I'm so a Biggot?

I lost my phone over the Christmas holidays. I had been to 3 places that day. The bank, Amscot to pay electric bill, and the pharmacy to pick up Rx.

When I got home I couldn't find my cell. I looked every where to no avail. Then I called all the places where I had been. No one had my phone. Cathy suggested we retrace our steps.

I knew I shouldn't have worn these shorts, things are always falling out of them. Yes shorts we live in Florida - no shorts today though it's in the 60's brrrrr.

So all the while we're looking Cathy is also calling my phone hoping we will either hear where it is in the house or some one will pick up.

We decided to retraced our steps. Starting at the bank. I pulled into the same spot and the phone was not on the ground so I went inside. Banks have a lower ledge so the teller may not have seen my phone on the counter. But it was not there. And we had the same luck at the other two places.

Disappointed we returned home. Cathy continued calling but nothing happened. I was afraid she would run down the battery so I told her to quit.

I cooked some supper and we settled down to watch some TV when Cathy's phone rang. My beautiful puss appeared on the screen. A lady of ethnic origin said she accidentally picked up the phone at the Indian store across from the ****Club in a seedy part of Tampa. She said it looked exactly like hers. Well my phone has paint all over it so it doesn't look like any ones phone.

But to give her the benefit of a doubt maybe her phone has splattered neon blue paint on it too.

She said she would take it back to the store - which is a convenient store in a neighborhood called College Hill in the town where I live. I don't know where it got its name. There are no colleges there that I know of. Just a bad neighborhood. But she said to hurry because the store closed at 7.

When a convenient store closes at 7 you know it's a bad neighbor hood.

Then Cathy and I debated do we leave now at 6:15 it's dark. A delicious meal is on our TV trays. We really have no clue where where this club or the store is - just the general area. Or do we wait till morning.

I say lets wait. She says lets go for it. Why is it women never see the danger. You know when your watching a scary movie and the beautiful girl can't help but go down the scary stairs to the scary basement knowing full well the scary boogy man is waiting for her and all she has to do is go out the front door and be safe. But nooooo she has to see what's down there making the noise.

That's what it felt like.

Next thing I know I'm heading for College Hill and Cathy's calling " The Club" trying to talk all sexy asking where the club is and I think she's getting a date but not sure. Any way we get the directions and arrive 5 mins before closing.

Now do I get out of the car? After all it was Cathy's idea to go after dark. Shouldn't she go in? We see a convenient store at the corner of the street intersection but no club. It's well lit. There's kids playing in the street. I see a mother pushing a double stroller with twins, and a couple old guys laughing on the corner. I look around and nothing out of the ordinary strikes me. So I man up and tell Cathy to distract the lady with the twins and I'll take on the old guys on the corner, then cover me while I duck and run to the front door. Then lock your doors and call 911 if I'm not back in 15 minutes.

I got out of the car and knew instantly that this was the Indian store from the spices permeating the air outside. I ducked inside and scope out the store. I walked the parameter checking each isle so no one would be behind me as I approached the counter. A tall middle eastern gentlemen ask if he could help me. "The blue wing Samsung was left this eve" I said. " I beg your pardon" he said. "Some one was supposed to leave my phone here", I said. He then ask for my phone number, which he dialed, and sure enough the phone began to ring. He gave me by phone with a frown. Some people have no sense of humor.

I know a let down right . You probably thought I might have to fight my way out. No. That's Cathy's job.

I learned a lesson. Don't judge a neighborhood by it's history. And people are basically the same every where. There's good and bad in all of us. And maybe don't stick around past 7 o'clock, of course this could be the policy of this one convenient store.

Also don't jump to conclusions about someone stealing your phone. Here's what I think happened:

If a thief stole it why leave it some where and not just throw it away.

I have never been to that store. So I think this good lady did exactly as she said or was covering up for one of her children who did a foolish thing as all children do.

My scenario:

I was in the Bank. A teenager cashed their check after me and took the phone but
could not get it to work. The phone kept ringing. The mother came in and asked
where they had gotten the phone. The child said they had found it. The mother
saw all the incoming calls from the same person and hit resend. And you know the rest.
Rick O'Shea