Over the last week or two, Katie and Kacie have had a hard time keeping up with their keys. This could be because they don't hang them up on the key hanger...they just lay them wherever. On the island in the kitchen, the bookshelf in the living room, the bathroom counter, etc. It's annoying because they are always looking for their keys. In fact, last week, Kacie's keys stayed lost for several hours. Mark finally found them buried in the couch in the living room (where Kacie and Tommy both swore they had looked several times). A couple of days later, Katie couldn't even drive to school because her keys were lost.
Of course, due to all this losing of the keys going on recently, I have lectured Katie and Kacie about putting their keys in the same spot every time they come in the door so they always know where they are. Cue the eye rolls and the "I know Meghan's." But karma has a funny way of getting you...
I am a creature of habit. I do everything the same, all the time. In fact, when I don't, I get a little perturbed. When I get up the morning, I go to the bathroom, then immediately fix myself a cup of coffee. When I get to school, I set my laptop down, then go put my lunch in the fridge. When I walk in the door at my house, the first thing I do is hang my keys on the key hanger by the door.
Last Tuesday afternoon, I was preparing to leave work to head home. It was 3:30, and time to go. I start packing my laptop up, and I put my jacket on, and go to grab my keys...and they're not there. I always sit my keys on the left-hand side of my desk. Always. Period. They are never anywhere else. At first, I was confused. Where are my keys? I check my coat pocket. Not there. I check my laptop bag. Not there. I look in my drawer on my desk. Nope. I start moving papers around, lift up some things, and look around. No keys. Where are the damn keys?
Then I start thinking...I let one of my students (who we will call Tara for our purposes) use my keys that day. I was busy in class, and she needed to get into the storage room to get some "products." I didn't want to leave class, unlock the door, and go back to class. So I told her where my keys were, told her she could use them, and to put them back exactly where she got them. No biggie, I do it all the time.
So when I couldn't find my keys Tuesday afternoon, I realize she probably, accidentally, stuck them in her pocket and forgot about them. So I call Mark's niece who is friends with this girl, so I can get her cell phone number. This is our conversation.
Me: Hey Tara, it's Mrs. Reynolds.
Tara: Hey...Mrs. Reynolds.
Me: So, remember when you borrowed my keys earlier today? Where did you set them down when you were finished?
Tara: I put them on your desk, where I got them.
Me: Well, they're not there.
Tara: Oh gosh. I swear, Mrs. Reynolds, I put them on your desk.
Me: Ok, I believe you, but can you do me a favor? Can you please check your stuff and make sure you didn't accidentally stick them in your bookbag or something? I know you say you put them on my desk, but I just want to be sure.
Tara: Yeah, I'll check. Oh, I'm so sorry. I hope you find them. But I'll check.
Me: Thank you. Call me if you find them.
Pheeeew. Where are the keys? So I decide to expand my search. I go look in the storage room, where Tara was. No luck. I go search the bathroom, same thing. I check the desk in my classroom, and the podium, to make sure they didn't somehow end up in there. I check through some empty lockers, I look all through the lobby. I recruit another teacher to go through my stuff and make sure I haven't missed them. Another teacher joins me and we check our secretary's office, just in case someone turned in some lost keys. We check the teacher's lounge, and other teacher's desks. No keys. Needless to say, I'm getting a little frustrated. So I call Tara back.
Me: Hey Tara, it's Mrs. Reynolds again. Did you find my keys?
Tara: No, I didn't. But I looked, I promise! I feel so bad.
Me: It's ok. Let's walk through what you did after you picked my keys up. Where did you go?
Tara: I went to the storage room, and I couldn't find the "products." So then, I went and asked Mrs. R where the "products" were, and we went into the teacher's workroom and they were in the cubicle. Then I put your keys on your desk. Mrs. R saw me.
Me: Ok, thank you. If you do happen to find the keys, please let me know.
Tara: I will. I'm so sorry Mrs. Reynolds. I hope you find them.
Me: Me too.
Tara: Can you let me know if you do find them so I don't worry?
Me: Sure thing.
Okay, next up, I call Mrs. R. She confirms Tara's story, and says she is sure Tara put the keys on my desk. So if the keys were on my flippin' desk, what the heck happened to them?
At this point, I'm seriously wanting to start cussing out loud, and not just in my head. The only thing I know to do is to start asking everyone if they may have accidentally picked the keys up off my desk. There are few times other people are in my cubicle, but it's not unheard of, and one of them could have thought it was their keys and picked them up. I ask all the teachers who are still at school if they have seen them or anything. No. I then get my laptop back out, and pull up our faculty contact information. I'm gonna call everyone. The keys have to be somewhere, right?
The first person I call is Mrs. P. This is our conversation:
Mrs. P: Hello?
Me: Hey Mrs. P, it's Meghan. I...
Mrs. P: Well, heeeey Meghan. How ya doin' girl?
Me: I'm fine, thanks. Mrs. P, I am going crazy here. I have lost my keys and can't find them anywhere. I was wondering if maybe you might have accidentally picked them up?
Mrs. P: No, honey, the only keys I've got are mine.
Me: Well, okay. I was just wondering. I'm calling everyone. The keys have mysteriously disappeared after I let Tara borrowed them today. I'm desperate, so I thought I would ask everybody.
Mrs. P: Well, let me check here in my pocketbook...oh! Do they say "My Lowe's" on them?
Me: Yes! Yes! Those are it! Oh thank goodness.
Mrs. P: Well, do you want to just come on and get them? Or I can meet you somewhere.
Me: Yes, I would, but I can't. I can't leave because you have my keys.
Mrs. P: Oh, yes. Well, honey, I will run them our there right away. I'm so sorry.
Me: It's okay. I'm just glad you have them!
So, I got my keys back. I'm not sure what made me think to call other teachers, other than desperation (and maybe Jesus wanting me to stop mumbling cuss words). I finally got home at 5:00, after wanting to leave school at 3:30.
Moral of the story? Keys are sacred :)
