Have you ever had something happen to you then realize after the fact how it happened? Or have you ever seen something that didn’t look right at the moment, but later made sense?

Well, Jackie got pickpocked at the Saint Lazzare train station today. They didn’t get much, thankfully. She had just moved her phone from her purse to before going through the turnstiles at the station. We borded our train, and she recalls a lot of pushing and shoving as she struggled with heavy luggage to get onboard our train. Not knowing where our seats were, she left me to get our seat assignments from the conductor. When she returned, and after we settled in, she noticed the zipper open on her new red purse.  It was too late…. Her stylish and antique sunglasses we got for her in England a few years ago at a thrift store were gone. So we’re three sets of magnetic clip-on sun glasses for my new French glasses. That’s about it, at least that’s all she thinks went missing. (She put her phone in here pocket at the turnstiles) It’s not the end of the world, but it also made me think about another incident that happened just before we entered the train station.

Now, this part of the story  is all speculation, but something happened that made the think there are always evil operations taking place right before our eyes. 

Evil happens this way far too often. 

We got dropped off by our Uber at the train station. It was sunny, and we were pleased to notice a couple of open chairs outside the station. We made a bee line and got settled. It was glorious just sitting there in the sun in Paris. A little while passed, and two young boys sat down beside us. The man with the boys stood several yards away. At the time, it didn’t seem unusual. Two boys about the same age sat obedient and cheerful. Were they too waiting for a train? I didn’t give it much thought? A few minutes later, a black man of , I presume East African decent, approached the Middle Eastern or Baltic ethnic man with the kids. A few words were exchanged, and then he offered the black man a cigarette. The black man departed.  At this time, Jackie and I looked away from the cigarette  transction, and a group of Railroad Security showed up. There were about 6 or 7 of them with semi-automatic rifles. They were obviously beginning a  patrol of the grounds.

At this moment, we noticed the man with the children, gathered up his kids, and started to walk away from the station in the opposite direction of the patrol. We even said to each other,”Could this be a trafficking situation?” Then again, it would be odd to accuse someone or chase down the french guys on patrol and try to communicate in English what we just saw. So, instead, I let it go to being just my imagination. Besides, it was time for us to go inside to catch our train, right? The man and kids wandered off, and the patrolling men chatted. All was good?

Now, after all that, and after Jackie  being pickpocked, I’m thinking maybe there was something going on? Maybe there was something organized, evil, taking place? A man with two kids the same age hanging out at the station with an unfriendly man, sitting quietly without luggage.

Was the black man warning his comrad, not just bumming a cigarette? What about the pickpocket targeting Jackie? He probably boarded with us, then exited the train after he snaged his goods. And what about the heavy security inside and outside the station in force (there were also six armed guys inside the terminal patrolling intently before we boarded).

Were the two incidents related? Was it really child trafficking as I now suspect? In the one case, it just makes me mad that I was in front of Jackie while bording. In the other, it makes me think this trafficking stuff is extremely professional.

Real or imagined,  we all need to be more diligent and aware. God will punish evil, so I’m not too concerned about the sunglasses. But if that guy has evil intent for those two young boys, God help them.

We arrive in La Harve in ten minutes.

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