Have you ever heard about the time Uncle Byron got robbed at gunpoint? There are three different versions of the story. There is the real, true tale told by Uncle Byron. There is the version told by missionaries Uncle Tim and Uncle Doug. And then there is the version repeated by one of Uncle Doug and Tim's cousins who lives in Winston-Salem NC. Each time the story was repeated it grew like a fish in the account of a fisherman. The fish was this big... No, it was thisss big. No, it was THISsss BIG!
I'm going to try to recount the event without a lot of embellishment.
When we first came to Sobradinho, Uncle Byron would go into town at least once a month to buy parts and what not and to get money out of the bank. We could get cash out of the bank machine here in town but the limit per day was lower and the fee per transaction was higher. So one fine morning, Uncle Byron went into Petrolina over the barragem (the big hydro-electric dam) to go into do several things.
After you go over the dam there is a road of about 6 miles before you get to the big two lane highway. It's not a very busy road and frequently is in need of repair with a lot of pot holes. Robbers seem to like to hang out at the one end to stop cars and take all the valuables of the passengers. Rarely do they take cars, just money, cell phones and maybe jewelry.
As Uncle Byron got close to the favorite spot of the thieves and almost to the end of the road, he saw a man step out of the brush on one side of the road and start waving his hand. Uncle Byron saw that the man had a handgun, so he stopped the big red truck. After he stopped the man started waving the gun as if the robber wanted him to pull off to the side of the road. So Uncle Byron started to pull over. The man waved for him to stop and started pointing towards the other way with the gun, going back and forth as if he wanted Uncle Byron to go to the other side. So he did, and the man started waving the stop-stop sign again and hollaring for Uncle Byron to turn off the motor and get out of the car.
No, here you need to know two things. Uncle Byron rarely rolls down windows in cars, especially if the windows have tint. Rolling down tinted windows scratches the tint. The big red truck had tinted windows so he couldn't or wouldn't just roll down the window to hear what the man was saying. Next thing, the old red truck had lots of problems. One of those was a bad battery. If he turned off the motor, it may or may not restart - so he didn't turn off the motor but he did stop and opened the door of the truck.
The man asked him to turn off the motor and step out of the truck. Uncle Byron explained that he couldn't do that but he did step out. The man asked about money. Uncle Byron had about BR$120 and handed it over. The man asked if he didn't have anymore. He explained that he did not and was going into town to go to the bank. The man said - Oh, are you going into Petrolina? Uncle Byron said, Yes, do you need a ride? The man said no because he was going to Sobradinho.
The thief asked for Uncle Byron's cell phone. Uncle Byron showed him his very old, beat-up, out-dated phone. The man said he didn't need that. He peered inside the truck and saw the overhead stereo system and radio and asked Uncle Byron to take it out. Uncle Byron said he couldn't without tools because it was screwed into place.
So then he asked what was in Uncle Byron's hip bag that he always carries. He pointed towards it and said something about having more money in there and what was in there. Uncle Byron got a little nervous at this point because he knew he would have to put up a fight if the man wanted his leatherman tool which was in a little pouch attached to the belt part of the bag. So he opened the big pocket of the bag and said look. He showed the man that there was a calculator and a lighter and his wallet. The man said there's money in there. Uncle Byron opened it and showed him there was no money. He said, See, there is no money here. I don't lie. I'm a pastor of a church and I don't lie.
The man said, Oh, you're a pastor in Sobradinho? Maybe I can come to your church sometime. Uncle Byron said you know this is a bad life. You need to stop what you are doing. The man said, I know, pray for me, pastor. So Uncle Byron said, Okay, I'll do it right now. Bow your head. So the man did and right there beside the truck in the middle of the road they bowed their heads and Uncle Byron prayed for the man's soul.
When he was done the man told him good-bye and walked back into the brush and walked away. Uncle Byron got back into the truck and went on to do his business in Petrolina, only now he didn't have any small bills to buy lunch so he just ate what was in a little snack bag I had sent and drank the water I had given him.
