Before I Call Him . . .

It was our forty-ninth anniversary, and we were in Savannah, Georgia, United States of America, for the weekend. Just before leaving our hotel room to go for a walk along the Savannah River, I picked up my wallet. It was a beautiful evening, and many other people were strolling up and down the riverwalk. As we walked, we saw a riverboat docked and decided to cross the street to get a closer look at it. Then we sat on a bench nearby.

We watched the water as the sun set and the evening grew dark. My husband began taking pictures of the riverboat, the sunset, and me.

We moved from one bench to another, laughing and posing. Around eight o’clock, we decided to go to dinner at our hotel’s restaurant. We crossed the street and put our names on the waiting list. Before long, our names were called, and the hostess led us to a table by the window. We had sat down and begun to look at the menu when I suddenly realized I did not have my wallet! “Honey, I can’t find my wallet. It has all our money in it for this weekend! I know I had it when we were taking pictures on the riverwalk,” I said. I remembered putting my wallet on the bench next to me when I got up to pose for pictures. Quickly, I rushed out and was about to cross the street when I heard a persistent tapping on the restaurant window.

I turned and came face-to-face with a woman, who asked, “Are you, Pauline Griffith?” “Yes,” I responded. She told me she had found my wallet on the bench and took it to the check-in desk at the hotel. “What?” I replied; I could not believe my ears.

I hugged her tightly and then ran back into the restaurant where my husband was standing at the window. I told him what had happened and then left to go to the check-in desk. While I waited for the elevator to arrive, it occurred to me that I had barely had a chance to whisper a prayer for help before my prayer was answered. My wallet had been found before I even knew it was lost! We had a delicious dinner and bought dessert for the woman who had found my wallet.

Pauline A. Griffith