Everyone's seen the Disney movie Aladdin (if you haven't please do NOT continue reading until you have).
You know the scene when Jasmine casually hands a hungry little beggar boy an apple - then walks away without paying? The merchant-man accuses her of stealing & threatens to cut off her hand if she doesn't pay for the fruit. Standard (but not accurately portrayed) punishment in Islamic culture. You steal, you lose the sinful instrument. That's what Disney says & what Disney says is TRUE!
Well, I live in a predominately Muslim country & although I wouldn't have liked the idea of illegally taking something any better in the U.S, I am particularly sensitive to such accusations here. Foreigner. No concrete understanding of the language. Going to jail is not. an. option. So you can imagine my sheer terror at the mere idea of stealing.
Story-time! Let me set the scene...
It is a beautiful, mildly chilly Friday afternoon & I have taken a ride to Mersin with my friend & fellow English Teacher, Angela. Her boyfriend drops us off at Forum, a local outdoor Mall then continues on to work (I know, I know - me shopping, weird). I have one goal & one goal only: find a warm, wonderful leather jacket. And coffee.
Angela & I grab a cup "to-go," which is a novelty here. Everyone sits to drink their coffee before continuing on with their day. Strange custom. Anyways, coffees in hand, we commence perusing the stores for sweaters & coats. Adana is colder than we thought it would be...
Three or four places in, I find a leather store & try on some jackets. One is a "maybe" so we continue to the next store where I have more luck but I'm still uncertain which one I should settle on. Angela suggests we walk around so I can "think about it." Great idea! There is a Turkish department store not far away that she wants to check-out.
Enter department store, browse racks, try on a few things, kill some time... no big deal. Angela finds a few vests she likes so we get a little girly & hog the dressing room mirror together, toss shirts, sweaters & vests of different sizes all around until we have the ones we like. For me, she picks out a goofy but adorable lounging tee with a Sherlock bunny & three cupcakes.
Yes, you read correctly.
The shirt is a size too large so I throw it on the chair behind me & ask her to grab a smaller size. She obliges. It fits. I decide it is too silly not to buy. We grab our purses, I grab my coat - let's go pay! With happy lil shopping bags in hand we head downstairs to walk through makeup on the way out of the store. And then it happens...
As we walk through the security sensor, lights & sounds go off. A little confused we both turn & show our bags plus receipts to the nearest sales-assistant. She nods in approval so they run Angela's purse & bag past the sensor. Nothing. Angela walks through the sensor. Nothing. My bag? Nothing... My purse... nope...
Now the security guard has come over. With a puzzled look on my face I brush my jacket by the sensor. Alarms go off. I am shocked. I unfold the jacket and to my bewilderment, the shirt I purchased falls to the ground. What. The. Fuuuudge.
I scream and cover my face with my hands. My eyes are wide & momentarily I feel like I should grab Angela & run because there is NO way we can explain this!?!
Instead, I immediately show the guard the shirt from my bag with the attached receipt. I shout "too large" while pointing to the identical item on the floor. All I am thinking is "You have GOT to be kidding me!" The shirt must have been under or in or between or around my coat & I accidently grabbed them both in the dash to leave the store! Surely he'll understand?
But, much like Aladdin, said Security Man pulls out an oversized knife. "Wow," I think "It really is just like the movies..."
JUST KIDDING!!
What really happened is Security Man & Sales Lady started laughing hysterically. Apparently my genuine yet ridiculous reaction was believable. Finally, through his laughter he managed to say "no problem, no problem..." & proceeded to take the shirt back upstairs. So I grab Angela & leave the store before anyone has a chance to change his/her mind about the events which have just transpired.
Outside, Angela is now laughing but my heart is still pounding out of my chest. All I can think is "Who would I have called from jail?" "What would they have done to me?" I then take a moment to share love & appreciation for both my hands.
Phew. Close call.
But all's well that ends well! I found a jacket at the next store & love my unexplainable sleeping-T. I never knew shopping could be so dangerous - lesson learned!
It isn't a complete story without photos....
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