Today's question is:

"How much would you pay for a bottle of Johnnie Walker?"  Let's make that two bottles.

Would you be willing to trash your life for two bottles of Johnnie Walker?  End up in prison?  Have your picture posted all over town along with your name?  Have your reputation ruined?

Well, I know one man who is languishing in prison today who's rethinking the high price he paid for two bottles of Johnnie Walker.  I only know this story because it played out right in front of my eyes.  Five days ago.  In downtown Yaounde.  It happened like this:

I had to be in town on business and decided while there, to stop by Mahima  to pick up a couple of items that we needed at Shiloh.  Mahima is our Safeway, Frys, Bashes, look-alike grocery store.  Sort of.  Well anyway, our version of your favorite grocery story.  

I got out of the taxi and walked across  the parking lot.  As I was innocently pushing my shopping cart towards the entrance, all of a sudden I noticed a commotion going on inside the store.  A police officer was just clamping his arms tightly around a nicely dressed man.  The man was not struggling.  Obviously he knew they had him dead to rights.  Two policemen rushed to the scene from opposite directions.  The first to arrive rushed to the front of the man and clamped his arms around the thief.  The second officer took the side position.  As they held the thief sandwiched between all of them, the store owners (five or six very nice Middle Eastern men whom I am acquainted with) rushed up and got involved. One pulled out his phone and began taking pictures of the thief.  

I was impressed with the level of security that I saw throughout the entire incident.  Soon six or more police officers were rushing into the store.  Customers, clerks, box boys, and other employees all came rushing to that part of the store to witness the action.  I quickly went into the store and stood a safe distance away until they removed the thief from the store.  They took him into an alleyway outside and interrogated him.  (Which included ripping his nice shirt off of him.)

By the time I had purchased my few items, he was being led out to the police van in handcuffs.  I asked the store security officer what he had stolen.  Two lousy bottles of Johnnie Walker.  One stuffed down the left leg of his trousers, and the other down the right leg.  He was on his way to jail where they would hold him for a few hours.  With all the solid evidence they had on him, he most likely was sent to prison to await trial.  That will take months or longer.  

In the meantime, within a day his picture will be posted so that all store owners can recognize him if he should ever enter their establishment.  His reputation is ruined.  If he had a job, he could easily no longer have one.  His family is disgraced.  Maybe he realizes that he paid too high a price for his two bottles of Johnnie Walker.