Random reminder

Press, 22 July 1989, Page 16

Random reminder

LUCK OF THE IRISH The elderly couple were pleased to reach their daughter’s home after theeir three-hours bus trip. She went to unlock the suitcase and thought vaguely — no house key on the key ring! Come to think of it, she hadn’t mentioned, that, as she often did, she had put the key in the outside of the door. Not to worry, he’d come after her and would be bound to have dropped it into his pocket. In the chatter of welcome and the exchange of news, she forgot about it. Their proposed three days stay turned into four very pleasant ones. On the fourth night he lay snugly in bed envisaging the comfort of the morrow’s ride home in their son-in-law’s car. Suddenly it occurred to him that he hadn’t noticed his house key about, not on the dressing table, not in the suitcase; must be in one of his pockets. He’d hunt for it first thing when he got up. Better not to mention it, she’d only worry. A feverish search in the morning but no key! Decision reached that it must have been left in the door. A gloomy pair, guessing what had surely happened in their absence, hoped fervently thAt their good neighbour had spotted it. But he hadn’t rung! if only one or the other had mentioned the key earlier they could have phoned him but... Lamentations got them nowhere. They sat despondently in the back seat as the daughter and son-in-law drove them swiftly home.

“It would happen just after had that spat with the insurance eompany, about the rise in the premium and vou

cancelled the house contents policy,” she chided. “Now, what will we find? Probably an empty house and no possible compensation! Of course,” she added hastily, it’s as much my fault as yours. If only I’d ..

"Forget!” he said. “Nothing we can do about it now!” No more was said until the car turned into their driveway. Son-in-law’s sharp eyes caught the glint of something. “What do you know.” He sounded triumphant, “The key’s still in the door!”

She couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. Up the steps and hand on the door, turning the key. What would she see? Opening the door slowly she almost fainted with relief. All — just as they had left it ... TV, radio, precious overseas mementos, everything in its usual place. Unbeelievable! Wonderful' And strange, that evidently they’d had no visitors.

Later, advising the neighbour of their good fortune, he said that he’d glanced over the fence at odd intervals, even hosed over it one day and had seen nothing amiss. It was time to celebrate “How lucky can you be?” asked her husband passing glasses round. “You wouldn’t read about it,” she exclaimed, still excited. “Four days and four nights, the key in the door — an open invitation! Easy entry! Easy pickings! Talk about lucky people. I know” on smugly, “it’s the luck of the Well ... her grandmother was Tipperarv!