The Curious Charger Incident

So some things just don't happen anymore these days. The other day I was in Lesotho (I do things like this from time to time) and there we were, driving along, trying not to loose our minds at all the blind rises and a car comes past us and signals us to stop. What? Stop in a foreign country cause a random car tells you to? Well I am still not entirely sure who the police are so I stopped. The other driver gets out (I was getting ready for a quick escape- first gear and wheels turned) and walk over and starts trying to give me a cell phone charger- What? Ok, firstly, yes they have phones in Lesotho with coverage in certain areas, but why is this complete stranger giving me a charger?
So while I'm still trying to not take the charger and figure out what is going on he is busy rattling off directions. Seriously? So due to the processing going on in my head the only part I hear was something something cell shop... ok, so he wants a new one that I must go buy for him or well, my mind was racing. It was time for an intervention.
A conversation intervention... I decided to use the classic african Wo Wo Wo... It did the trick! He asked the first question I could understand: Are you going to Mothlogong? Wow, not only could I understand I could easily answer- No- sorry. Wow, the disappointment on his face, looked like I'd just ruined his night on his phone. Anyway, turns out after some more understandable questions and answers we determined that he wanted me to take the changer to a friend of his at a phone shop in Mothlogong.
Now there are numerous things that stand out for me in this: 1. Mothlogong was far away- it would have been dark by the time we got there and then I would have had to find Something Something Cell shop, which in all honestly would have been a 2x2 shack with some cell logos painted on the side. 2. I must have a seriously trusting face or that is just the way things are done on Lesotho which if it is the case it amazing! More on this later. 3. Was the trip really for a little charger or what was inside it.
Anyway, the point of this post is just to say that things like this never happen anymore, seriously, I think it falls into the hitchhiking/bakers dozen/on the house and various other archaic things. it is a sad reality of the modern world and one that will hopefully wear off in the future. Maybe we need a Hippy-lution.
Be Stopping-for-Randoms
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