On Friday Aneesa came downstairs to let me know someone wanted to see me at the bar. “He says he has something for you,” she said. Cynically I figured it was a sales person. You can’t blame me too much because the day before that LivingSocial had sent me an iPad2 that I didn’t order to keep track of their Instant Deal redemptions that I didn’t agree to.
With my cynicism safely tucked in my pockets I went upto the bar. Just one guy sitting there. Didn’t recognize him. ”You may not remember me, ” he said like all sales people do “but I used to go to the Monarch.” Whatever. Can we move along to the part where I tell you I’m not interested and you go away? “You once gave me a coupon when you ran out of meat,” he offered hoping to stoke my cynically impatient memory. No dice, Bub: I don’t know who you are.
“I think I have something that belongs to you,” he said and reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of iPod earphones. Dude, LivingSocial sent an iPad2 and I wasn’t interested. Earphones? Really?
Only now in writing this do I appreciate how truly cynical I’m becoming and how badly I needed this man’s gift. Maybe sensing my impatience he followed the earphones with a slim Blue iPod. “Is this yours?” he asked. ”Was it stolen?” he wanted to know.
Holy shit. “Yes,” I said realising that the man in the long white beard and red suit really is Santa. Not really. This guy was in his mid 40s, no beard and dressed slightly nicer than me. No red suit. But like Santa he did produce a Christmas Miracle.
“Where did you find it,” I asked finally holding the long lost device. He told me his name is Lawrie and one of his employees bought it off someone on the street. He checked the name and saw it was registered to me. I was floored. In one smooth gesture Lawrie took the cynicism out of my pocket, shoved it down my throat and made it taste kind of good.
“You’ll let me reimburse the person that bought it,” I said. ”Don’t worry about it,” he said.
“At least you’ll let me buy you lunch,” I said. “I’ve eaten,” he said. “I just want to pay it forward,” he said referencing the brilliant Hayley Joel Osment/Kevin Spacey movie with the unfortunate ending.
I was telling Tenzin earlier in the week that my faith in Karma relieves my instinct for revenge. Even so, I have a tendency to hang onto hurts as if I could have avoided being stolen from, betrayed or taken advantage of if only… If only… Intellectually I know this is nonsense. There are people who will steal, betray and take advantage if given the opportunity. And there are also people like Lawrie.
Thanks Santa.
