My Morning Scare

I have a reputation of being an extremely cautious person be it with things or with anything else. I am the last one to ever lose anything, so much so that friends and family would rather leave things in my safekeeping than with themselves.

I was readying for work this morning and dug into my handbag for my wallet and to my utter horror couldnt find it. Being such a meticulous person I knew without a doubt that if it wasnt where it should have been, then there was no point looking for it elsewhere. And my search confirmed that I had lost it.

By now I was frantic with worry as I had just last night withdrawn a substantial amount of money from the ATM for my expenses. Over that my wallet contained 3 gold credit cards, 1 silver credit card, 3 bank ATM cards and my other important identity cards. I froze with panic imagining all sorts of horrible things. My mom who couldnt believe that I had lost it asked me to check again. By now I had grown so tense that it was as though a thick band had begun to wrap itself tight around my head.

I tried to recall where I had last removed my wallet. I had left late from work last night and my colleague had dropped me home in his car. On the way I had removed money to pay at the Aarey toll naka. So I knew it may have fallen on my lap when I had thought I was putting it in my handbag. Either it should have fallen in the car when I got out of the car or on the road. I prayed hard that it should be the car.

I frantically dialled my colleagues number, who was on his way to work. He searched the car while I was talking to him and said that he didnt find the wallet. I requested him to do a thorough search again once he reached office. By now I was on the verge of tears. I hurriedly began to take down all my credit and ATM card numbers to block the cards and got ready to go back to where I had got off last night to check if the wallet could still be there. Though I knew the possibility of retrieving it there was remote. And then if it had fallen in the car, the possibility of the person who washes the car in the morning pocketing it was high.

While I was at this my colleague called back and asked me if I had credit cards in my wallet. I said yes. He then jokingly asked me if they had a substantial credit limit to spend. The tone of his voice told me he had found it. He then gave me the good news that he had indeed found the wallet. My relief at that is difficult to express.

The fright I had this morning was one of the worst I have had in a long time. I dont know if someone else would be able to relate to it, I guess one has to experience it to know what one can go through in that instant. I have yet to collect my wallet from my colleague, but atleast I know it's in safe hands. Thank God for small mercies.