The Christmas Thief

>I haven’t written a story for a while. I have been working hard on the web site just incase I get to return to DR soon. I won’t be able to work on the web site for a while when I return until I get a place to stay and all the internet connected. So I’m trying to get the site ready to be left on its own for a time.
Anyhow..on with the story…
I was working hard making jewelry and trying to sell it because of Christmas. My back was a bit bad again. I couldn’t get out to the galeria everyday because I just couldn’t walk the 5 blocks. It was even difficult getting to the Colmado on the other end on my block.
I had taken a pain pill and muscle relaxer to get to sleep that evening. I don’t take that stuff much, it was meds I brought from USA with me over a year ago just incase a bad back thing happened.
Now, here’s where the stupid Gringa part comes in… I left my balcony door open much of the time. Sniffy (the blind dog) liked to go out there to look over the balcony. I don’t know what she thought she saw but she liked it. She also went to the bathroom out there. I left the door open even when I went away so she could go out there. I never had a problem. I couldn’t imagine how someone could climb up the wall. Maybe spiderman, but he wouldn’t steal from me would he?
So I’m stupid, I had the door open when I was in a drug induced slumber. It was Christmas time when thieves are out in droves. Dumb stupid dumb me.
The morning sun rose. Sniffy came up on the bed to say good morning as usual. Typical day. I did my little back stretches and got up. Made a cup of coffee, did the bathroom visit and went to have a cig. The cigs weren’t where I thought I left them. I had one before I turned off the computer the night before and left them on the desk. Dumb me, I must have put them in my purse sitting on the milk crate (that was one of my fine pieces of home decor,very retro and quite lovely I must say). They were not there. I know I had the Daaahhhh look on my face. Not quite awake. Holding my cup of coffee.
Then I noticed my cell phone. Or should I say I noticed my cell phone was gone. The electric cord was there but the phone was gone. I glanced around the room and the portable CD player was gone also. Only the lonely cord left behind. And my duffel bag I have ready at all times for going to the beach. My beach things on the ready inside…gone. The little box where I kept my cedula, US drivers license (expired) and money ($100 pesos and $2 US Dollars – I had no money in my purse, as usual) was emptied. I had left it open the night before. Nothing else seemed to be touched.
I did a quick inventory of my jewelry hanging on a wooden hanger I made, hanging directly above where my purse was. All there. My tools, dremel, silver wire, was laying out. All there.
I had to think about this. I got a new pack of cigs from the drawer and went to light one. The lighter was gone. I always have a back up so I got it and went to the balcony to have my coffee and a cig and a serious discussion with my vicious attack dog.
I brought her with me from USA. Took care of her through her car wreck and eye loss. Walk her and be her seeing eye human. But, could she tell me that there was a human entering the house when I was sleeping…NOOOOOO! Do I feed her and clothe her in the finest bandanas? But can she warn me when someone takes my things? Still gotta love her as she was doing the horseshoe (nose to butt, going in circles and smiling. it’s a happy position for her), happily wagging her tail and talking back in her dog talk, as I was asking her these why questions on the balcony.
Nothing really valuable was gone. Then I started thinking about what was in my purse. It hit me about the most valuable thing I lost. Inside the purse was about 6 pictures. They were given to me by my sons girlfriend. They were taken about a week before he died. He looked so good and happy. His girlfriend, his dog and himself playing on the sofa. These pictures were in my purse. They were gone. I had to think of something.
So I got cleaned up and Sniffy and I went to the street. Sniffy and I walked a ways on the Malecon (which was not easy with my back being very unhappy) looking to the sides of the streets and in the grass, maybe someone threw the stuff they couldn’t use away. I walked down to the nasty polluted beach behind the statue of Montecino. I told everyone. All my neighbors. The guy that washes the cars in the street. I said that I only wanted the pictures back and I would pay for them. I even played detective and asked suspicious looking people for a light for my cigs. I was seeing if anyone had my lighter (it had a leather cover I made on it so I would recognize it). I thought I was being really slick on that one!
Anyhow. Nothing turned up. Later I realized that there was 10 pounds of white sugar missing also. I bought it to make candy.
Form that day on I didn’t sleep with my door open. Poor Sniffy had to get used to that. She ran into the door thinking it was open a few times before she learned. Her poor nose. I kept on the look out for the robber. The lighter would have been used up. All evidence gone. Except for one thing. The poor robber had to turn blind the night he robbed me.
You see, I slept naked that night. It was hot and the power went out so there was no fan. I have no idea if I had a sheet covering me. My apartment was a studio. You could see my bed easily when in the main room. So I figured, if the robber saw me naked he would instantly turn blind. This is probably why he didn’t steal more from me. Instant loss of his sight. I’m sure his spiderman skills were very hampered with the loss of his eyes! I told my friends and neighbors to look for a newly blind man and this would be my robber.
I never got my things back but having the neighborhood looking for the blind man got me lots of laughs and brought a little humor this bad happening!

How do Dominicans celebarte Christmas?