August 2, 2022: Paris, Robber, Lift in a Hotel （パリ、強盗、ホテルのエレベーター）

When I was flipping my old passport, I recalled a nightmare. It was the most frustrating event during my living abroad. I had my money stolen in Paris. It was when I returned to my hotel after having dinner with my French customers. I took a lift drunk in the hotel. Then, a few men jumped into it. Just after the door closed, they had begun to beg me for money by putting their hands together. First, I could not understand what was happening. But I had a bad feeling while drunk. So, I took French banknotes out of my purse and gave them to them instinctually. But the men were dissatisfied with them and begged me for more money. I reluctantly gave more banknotes to them. Then, they got off the lift to run away. It happened just in a few minutes. As I was drunk, I did not take it seriously and went to bed and slept immediately.

　古いパスポートを眺めていたら、悪夢がよみがえってきた。海外生活で一番悔しい思い出です。パリのホテルでお金を盗まれたのです。商談の後お客さんの招待で夕食を終えてホテルに戻ったときの事でした。かなり酔っ払ってエレベーターに乗りました。そこに、数人の男が飛び込んできました。ドアーが閉まり出した途端、「金をくれ、金をくれ」と英語で拝まれました。最初は、意味が分かりませんでしたが、なんとなく嫌な予感がしたので、財布にあるフランスの紙幣を出して渡したら、もっとくれをせがまれました。仕方なく、更に紙幣を渡しました。そしたら、男達はエレベーターから走り去りました。その間、わずか数分です。その時、酔っ払っていたので、このことを深刻に考えずに、寝てしまいました。