A Wallet's day out

Hey, Hope you are doing well.

I live in the college bag of this young lady who adores me. I am a wallet and responsible for many things in her life - credit card, debit card, money are a few of her assets that she has entrusted with me. I think it must be special to her, as she never once shifted my contents into any other wallet or purse. She keeps me safe inside her bag all the time. We share a special relationship - this girl and I. 

Let’s call her Ms.Intern as she just joined a new company as part of her college internship program. I get to listen into all conversations of hers and that’s how I know that she is a college student who is interning in Company A as a Trainee Executive in the Commerce Department.  All good-looking and smart, I would say. One of my flaps has a mirror which Ms.Intern uses to touch up her carefully careless make-up once in a while. That’s how I get to see her face too. 

I am brown colored and have a shiny little square trinket that Ms.Intern loves as much as she does herself. 

It’s been a fairly early start for Ms. Intern today.  We boarded the local train, and it was crowded more than usual today. Wonder why? I was safely tucked in her hand’s grip. When the train stopped, she got off and her hand’s grip on me seemed to loosen a bit and the next thing I knew is I am on a rough surface. It hurt me a bit because the trinkets pressed me too hard too from the fall. When I was still wondering where I am, I got picked up gently by another hand, this hand was different I am sure. The grip differed from the kind I have known so far. 

I heard a phone ring, and the person said, “Will call back. I just found a wallet. Need to find out its owner”. From the voice I understood it was a young man who has picked me up. Let’s call this person Mr.Gentle.

I could land in Ms. Intern’s hands soon but with all the news going around and my past listening experience I was skeptical, if I would ever get into Ms.Intern’s hands again. Her bank cards and her money are her absolute needs and I was hoping against hopes that these things reach her whether I get to reach her. 

I suddenly missed my owner Ms.Intern. I was upset. I was unsure, and I was scared. 

Mr.Gentle went to a crowded, okay not so crowded, but definitely a place where there were people other than himself and started working on his computer.. I was safely placed, presumably a table.. I had no way to know, but I surely knew that it was not anywhere on the ground. I can guess it may be his office table. 

After a while, people came over to speak to him and I learned from their conversations that they all were trying to get Ms. Intern’s address and contact number. Too bad she didn’t have any information in any of my pockets and flaps. The guys tried everything they could to find information from the Credit card and Debit card. Then someone found another card tucked away in one other fold. It was Ms.Intern’s voter ID card. She never liked the picture on it. So kept it away and used to take it out only when needed. The address does not hold good anymore because she lives in Chennai and the address had another village’s name, where she used to live before this Chennai stint. So all they got was her name I presume. 

One guy googled to find her social media profile. That scared me. Ms. Intern was very particular about not sharing her picture or details on social media. I didn’t know if she had a social profile though. Facebook and Instagram were analyzed thoroughly in the quest for Ms.Intern’s contact information. 

While a part of me was sure that these guys are doing it in the good intent, I was skeptical about this whole thing turning out well for Ms. Intern. “Who can you trust these days?”, Ms.Intern’s dad often says, and I have heard Ms.Intern respond in the affirmative always. So, she wouldn’t want any goof up on her personal safety on account of a lost wallet, Me.

I heard an idea. Seemed like they found a picture and from the practical co-ordinates of the profile (Men are smart, Ms. Intern always says) they confirmed it was her profile. The picture had a background from which they picked up a phone number. Luckily it was her dad’s, and they spoke. 

Ms.Intern’s dad confirmed that Ms. Intern was upset over the loss of her wallet and was desperately trying to find it. The young men gave their contact details to the father and took Ms. Intern’s address. They printed the address neatly on a paper, packed me as a parcel, arranged for a courier service to pick me up and before sealing me, put a copy of the address inside the flap. Ms. Intern’s dad called again and said, his daughter will come and collect me personally. 

And Ms. Intern came with a friend to pick me up. She was overjoyed, and I was thrilled and the whole thing seemed too dreamy to even believe. 

“Who can you trust these days?” Reverberated in my thoughts, and I can smile today and say, There are people you can trust. You just have to be lucky enough to be in their company.

The young men were absolute no-nonsense guys. They handed over the wallet to her and told her that they have put in a copy of her address in a small printed slip.  Ms. Intern thanked them and held me close to herself when we went home together. She looked calm and prettier than before.

One day out of her hands seemed longer, but also taught a few things that are best taught to people like Ms. Intern who use wallets like me in their life.

1. Never keep all the financial cards inside your wallet. Keep the ones you may use that day alone with you and leave the rest in your cupboard.
2. Clear your purse every day.
3. Do not keep an ID card that does not have an updated address inside a wallet. If you have to, then it is good to keep a written copy of your address inside.
4. Always carry your wallet inside a bag or wear it close to yourself.
5. In any crowded scene, remember to stay aware.
6. Be bold when you have to go to some place in person to meet a stranger, but be sure to met them in a crowded and safe common place. Not every one is as friendly and helpful as Mr.Gentle and his friends. So also, not every man in this world is as bad as the last abuse case you read on the news.
7. Note down the card details somewhere, at least to file a complaint in the unfortunate event of a loss or theft.
8. Be less-hassled and ahead of your appointment always to avoid a hurried hassle like this. Just this quality will give you enough space to ensure safety of yourself and your belongings.

I did not know how to thank these guys as much as Ms. Intern could not thank them enough for a great favour coupled with big lessons that  day. We need a lot of people like these young men to transform the 'ugly' to 'beautiful'. Minds I meant!

Dedicated in fond appreciations to my friend and his friends who took all efforts to find out the owner of the wallet and gave it back safe and sound. They did not choose a police station to turn in the wallet for a reason. They did not abandon the case for a reason. He did not step over the wallet for a reason. If any of these had happened, we cannot be sure if the girl would have been safe today, leave alone the contents of the wallet!!!