When Trust Becomes the Only Way Forward: Lockdown in Morocco - Part 3

     Being someone who hates having notifications just sitting there unopened, I grabbed up my phone in a manner that reflected my frustration and angst. It was a message like so many I'd received in the previous days; an offer to stay somewhere until I could leave again. (Please know that I will always be very grateful for each and every one of those offers- just to be clear.) Admittedly, I did ultimately dismiss them because no one ever before included pictures and a link. And the address was in my assigned Annex!

    I knew right away that something fantastic had fallen straight into my lap. In an instant, all the doubt and frustration washed away with relief and assurance. I immediately responded with great interest. The guy told me I could meet him right away. 

     I was about an hour's walk (at minimum) from the location. By this time, public transportation was at least running on a skeleton crew, as the city and her people still had their needs. I tried not to use public transportation during this time though to respect social distancing. He assured me that was no problem and he could work around my schedule.

    An hour goes by and because I love a beautiful coastline and vibrant flowers, I had completely lost track of time and so was delayed by at least twenty minutes at this point. I sent the guy - whom I named on Whatsapp as "apt. guy" for the time being - a text to let him know I'm running behind. He assured me that was alright. It was his next text that almost made me turn and run. 

    He asked in broken English, "You are alone or with your friend?" (meaning the Canadian - I'm sure he had seen him in my last YouTube video) Why would he need to know if I'm alone? “Spidey senses” began to tingle just like in my last adventure to avoid homelessness, but I still believed this was a risk worth taking. 

No risk, no reward, no story. 

    But that question shook me… I just couldn't dismiss it. We had been hurled into very uncertain times. The drama around the world was high and I wasn’t sure what anyone would do to secure their own safety or financial security to even to some degree. 

Was this all a set up to rob me? Was he a vigilante in the fight to eradicate the dirty foreigners? Red hot embers in a violent wind.

In my attempt to avoid the authorities, I surreptitiously made my way down the eerily empty streets of Rabat hoping above all hope there was no mal-intent in the works. 

     After a brief bit of confusion on my part as to the exact location, I was told that he had sent someone to meet me and take me to the apartment. Moments later, a man with a friendly smile approached me, stopping about thirty feet from me and waved for me to follow him. He was tall, almost freakishly - not slender, not fat, but large - frumpy in posture and his general appearance. He was dressed somewhat like a city bus driver, dark blue suit jacket and pants, both could have been a size larger, a light blue button up shirt.  

    We walked about a half a block to an entrance of an apartment building that honestly didn't reassure me that I was going to the nice place I'd seen in the pictures. The smiling man said nothing as he dutifully walked me to where he wanted me to go. 

Here we go again with the “spidey senses”. 

"Not everyone who smiles at you is your friend.", I told myself. And that question from before about being alone, was now playing back louder than the trumpet of Gabriel - I WAS alone. Uncertain times. Mal-intent...

     The man walked up the flight of stairs to the second floor only looking back to smile as if to reassure me that I only need to just follow him a bit more. He made a turn and proceeded down the hall to the very end. Now, perhaps I'd seen way too many mob movies because it was always at this point someone was about to get whacked. He punched in the code on the electronic key pad. I could hear the electric motor retract the bolt lock. The man sharply turns the handle and opens the door. Mal-intent...

      SO… for just as many times I'd watched mob movies, I'd also seen The Wizard of Oz. As I peaked inside from the hall painted in a dull gray and white, I saw a beautiful little world of my own full of color and charm. It was fully furnished - decked out in stylish contemporary yet traditional decor, heat/air (yes both!), flat screen TV, fully stocked kitchen, beautiful bathroom with an actual shower stall and it even came with a washer/dryer combo. It had WiFi and most of all, it provided privacy and gave me the freedom to live my life my way again. I had indeed won the battle...but with help I didn't see coming. Trusting the process sometimes means trusting people. That, sometimes, can be way easier said than done.

    Turns out the smiling man said very little because he only spoke French and Arabic. So when I gave him the thumbs up about the apartment, he put "apt. guy" (Anas) on the phone to seal the deal. 

Here's the actual best part. Anas was a registered AirBnB host with six properties and had VERY generously allowed other tourists in my same position to stay (for just a while) at no charge! Moroccan hospitality at its finest.

    Traveling can bring about situations that we could never imagine. We will be tested and shown exactly what we’re made of. Take the risks. Seek life outside your comfort zone!  It’s the only way you’ll overcome your fears.  Most of all, be patient and trust the process. 

Thank you so much for following my journey thus far. I hope you have enjoyed my Lockdown in Morocco series. This is just one of many unforgettable stories that I will love telling for the rest of my life. No risk, no stories!