As I was leaving the house this afternoon, Errol asked me to grab a few things from the grocery below my gym. Per evidence from my German test this morning, my short term memory isn't what it used to be.
“Could you send me an email or text that?” I asked. “Hold on,” he said. 30 seconds later he was back with the list on real paper. Touched by the old-fashionedness of it all but worried I'd lose it, I biked into town. I didn't lose the list. I got everything on it and more. As I was contemplating how I was going to manage three bags of goods on a bike, I realized I didn't have my credit card. This is never a good feeling. It's even worse when this problem must be faced in an unfamiliar place. The good news was that it was still light out. I kept reminding myself of this. I emptied my three bags on the cement near the bike rack. No Card. I repacked it all and headed back in the building, down the escalator, while rehearsing in my head, “Haben sie mein Kreditkarte? Sadly, even though I had bought my groceries less than ten minutes earlier, the cashier that checked me out was gone--his lane closed. I hovered near the other cashier. A few minutes go by. She finally glances my way: “Hallo! Sprechen Sie Englisch?” (pitiful smile) “A Little.” “Verkäufer…(points to abandoned lane) Er hat mein Kreditkarte?” (makes the international symbol for telephone) “Could you call him? She nods, talks, and continues to work the register remarkably quickly. German grocery cashiers are amazing. Only a minute passes, and I see my handsome cashier walk confidently toward his former post. He looks at me reassuringly, opens a drawer, and hands me my Visa. I'm so relieved and grateful. I feel like this emotion could not be expressed with a foreign “danke schön.” I give him my most appreciative girl from south-central Nebraska face and say, “Thank you so much.”
4 Comments
Julia
9/12/2017 06:31:50 pm
Oh, Anne! I am so sorry! What a horrible feeling that must have been, but you handled it all so well! Never doubt how big a factor stress is playing in all of this. Your south central Nebraska smile will always melt hearts!
Reply
Abby
9/12/2017 06:49:18 pm
Gal! This is really impressive. Good problem-solving and look at all those German words you used in this post!
Reply
Ha.. This morning I took a French gal to Target. After I dropped her off, she texted me and said, " I left my wallet at home"... so she was a stranger in a strange land.. with no money... at least until Mark took her some cash to borrow.. Glad you have kindnesses being bestowed along the way too.
Reply
katherine
9/13/2017 05:52:23 pm
The only thing missing is a wink from the handsome cashier! :) Remember when we were talking about our methods--"it usually works!" Nice job, south-central.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Anne Thomsen lordWritings on our year abroad. Archives
September 2018
Categories |