Three rings. Then: “Thrift Barn, this is Ron.”
“Hey, it’s Graham. I bought a washing machine from you guys today. Sixty bucks, as-is, the white top-loader.”
He snorted. “It die already?”
“No, it’s fine,” I said. “But I found something inside it. A wedding ring. Gold, diamond, engraved. I’m trying to get it back to whoever donated the washer.”
Ezoic
Silence on the other end.
“You serious?” Ron finally asked.
“Pretty sure,” I said.
“Most people would just keep that.”
“I know.”
Ezoic
More silence. Then: “We don’t usually give out donor information. Privacy policy and all that.”
“I understand,” I said. “But my kid called it a forever ring and I can’t get that out of my head. I just—I have to try to get it back to the right person.”
I heard papers shuffling on his end.
“Hang on,” Ron said. “I remember that pickup. Older lady, maybe late seventies. Her son called to have us haul it away. She didn’t even want to charge us for it, said she was just happy someone would take it. Let me check the sheet.”
Ezoic
He set the phone down. I could hear drawers opening, papers rustling, Ron muttering to himself.
A minute later: “Okay, I found it. Name’s Claire Henderson. Address is…” He rattled off a street address on the north side of town.
I scribbled it down on the back of an envelope. “Thank you. Seriously, thank you.”
“I’m not supposed to do this,” Ron said. “But if my ring was in there, I’d want someone to find me. You’re doing a good thing, man.”
Ezoic
“I hope so,” I said.
After I hung up, I sat there staring at the address I’d written down. It was across town, at least a thirty-minute drive. I’d have to find someone to watch the kids. I’d have to use gas money I didn’t really have to spare.
And for what? To return a ring to someone who probably didn’t even know it was missing. Who might have forgotten about it entirely.
But I kept thinking about that engraving. Always.
Ezoic
Someone had meant that. Had believed it.
I owed it to them—to whoever Leo and Claire had been—to make sure that promise made it back where it belonged.
