THE HONEST KIOSK LADY

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

When I walked along the seafront in Eastbourne I stopped at a Kiosk selling ice cream. The lady there has the best ice cream along the whole beach  at least for me. I sat in front of the Kiosk and enjoyed my icecream while watching people walking by and seagulls trying to steal food. Then I strolled along the main street with all the souvenir shops, charity shops and stores. As I didn't find anything to buy, I decided to have a coffee before I would take the bus home.

The coffee was ready and  when I wanted to pay, my wallet was gone ! The girl who had given me the coffee told me to turn over my purse which I did  and all my stuff dropped on the counter except my wallet. It had disappeared, I couldn't even pay my coffee ! The waitress was very, very kind and said that I should drink the coffee anyway, which I found really nice, others would probably have thrown it away as I couldn't pay. She even comforted me and we tried to trace back where I had been.

I remembered that the only stop I had done was at the Ice cream Kiosk. The girl suggested that I should go back there, but I was convinced that as there was only money in the wallet, business cards and nothing else, so  the one who would find my wallet would take the money and throw the old thing away. I didn't follow the advice took some money at the cash point and returned home.

When I told my friends that I had probably left my wallet at the Ice Kiosk, they asked me why I didn't go back. I said because I don't believe that it would be still there, but they insisted that I should go back there the next day.

In the evening I checked my emails and  I found a mail from the Lady of the Kiosk telling me that I had  left it there and that I don't have to worry she will keep it safe for me ! I couldn't believe it ! I immediately answered her and thanked her. I was so surprised ! I am not used to such honesty, I probably never would have got it back in Belgium  !

The next morning I took the bus and returned to the beach, but it was so cold, stormy and rainy that the Kiosk was closed ! I fought with my umbrella which turned over and I had to dance around to keep it in the right way. I was almost frozen when  I returned home. When I checked my emails,  I found again a mail from the Kiosk lady who wrote me not to come because in this weather she didn't open her Kiosk !

Who could blame her, nobody would eat ice cream when it's cold and it rains. So I will return to the Kiosk  as soon as the weather inspires to eat ice creams ! 



That happened two days later ! My Kiosk lady recognized me immediately and called me by my name, she saw my happy face and handed my wallet over to me. I thanked her again and gave her some money to buy herself something she likes instead of flowers or chocolate. She seemed to be very happy about it.

I was so angry with my wallet that I emptied it, put everything in the new wallet I had bought and throw the old thing which was an antique in the next bin ! Then I felt better !