It always happens. It doesn't even surprise me anymore. It's simple: my grandson comes to visit. He's stays with Grandma. He is in a hurry to pack his things when he leaves and he forgets something, remembering when he gets home. And Grandma has something of his to hang on to and remember to give back to him next time he visits...
Except, he's in college now, and trying to find a job, so he doesn't get to come visit as often as he did when he was much younger. He was here for Christmas, and then again just a few weeks ago. But when he was here this last time, I didn't have his things anymore.
We had a chance to talk, he and I, and we discussed something that was bothering him. It seems that his best friend, since he was 3, may have stolen some money from him. He was quite bothered by that prospect: not the stealing, but that it was his best friend.
He has gone to school in an urban environment. He has “lost” lots of things, including the iPod(s) I gave him. Notice the plural: I told him, after the second one was taken, that I couldn't buy him another one. He understood....
What he couldn't wrap his head around was having a best friend steal from him. And it wasn't a dollar or two, it was his ATM card and a sizeable amount of money. When I asked how his friend knew his PIN, he just looked at his feet. So, of course, we had the “don't-give-your-PIN-to-anyone” lecture. Sort of. Grandma's not a lecturer.
And so, he has had the experience of cancelling an ATM card, closing an account, and opening a new one. And all the hassles that go with it. I was almost afraid to ask my next question...
“Did you get the package I sent you by certified mail?” He looked blank. He looked at his mother, who had come to pick him up. She looked blank, too. I couldn't believe it! How could this happen?
After waiting four months for his return to my house, I decided to include his birthday present, the stuff he left at Christmas, and a little gift from me in a birthday card. Not thinking anything would happen to it, but wanting to be careful, I sent it via certified mail.
So, there we stood, a month ago, exchanging blank looks. No, he really didn't get his package. No, Mom didn't know anything about it. And worst of all, no, I didn't keep my certified mail receipt. I remember throwing it away awhile back, thinking that he surely must have his package by now.
At Christmas, he received a VISA gift card from me and a significant sum of money from his uncle. He left both behind when he went home. For his birthday, I sent him two Series E Savings Bonds that I purchased for him when he was a baby....
All of them, and the card for his birthday.....GONE!
I was sick about it. Mom was going to try to follow up with the Post Office in her town. They left, and drove home. I went on to worry about other things, and only occasionally have I thought about the missing gift.
I wondered, and I'm sure he did, too, if his best friend had taken it. It was hard to think that but, he had already betrayed grandson's trust once; why not again? And I decided not to think about it. Not only have I met this friend, but he called me “Grandma” when he was here with my grandson a couple of years ago. I didn't want to think he was capable of such a thing.
Today, the mail was late. It usually arrives mid- to late morning. It got here at just past four this afternoon. On top was a yellow mailer, addressed to me, and sent by the “Mail Recovery Center.” Low and behold, it contained grandson's savings bonds, the gift card, the birthday card, and a Money Order for the amount of the cash since they don't return cash.
This time, I'm hanging on to all of it until his return!, at my house.
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