Because I found the needle in the haystack (or the phone in the random backyard of a stranger). I still wasn’t 100% sure I had the right house, but it was my last realistic option. I went back to the house around 5pm, but still no answer. I sat on the shady step of the house across the street and waited, hoping I wasn’t being too “creepy stalker” waiting for people to come home.
After 20-30 minutes a taxi pulled up and an old couple got out. The man clearly disabled and the woman taking care of him. I hesitated, it seemed like they were coming home from a doctor visit. But, I took a chance. I politely asked if I may talk to them when they have a moment because I thought my phone could be in the yard. The lady seemed irritated at first and said to please wait. I went back and waited on the step.
A few minutes later, she came out and I explained the problem. She said it happens all the time, to the point of being annoying for them, that there was someone just yesterday…she asked if I was sure I and the right house. I said, not completely but I studied the trees and things around from above and I was confident that this was the best chance.
She let me in! She took me upstairs, I carried some stuff for her…she was so nice. She took me to the backyard and pointed at concrete steps. She said, “you go up and up some more, up and up and you will get to the wall, good luck.”
Up I went….up a few sets of concrete stairs in a jungle of a yard, and came to the base of the wall. I looked up and it seemed like I had the right spot. I turned to look around, and THERE IT WAS!! Plain as day, sitting on a pillow (a bag of leaves) waiting politely. Still on, still working, with narry a scratch.
Seriously. No joke. I am that ridiculously lucky.
Funny, during the day after a few hours of looking…I thought it was a lost cause and almost gave up. Then, I remembered my dad in Hawaii. He lost his wallet in the ocean. We all searched, me,my sister and my dad along the beach. My husband and my sister’s husband snorkeled out in the surf searching…
And yes…the snorkeling worked and everything (except the Costco card and some of the cash) was recovered. Nothing was in the wallet, but it was all scattered along the sea shelf. Bit by bit, they recovered almost everything and, most importantly, the ID and credit cards.
I figured if all that stuff can be found in the ocean….maybe I could find my phone and I should keep trying.
It worked. Persistence, luck, and kindness won the day.
Fell from…
Fell on
