Tuesday, April 1, 2008

six buck phone

So just as I pull up to Gracie's school, Kris (aka "Nana") calls my cell phone and says, "Sarah, you are not going to believe this. We just called Nate (side note- Nate was in transit to SLC for Grandpa Beck's funeral) and someone else answered." To make a long story short, the Someone Else who answered the phone actually bought the phone from some dude at a Jack in the Box in a very crummy part of the city this morning. This Someone Else ended up being a very nice, elderly gentleman who felt terrible that he had bought stolen goods. Nana convinced him to return to the said Jack in the Box and leave the phone with a manager or something so I could pick it up. In the meantime I was convinced Nate was either a.) dead or b.) riding back and forth on the Metrolink unconscious because in my mind he was obviously mugged on his way to the airport at 6 this morning (why oh why must we jump to conclusions?!).

I somehow managed to keep composure as I dropped Grace at school and chatted with another mom (really my Guardian Angel for Kindergarten) who readily agreed to traverse to the sketchy part of town to pick up the phone. I called Someone Else (it took him a few times to successfully answer the phone) who happened to be going to drop it off and he agreed to meet me there. In the meantime, we stopped at Guardian Angel's house to change a probable poopy diaper (thanks James), loaded car seats into her mini van (oh, sometimes I really covet a mini van!) and headed East. In between the diaper and loading into the mini van, I actually talked to Nate (he and Coby met up in the SLC airport and thankfully Coby's phone hadn't been stolen!) and after a burst of tears and crazy rants (if you really want to know it went something like this "Nathan, are you okay? Are you alive? Where is your wallet? Do you have all of your credit cards? Are you sure? Are you okay? Are you sure you are okay?" and so on like that). Also, I should mention my Guardian Angel gave me a lovely silver can with red and black lettering to drink, which always seems to sooth my nerves. Oh and she had seat warmers in her van too. Sweet!

Okay, back on topic. We arrive at the sketchy location. She remains in the van with the children (our youngest ones as the oldest are slaving away in Kindergarten) and I head in. I find Someone Else and here is the miracle - he was like a cross between Grandpa Beck and my Grandpa Jim. He was kind, jovial, refused any money I offered him (which was more than six bucks), and wished me a nice day. Thanks to him (and my Guardian Angel and I suppose my diet Coke) my day is pretty good. Whew.

7 comments:

Kara said...

Do you know how Nate was separated from his phone?

sarah said...

No separation had been made known to me. I was rather freaked!

Katers said...

I'm going to assume it was the frazzled state that made you *think* you'd like a mini-van. Pride Sarah, people like us don't drive mini-vans, it's for "the other" mothers!

Glad to hear Nate is safe and the phone is back in your hands!

Anonymous said...

You are your mother's daughter.... Are you not?

H. said...

Holy Smoke, Girl! You really do have an adventurous life. I almost even miss St. Louis after that story. Okay, maybe not.

Jared said...

Glad you got your phone back! Tonya dropped her bank card one day a year or two ago and within about two or three hours the bank called us to verify if we really spent over $100 at the shoe store and something like $180 at the dollar store. (Seems like there was another purchase but can't remember now.) Thankfully the bank credited us for the purchases. I'm still wondering what someone bought at the dollar store for almost $200!

Robin Morrison said...

"(why oh why must we jump to conclusions?!)."

Because if we didn't our kids would hang out windows and we'd sprain our ankles? Or something almost logical like that.