Hurry, Hurry, Catch That Thief!

The Stolen Laptop, Part I

Several years back, I went to South Carolina with my son and grandson to visit family. Because I wanted to be able to work on my blogging and Facebook posts, Josh’s girlfriend, Rubie, lent me her Mac laptop. Fearful that I would lose it, I guarded it as though it were a newborn baby.

Before boarding the plane to Atlanta, I put the laptop in the carry-on to keep it safe. When an attendant told us that our bags could be checked in for free, that we’d be able to pick it up at our final destination, we decided to check them in. I’d heard of things often getting stolen from suitcases, however, so I took the laptop out.

On the plane, I kept reminding myself not to forget the laptop. Uppermost on my mind was the fact that the computer wasn’t mine, and I wanted nothing to happen to it under my watch.

When we landed in Atlanta for a layover, I took the laptop, held it close to me as though it were another appendage.

The three of us were starving. I opted for a veggie wrap, while Ben went for Chick-fil-A. When it was time to pay, I set the laptop down. It was at that precise moment that my son came to tell me where my grandson was seated so that I could keep an eye on him while he went to get his food.

After I established Ben’s exact location, I stepped aside to wait for my food, the laptop momentarily forgotten. A couple of minutes later, my veggie wrap in hand, I made my way over to where Ben was sitting. Immediately, I realized I didn’t have the computer. I felt myself grow cold with dread. I hurried back to the counter where I remembered setting the computer. GONE!

I asked the girl who helped me if she’d seen it. “You mean the one in the blue and grey case?” she asked. Hope soared, but quickly took a nosedive. She told me that a woman had picked it up and given it to a tall, older man. What?! I began to feel panicky, my mouth dry. I asked for a description. “A tall, older man,” she said. I left the counter, no longer hungry, and started scanning the airport. It was like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. The panic intensified. All along I was thinking about Rubie and the fact that I’d lost her computer.

We talked to Security, Lost and Found, etc. It was no use. Rubie’s laptop was probably on a plane headed to who knew where. Taken. Gone. Forever.

It was at that point that reality really set in. I had to call Josh and Rubie and tell them the bad news. I could feel the anxiety take hold, the tears prick the back of my eyes.