Between the baboons who have now decided that there were interesting things up at the houses, and the fruit thieves, I was just about a nervous wreck. As Jan was away again, and his house being so quiet, the baboons started to take big chances, and made a bally mess by raiding the trash bins, and stripping the peach trees.
But as they were only wild animals looking for food, I never got cross at them, for stealing that is, but I got livid every time I had to pick up baby nappies that was ripped open, and all other kinds of garbage. The other thieves now, who raided their own peoples's orchards and sell the fruit on the black market I think, made me extremely cross.
A few nights ago I couldn't sleep as the dogs belonging to the few families living on the apple farm across the river were barking and barking, and at about two o'clock I got up to make a cuppa, when I noticed a few weak lights flickering amongst the apple trees. I put off the kitchen lights to have a better look, but couldn't really see anything but the lights darting in and out of the trees.
I went back to bed quite puzzled, as there is no spraying or pruning at the moment, the picking being in full swing. It troubled me so much that I slept fitfully, until at about five that morning I heard danny, my neighbour across the road, and the one I did not trust, start his truck. I almost fell out of bed, as during the night I had come to the conclusion that the thieves were busy again in the orchards, and I had remembered then that Danny had gone out and came back towing a trailer the previous afternoon.
And there was Danny pulling out of his yard with the trailer loaded to the top with a kind of black canvas covering the load. I was sure that it was a load of apples, but to talk to the local police was useless, and dangerous, as most of them were just as corrupt as Danny himself. After charmaine told me once that a family who had gone to the Uniondale police because they had seen some funny things going on next door to them, had burned to death in their house one night, I was not getting involved.
I went to see Ronalee the next day, and told her about this, and she adviced me to phone the police and ask them to keep a watch in the orchards, or to phone them when I saw something funny again, but as I am alone with the kids so much, I decided to let it go for the moment.
What really bogs me is the fact that this farm had been given to a group of original owners of the land, and as they had never farmed or grew anything in their lives, they had an upward struggle to keep things going straight for them. They had some experiencing in pruning and spraying, and at first employed the previous farmer to help them get going, but were now on their own, and struggling, but managing.
Instead of Danny going to work on this farm, and make some money, he is stealing from this, his own people, and that makes me see red, and I realize that I can't just let the stealing go on!