I know I was a little sleep deprived at the time. My body was trying to function as normal as possible but life goes on and doesn’t wait for the tired to catch up. I needed to go into town and do a few pickups at the warehouse and then off to do the grocery shop. The warehouse was no problem and the shopping also went without a hiccup until I finished unloading and the shop assistant finished her tally and smiled as she said the horrible amount.

I went into my purse to pull out the plastic fantastic to begin the swipe to pay my bill. The card was not in my purse. Oh that feeling that sweeps over you instantly. The black cloud that suddenly swarms right above your head and tries with hurricane force to pour ideas into your bewildered brain.

“Where is my card?”

“Durr you lost it.”

“It must be in my bag.”

“Nope,” you lost it.”

“But I just used it.”

“Nope someone else is using it right now. They going to rip you off millions.”

“I don’t have millions but what I do have is all mine. Please please God let my card be safe somewhere Ahhhh”

My insane mind is conversing with my tired sanity like a bullet train on a deadline. Trying to convince me my life is over, my bank account is empty, someone has robbed me of all my $$s and You’ve lost your card!!!

“I’m sorry,” I confess to the lady as she stares at my bewildered face. “I think I’ve misplaced my card. ”

There was no sympathy or advice but only a sharp press on her buzzer as she summoned her boss to halt my order.

“If you could come over here ma’am we can hold this for you for a few hours ,” she explains to which I explain I had just come from the warehouse so I will go straight back and see if it is there.

“She thinks you are an old fart and have lost your marbles and they are all laughing at you,” the black cloud tells me.

I leave with all sorts of emotions rushing on top of each other and make a super fast exit to my car. The panic is surreal. The thoughts are confused yet real. The prayers are real. I slap my phone on speaker dial as I drive back to the warehouse and talk to the bank at the same time making sure I keep to the speed limit and not add anything else to my predicament.

The warehouse behaves supreme and makes me wait 5 minutes while they check their cameras that unbeknown to me at the time, hang above the tills. It shows me clearly swiping and returning the card to my wallet.

As I drive back to the supermarket I realise and agree with my thoughts that it has to have fallen out doing the rounds. I also dissect the new information I had learnt from The Warehouse. They watch you at the checkout! Of course they do? I could have picked old snotty 🙁 . Is there someone up there on duty watching our private itches and scratches behind the view of the teller?

“Who cares,” my mind reminds me as I realise my card could be siphoning my life savings via someone else as these horrible thoughts interrupt the prayers.

I park in the same car park as I had previously left. Funny how on a good day you can’t find one but yay today for what ever reason, it is still vacant.

I do the old age fast paced waddle and race back into the shop heading on a direct bee line to the Lady who is holding my trolley of groceries.

“The warehouse shows I put it in my purse,” I quickly tell her so that I can begin the monster hunt through out the shop.

“It’s okay we have your card. It has been handed in,” she replied. “Just after you walked out of the shop in fact.”

The relief that sweeps over ones soul. The air that is suddenly available to breathe normal. The colour that returns to the face. The frown that disappears. The thoughts that shift and now want to gift that amazing person who handed my card in, all the millions I have. (That last thought doesn’t last long).

“Who handed it in?” I ask

“The lady at the checkout. You had already put it into the swipe machine part way through while you were waiting for her to finish the order………………………