But anyway recently I had a little episode which I've decided to publish here on my blog (even if it might damage my reputation). Last Wednesday we had or second meeting in or English bible study group. The gathering went on to pretty late in the evening and its kind of hard to get home to Pančevo after 2230, so I decided to spend a night in an apartment in Novi Beograd. Next morning I had to be in kindergarten at 10 o'clock so I got on the 9 o'clock train, feeling a little bit tired and exhausted. The train was pretty full so I left my backpack on the shelf in the train an sat down on a single seat on the train (usually there are sitting groups). From this seat its a little bit harder to watch the position of the train, and you're not forced to look out of the big windows all the time.
With the combination of my seat and my tiredness station were passing quickly. Almost like a dream one station after the other passed through my mind, vividly but kind of soft and blurry. My thoughts were drifting, like slowly moving lava from a volcano. Suddenly this soft blurry image sharpened and I realized the train had stopped at my destination, Vukov Spomenik. The trains usually stop rather briefly so I got up and raced out of the train.
No sooner had I put my foot down at the platform, before I got the feeling that something was missing. Walking towards the escalators feeling light, too light, I realized what was missing... My backpack! It was still laying on the shelf on the train! My pulse quickened and I could feel sweat pushing through the skin on my forehead. I forgot my bag at the train! I have everything in that bag, computer, camera, language books, notes, papers and more! I started running up the steps of the escalator towards the ticket office. Trying to figure out how I'm going to explain this. My vocabulary is still pretty limited and people working on train stations rarely speak English. But with the combination of arms, body and vocabulary I managed to explain my situation.
The ticket lady brought me along to two of the police officers working at the station. Luckily one of them spoke a little bit English (about the same level as my Serbian). They took me to their office and started to make some phone calls (while playing a game on the computer). They seamed so relaxed that I started wondering if I was expected to pay some money under the table to make things happen. But I decided that they were working and that I should try to avoid supporting corruption as long as possible. I was thinking about calling my police friend in case he could have some influence, but I didn't have cover. I ended up sitting and praying inside me while waiting.
After a little while they stopped calling and started asking me questions instead. My passport, I didn't bring that along, but I had a copy and I handed it over. They seemed satisfied with that until there boss showed up and said that I'm obliged by law to carry my passport at all times. I turned on my Serbian way of expressing my self (a lot more movements, and a tone and voice which in Norway would be considered pure anger) and told that if I where supposed to bring my passport along everyday, it would break sooner or later and it was not an option. I always bring along a copy of my passport, and if they insist and absolutely need, we can go and get it at my place! They seemed to be satisfied with my explanation and didn't pursue that matter further.
I was told that it was not very likely that I would find my bag and some thief had probably took it. They asked what I had in the backpack an the approximate total value. I told them what I had and that total value probably was around 2000 Euro. Then they went on asking what I was doing in Serbia anyway. I decided to go for telling that I study inter cultural communications in Norway and I'm having a six months practice period in Serbia to learn more about the culture and language. Which is perfectly true, but I left out the part about working for a Christian organization, since they usually are considered sects and not to popular among the police. After some more conversation they made one more phone call. When he hung up, he looked at me seriously, shook his head and said: "You are very lucky!". He stood up and started walking out of the office and said "Follow me!". Not quite sure what had happened I followed after him down towards the platform. The train should already be a long way from here and I was not sure why we were going down to the tracks. Then he explained me, they had found my backpack at a station and immediately sent it back with another train!
So here I was - 30 minutes after leaving the train - receiving my backpack from the train driver. Everything was there and I was one experience richer and only 30 minutes late for work in kindergarten. I have a hard time believing that everything would have passed on so easily if it wasn't for my silent prayers during those minutes at the police office!
