I awoke the next morning with a mother of a Saturday hangover, and those thoughts still on my mind… Saturday night meant a big score at the liquor store… After a shower and a couple of aspirin, I realized it was missing! My wallet with two credit cards and two week’s pay were gone! Oh no! How could this happen at a time like this? The panic that emerged was so overwhelming I felt like I was having the BIG ONE! My heart pounded. My pulse raced. I immediately raced back to the pub with my stomach quivering with fear and nausea. My only hope was that I had left it on top of the bar and one of the bartenders, graciously held on to it for me. Things were grim right now. What the heck would I do if I lost two week’s pay?
I walked into the dark, smoky room shaking and sweating with futile hope. My wallet wasn’t there! The only two people around were the daytime bartender (who said he knew nothing about a lost wallet) and one of the regulars-hunched over the bar (he didn’t say a word either). On the way home I realized that I had only one option… the liquor store! Tonight is the night. There was no other way! When I got home, I noticed there was a message on my answering machine. It was a friend of mine from work, and he wanted me to call him right away!<o:p></o:p>
“Did you lose your wallet last night?” Troy asked. <o:p></o:p>
“Yes.” I answered with total confusion. “Why?”<o:p></o:p>
It turned out that someone had found it in the parking lot of the pub and Troy’s phone number was the only available contact information. He told me that Carl would be waiting for me at the bar and that he expected a cash reward for finding and returning the wallet. Back to the pub I went. I hoped that I would at least get my driver license back. To my surprise, there he was! Still hunched over the bar like he was permanently glued to it. Now the bar fly had a name. Carl seemed like one of those guys who spent their entire day at the bar. There was no way someone like that could hold down a job of any kind. “Where did he get the money to drink all day? Maybe he finds lost wallets all the time!” I thought. As I approached him, he came out of his daze and stared at me with a smile. “Are you here for the wallet” he asked? I told him my name and he handed me the worn brown leather. “How about a twenty spot for my troubles” Carl asked.<o:p></o:p>
“I’d love to” I replied. “But where the hell am I supposed to get the cash from?” I snapped. I opened the wallet to show him my emptiness, but to my disbelief and relief, my money and both credit cards were intact. Not only had I judged a book by its cover, I had completely misjudged this man. Carl may have looked a lot worse off than me; however, he had integrity. I thanked him; pulled a twenty out of my wallet and handed it to him. “Can I buy you a drink”? Carl asked? <o:p></o:p>
“No thanks” I replied. “You’ve done more than enough.” I took a few steps towards the exit and stopped. I turned to Carl sitting there looking so hopeless with his ragged clothes and uncombed hair and asked, “why did you do it Carl? Why didn’t you just keep all the money”? He took a sip of his beer, smiled and said, “that’s just not my style kid. It’s not who I am. I may be a little down right now, but I can’t let hard times change who I am”. I turned and looked through the window at the liquor store across the street and replied. “Neither can I Carl. Neither can I”.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
3/3/2002<o:p></o:p>
TA & BD<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
Prev Discussion
Send Replies to My Inbox
Recommend
First 