Cape Town Thief

It’s Cape Town, South Africa in modern times and a South African actor has just finished up a small role that had lasted a week.  He’s been paid for the week’s work, cash-in-hand which means a sizeable wad of rand notes in his pocket.

Being in South Africa he hasn’t gotten far when a thief bails him up demanding the actor give him his money.

Duh! Split The Wad

The actor knows it’s not worth fighting. Chances are he has a knife or a gun. So, reluctantly, he hands over his newly acquired wad of cash.  Berating himself for not at least having split the wad up into smaller bundles and strategically placing them in various body locations.

Basically, it’s the only money he has and is now thinking how unfair life is. But thankfully, indignation quickly kicks in.  He tells the criminal that he’s worked hard for the last week to earn that money and now has nothing.  While he the thief who had nothing, now has it all.  And asks him how that is fair?

“Man, this is cak, now I don’t even have bloody money for a beer”.

The thief stares at the actor for a while. Seems to contemplate his words. And then, with a demonstration of a relic of decency, says “Ok, I’ll buy you a beer”.

True Stories

This is actually a true story told to me by a someone I met in my travels.

The story finishes up, with a good old South African Castle Lager. The thief and the actor having broken through any barriers that might normally exist in the typical criminal vs victim roles.

And as can happen with drinking, they don’t stop at one. They continue on with one more and then one more. Until together, they ended up on the same drunkenness playing field. Having as a team, drunk their way through the whole wad.