Against my better judgment but in a moment of confidence in the God of Luck I left a library book all safe in a clear plastic bag in my mailbox. Kathy was to pick it up while she was driving about doing errands. She's handicapped and I didn't want her to trip on my back porch steps. I too am gimping about in pain due to a bum knee. That afternoon when Suzy arrived to bring in my mail she assured me the book was gone. "All is well," I thought.
Next day by evening I thought it strange that Kathy hadn't called to say she was enjoying the book so I called her. -"No, I didn't get to it, Ann" There had been a misunderstanding and she'd expected me to drop it off.
Since I had a package to mail I decided to see if the book had been left at the "postal lost and found". The clerk said, "Yes, we have a lost and found. You must call this guy." He wrote the name and number on a post-it note for me. I had a moment of dread as I read the 1-800 number. Driving home I envisioned my book being whisked into a great abyss of items never to be seen again. "Why not just go buy a new book and save all this disappointment?", I asked myself. I decided to see the process through first.
Andy, the 1-800 guy, said, "You aren't supposed to leave anything in the mail box but postal items." Swallowing my first impulse to say, "I knew that", I just said, "Yes, sir". "What is the item?" "A book." "Oh, my", he said, "You have to call this number to retrieve a book." As I dialed the new number I thought, "This is more hopeful. There will surely be a wonderfully organized book distribution area somewhere." The gentle lady's voice gave me some hope but only for a second. "Oh, my dear," she said, "unless your book is very, very large there is little chance you'll ever see it again." I said, "I'd hoped that if you knew it was sent out from my post office 2 days ago you could watch for it." "Oh, my dear, the books that come in here arrive in huge bins from all the postal districts in this country and are filling this place." I'm afraid it's pretty hopeless." "Well, where are you anyway?" I asked. "Georgia", she drawled. Thanking her I hung up the phone and decided to shop for a new book after I'd had a talk with the postal guy, a young fellow, always with the headset so he can listen to his music but an affable young man. When he approached my front door I said, "Mike, I'm wondering if you worked Monday?" "I did', he replied. "Was there a book in a plastic bag in the box?" "There was. It was funny - I took it out, put it back, and thought, "I wonder if she knows we don't do this. But then, since my next stop after your street is the postal box at the library, I brought it along and put it in the book drop box."
"Guess who's getting $20.00 and a package of Christmas cookies this week!!
