Graham look through files of pictures of people that fit his descriptions, but none were matches. As we left, she asked how long we had been in France. When we told her that it had been just under a year, she commended us on our French. I must say it was rather amazing to listen to Graham give his account of the incident in French.

I doubt we will ever see that iPod again. C'est dommage, because it was a rather expensive iTouch that Graham had bought with his own money just before we left the States. And since Graham had it locked, it is very unlikely that anyone else will ever be able to access it and use it anyways. But if, by some stroke of luck, the thieves do figure out how to open it, I hope they take the time to read the Bible that Graham has loaded on it. He has both French and English versions of the Bible on his iTouch, as well as hours worth of Christian music. So maybe I hope they do figure out how to use it. It just might do them some good. 

3 comments:

  1. Wow! That sounds like an adventure...not one I'd particularly like to have, mind you!
    Love you guys!

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  2. Sorry for such an adventure, but pleased by Graham's response and follow-through. And it sounds like the local police are there to help.

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  3. I read your post and tears of sadness for Graham's loss; i mourned the loss of something so precious to your son. But God spoke to my heart to direct me to His perspective. He meant it for good, to save many. He is doing 20,000 million things at one time for His purposes. Praise God that Graham was mightily used by God in this. Bless you all.

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