(Essay)

I am not the only one who often forgets where my keys, phone, or wallet are. It is most aggravating when it happens when I am on my way somewhere. Not remembering where I left one of these essential accessories drives me crazy. When I tell others about this, they, too, tell their version of similar things happening to them.
A few years ago, we had gone to California and landed at the John Wayne Airport in Irvine. We wanted to take the ride-sharing service Lyft. The signs outside the airport pointed to a location. We could not see anyone there. We called the driver who directed us to walk inside the parking lot to our right. It was nice of him to wait for us. When he started to take off I suddenly realized that I didn’t have my phone with me. I panicked, thinking I had dropped it somewhere on the way. I suggested we look in the trunk to see if I had dropped it there while loading our bags. The driver was patient.
“Take your time,” he said.
The phone wasn’t in the trunk.
“Let me call your number,” Bharati said. “Maybe we will hear the ring if it is here.”
Bharati started to call my number and suddenly realized that she was holding my phone in her hand. It was she who had called the driver to know his location.
Well, it appears funny now, but it was not at that time. I was glad I had not lost my phone.
The Lyft driver who was observing what was going on let out a loud guffaw. It startled me into thinking that I had some something stupid. The driver turned out to be talkative and was interested in telling stories about his parents.
“You know something,” he said as we drove away from the airport. “This happens in my house every day. My parents are elderly and they keep losing things. I have asked them to buy one of those trackers that you stick on the item.”
I asked him how old were his parents. It turned out they were younger than us. Then he said his parents always stayed home. He wanted them to leave their home, go somewhere, travel, and have some fun. We listened to his stories about his parents with interest.

Twice a week I go to a chair yoga class in the 50-plus center near our house. I carry a small bag to hold my essentials – car keys, iPhone, wallet, club membership card, etc. When I come home I keep the bag in the bedroom on a small desk. I pick it up when I have to go again, assured that all I need is inside. One day we were getting ready to go to a doctor’s appointment and I decided to take my car. I picked up my small bag which was supposed to have all the accessories. It had everything except my wallet. Where could it go? I tried to jog my memory to remember what I had done since my last trip in my car. I had done everything I normally do. I couldn’t remember where I could have kept the wallet. I went all over the house, upstairs, and downstairs, and checked the pockets of my winter jacket and exercise pants. Bharati went to the garage and looked inside both of our cars. No luck. This was crazy. We decided to try our luck again after we came home. Bharati had to take her car to complete our errand.
Upon return, I decided to look inside my car again even though we had done it before. This time I carried a large flashlight. I flashed the light from the back seat to the front seat. I saw a brown item tucked between the front passenger seat and the passenger side door. It was my wallet. I remembered on my last visit to the 50 plus center I had made a sharp turn. I heard a noise of something falling to the floor of the car. I couldn’t imagine that the wallet would slip out of the bag. I was glad we had not opened the passenger side door, otherwise who knows where the wallet would have fallen. I regretted not checking the bag before leaving the center and when I came home.
I cannot describe the relief I felt. I was planning to call the credit card companies and banks to inform them about my missing wallet. It would have been a big hassle.
I made a photocopy of all the items I keep in my wallet; in case, God forbid, such an occasion would arise again. Who normally remembers what is in the wallet?
Then we came up with this acronym P (Phone), K (Keys), W (Wallet) – PKW. Now wherever we go we make sure that we can check if we have the PKWs. We have to do it upon entering a car, visiting a restaurant, a movie, a store, or a friend’s place. We need to do it when we return to our car before taking off. Even if we don’t have to go anywhere and are going to be at home, we go over the whereabouts of the PKWs instead of waiting until the last minute. Hope I continue to do this as long as I can and I recommend you readers do the same.