Notes from a messy desk…
Have you ever had a day when your cellphone’s notifications just won’t stop pinging? It happened to me recently. I turned the volume way down and stowed the contraption in my purse to get a break. Blissful silence ensued for a couple of hours while I did some writing, picked up a few groceries, and returned home. After supper it was time to relax, and reply to any texts or calls.
You know that feeling when you reach for your phone in the place you always keep it, and your fingers come across… nothing? I had that sinking feeling. “It must be here somewhere,” I told myself, dumping the contents of my purse onto the table. No phone there. Shoot. Dang it all.
I dialed the cell using my landline, listening intently for a ringtone from somewhere in the house. Silence. I searched coat pockets, couch cushions, and every surface upstairs and down, then covered the ground from house to car, and all nooks and crannies within the vehicle. Nothing.
Picking up the landline again, I called Safeway. The service desk person asked around, to no avail. I thanked her and hung up. Then I lost it… and I’m not referring to my cellphone.
Deep breath. Think.
I had checked the time on my phone in the frozen food aisle, before snagging a container of that yogourt with the chocolate cookie pieces (purely for the calcium) and several other health foods, possibly including cheezy puffs, then swung through the pharmacy area for mouthwash. The price on the shelf didn’t match the sign above, so I snapped a photo in case there was a problem, and grabbed a bottle. The price was indeed an issue at checkout. I showed the cashier my photo and we got that settled. Then the lady behind me accidentally mixed her butter in with my order. That was fun to straighten out. But where had my phone gone?
I would drive to Safeway and see for myself.
The manager, a bright young fellow, offered to check their security video for clues. Off he went, leaving me to wait (im)patiently. And work on my breathing. I mean, it was only a phone, right?… Right?
A few minutes later he was back. The news was good – sort of.
The videotape had shown the cashier in conversation with myself and the lady behind me, regarding the butter mix-up. My phone was resting on the ledge in front of me. As the lady, engaged in the whole transaction, edged towards me, I moved along to make room for her. When our business was finished, she picked up my phone from the ledge and put it into her handbag. Before my very eyes! And it didn’t even register in this brain of mine! What the —-!
Alrighty. Mystery solved. Time to get my cell back. I called it from my landline numerous times that evening, but got no answer. Of course not – duh! I’d turned the volume down.
The next day, I was back at Safeway being That Problem Customer. Could they please somehow find out who the mystery lady was? The manager would try, but the store could only do so much, and I should report my lost phone to the police.
Okay. Off to the cop shop. Give a statement to the nice, patient constable. He’d work with Safeway about getting my phone back. Give him a day, he said. “Ha!” I thought. “Only a day. As if.”
Oh me of little faith. In under 24 hours my phone was ready for pick up at the police station. Hallelujah! I was one delighted P.A. citizen. Thank-you cards and Safeway cake all around!
Lorna Blakeney is an avid writer who enjoys photography, history, travel, and genealogy. She was born and raised in Prince Albert, earned a B.A. from the University of Saskatchewan, likes to walk, and loves coffee shops. Her column appears the first Friday of every month.