We never saw the man in church, that we know of! He had his head covered with an old shirt or something during the robbery. Who's to say?
I'm going to try to recount the event without a lot of embellishment.
When we first came to Sobradinho, Uncle Byron would go into town at least once a month to buy parts and what not and to get money out of the bank. We could get cash out of the bank machine here in town but the limit per day was lower and the fee per transaction was higher. So one fine morning, Uncle Byron went into Petrolina over the barragem (the big hydro-electric dam) to go into do several things.
After you go over the dam there is a road of about 6 miles before you get to the big two lane highway. It's not a very busy road and frequently is in need of repair with a lot of pot holes. Robbers seem to like to hang out at the one end to stop cars and take all the valuables of the passengers. Rarely do they take cars, just money, cell phones and maybe jewelry.
As Uncle Byron got close to the favorite spot of the thieves and almost to the end of the road, he saw a man step out of the brush on one side of the road and start waving his hand. Uncle Byron saw that the man had a handgun, so he stopped the big red truck. After he stopped the man started waving the gun as if the robber wanted him to pull off to the side of the road. So Uncle Byron started to pull over. The man waved for him to stop and started pointing towards the other way with the gun, going back and forth as if he wanted Uncle Byron to go to the other side. So he did, and the man started waving the stop-stop sign again and hollaring for Uncle Byron to turn off the motor and get out of the car.
No, here you need to know two things. Uncle Byron rarely rolls down windows in cars, especially if the windows have tint. Rolling down tinted windows scratches the tint. The big red truck had tinted windows so he couldn't or wouldn't just roll down the window to hear what the man was saying. Next thing, the old red truck had lots of problems. One of those was a bad battery. If he turned off the motor, it may or may not restart - so he didn't turn off the motor but he did stop and opened the door of the truck.
The man asked him to turn off the motor and step out of the truck. Uncle Byron explained that he couldn't do that but he did step out. The man asked about money. Uncle Byron had about BR$120 and handed it over. The man asked if he didn't have anymore. He explained that he did not and was going into town to go to the bank. The man said - Oh, are you going into Petrolina? Uncle Byron said, Yes, do you need a ride? The man said no because he was going to Sobradinho.
The thief asked for Uncle Byron's cell phone. Uncle Byron showed him his very old, beat-up, out-dated phone. The man said he didn't need that. He peered inside the truck and saw the overhead stereo system and radio and asked Uncle Byron to take it out. Uncle Byron said he couldn't without tools because it was screwed into place.
So then he asked what was in Uncle Byron's hip bag that he always carries. He pointed towards it and said something about having more money in there and what was in there. Uncle Byron got a little nervous at this point because he knew he would have to put up a fight if the man wanted his leatherman tool which was in a little pouch attached to the belt part of the bag. So he opened the big pocket of the bag and said look. He showed the man that there was a calculator and a lighter and his wallet. The man said there's money in there. Uncle Byron opened it and showed him there was no money. He said, See, there is no money here. I don't lie. I'm a pastor of a church and I don't lie.
The man said, Oh, you're a pastor in Sobradinho? Maybe I can come to your church sometime. Uncle Byron said you know this is a bad life. You need to stop what you are doing. The man said, I know, pray for me, pastor. So Uncle Byron said, Okay, I'll do it right now. Bow your head. So the man did and right there beside the truck in the middle of the road they bowed their heads and Uncle Byron prayed for the man's soul.
When he was done the man told him good-bye and walked back into the brush and walked away. Uncle Byron got back into the truck and went on to do his business in Petrolina, only now he didn't have any small bills to buy lunch so he just ate what was in a little snack bag I had sent and drank the water I had given him.
We never saw the man in church, that we know of! He had his head covered with an old shirt or something during the robbery. Who's to say?
Great story,thanks Aunt Michele
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