Locked In!

Monday, March 21st is a National Holiday in South Africa - Human Rights Day.  It commemorates a tragedy where people were killed protesting human rights.  The weather is a little cooler in the mornings when we walk and Elder Smith had worn a heavier coat that morning.  We were going grocery shopping and as we left the apartment - front door locked behind us - he reached into his coat pocket for the keys to the barred security gate - no keys!  He had changed to his lighter fleece jacket and the keys were in the apartment!  Yes - we felt like monkeys at the zoo!!!  We called our next door neighbors, Elder and Sister Swift, they came to offer support and laughter!!  Elder Forsyth, pictured above had done the same thing about 6 months ago - he called a locksmith who brought a piece of a plastic bottle and slid it between the crack of the door and opened it!  Here he is trying to do that on the outside gate - Elder Twitchell brought a butter knife and got the outside gate opened with that.

                                                     

By this time, others of the senior couples came to offer help.  Sister Swift - in blue shirt, brought chairs out from their apartment and we had a 'door party'!  She served cookies and water!  You can see Elder Twitchell at our door trying to use the plastic to open it.  He has watched the locksmith open it before and knew he could do it!  After twenty minutes we called the locksmith and he said since it was a holiday he would charge 750 Rand, not the usual 500 - we were okay with that!  He also said he was 45 minutes away, but would come.  Elder Twitchell just kept trying and trying and Elder Smith was helping him and held the door handle - that relieved pressure on the lock and it opened!  We called the locksmith and he said he would just cancel the appointment and we didn't owe him anything!  We are so grateful for good friends!  Before grocery shopping we got keys made for me to carry in my purse - which I had with me and would have solved the problem much sooner!