I pulled into the grocery store parking lot at 5 on the dot. It was the end of the first week of school and I wanted to treat myself (celebratory ice cream?) and get grocery shopping for next week out of the way.
I grabbed my school bag, heavy with a laptop, exited the car and walked to the trunk where I would keep the bag while I shopped. I hefted the bag into the trunk and opened it to get my wallet.
I couldn’t find it.
I pulled everything out and it still wasn’t there. As I repacked my school bag, I realized that I must have left the wallet on my desk as I packed it before leaving school. I remembered taking the wallet out in order to make room for everything I wanted to take home. Apparently, I’d forgotten to put it back in.
Getting back into the car, without my treat or groceries, I thought about what to do. By the end of the five-minute drive home, I had a plan. After parking the car, I texted my VP. Her office is close to my classroom and maybe she’d still be there at 5:15. I entered the house to Lucy’s manic greeting and took her for a walk, hoping for news when we returned.
After her quick walk, Lucy got dinner and I checked the phone. My VP was already home. I was disappointed but decided I had one last hope. Maybe someone was still at school and checking their email. I could send out an email SOS.
I opened my school email, looking for an “all staff” email I could use for a “Reply all” when I noticed that Kelly, our school Library Assistant, had sent a message mere minutes before.
Hope rose in my heart.
I sent the SOS directly to her and she replied. At 5:30 pm. On the first Friday of school.
Relief washed over me.
On Saturday, I took a credit card and walked to the grocery store. With my driver’s license at school, I didn’t want to tempt fate by driving. The walk was about 20 minutes, so I didn’t get the celebratory ice-cream – for fear it might melt- but I walked home knowing I had what I needed for the week and that my wallet was safe.
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