MISSING

 

Something horrible happened to me recently. Turns out it is one of my 2021 highlights 

Quite a lengthy read tho...

I was all packed to leave for Brighton from London. Had one piece of luggage and a backpack, with my purse hanging in front of me. 

Got on the bus, then on a train and then landed at the National rail station to board to Brighton.

It would take 8mins for the train to arrive so I sat on a waiting chair where a young man was already seated, greeted him with a smile and sat beside him, with my backpack on the middle seat separating us. 

Train arrived and I jumped on it, sat on a seat beside the toilet but decided to move to another cos of how close it was to the toilet.

My earphones were plugged in throughout most of the journey. One & half hours into the journey we arrived at Brighton and people were already stood up waiting to alight, I noticed my backpack was missing.😳🤯 Scurried over and under my seat, see if it was there, but no, it wasn’t.

Left my seat at once, ran up and down the train, and also to my previous seat by the toilet but found nothing. Began asking passengers on the train who were at this point alighting, and some even helped me check round, but found nothing. 

The train driver and the cleaners were helpful in helping me check round the cabins, and all over the place but to no avail. At this point I was already sweating - hot sweat - I was crying. In tears I approached one of the stations staff who advised me to call the British police transport, and once I dialed 999 my report was taken, then referred to call 101, and then another number, and then another.

At that point, I was already going crazy. 🤯 I was soaked in my tears, 😭 a MacBook with all my documents, a Hp laptop, a Cannon video camera, and my hard drive, all gone in the middle of submitting a project whose deadline was in two days? 

I was FINISHED! 😭😭🙆‍♀️

All I could hear myself screaming was “Oh my God! Oh my God! No no no! 😱 This is not happening to me!” 

It was freezing cold outside and I didn’t have my jacket on, but I was sweating, serious sweat; couldn’t think straight. I’m usually very meticulous with my stuff but on this occasion something different was happening to me. Never been in such a horrible situation in my life before. 😫

Whilst I was calling different numbers for help, my thought was that I had left it at my previous seat and someone had picked it up, I spoke to the police requesting for the CCTV to be checked to see who had picked the bag. But before they’d do so they advised that I called London bridge station, where I boarded from, to see if they had any lost but found items.

After helping me put a call through to London Bridge, one of the officers came to me and asked:

- “Did you say you had a video camera and two laptops in your bag?” 

- Yes, I replied, and guess what he said next? 

- “Your bag is in London bridge station”. 🤯😱🤸🏻‍♂️💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

I didn’t know whether to scream or jump on him in extreme joy. My soul was filled with excitement, that I couldn’t withhold. It was unbelievable. 

So I left my backpack with all those expensive stuff, and someone found and returned it? Jesus! Who does that? 

Remember the guy I greeted with a smile and sat next to? It was him. He handed my bag to one of the stations' staff. Oh, bless him!🙏

Off I went! Hopped on the next train to London Bridge, twas already about 9.30pm, and would take another 1hr 30mins to get me to London. I didn’t mind. As I journeyed I couldn’t hold myself from singing praises to God, I was singing out loud: Jesu doh... Jesu doh..., and in tears, travelers on the train were staring, I suppose wondering what was wrong with me. 

Only if they knew!

On arrival, I was told my backpack has been handed over to the lost but found unit, and they were closed for the day. In brief, I canceled that day’s journey, went back home to London, and then returned the next day to pick up my bag, and thereafter continued my journey to Brighton. (Paid 20quid to retrieve my bag, and thankfully all my stuff was intact).

****** ******

Although I was broken and crying throughout the time, somewhere deep down my heart was firm. It refused to break, I can’t explain why; I dunno if to call it faith?

Maybe now I know what it is. I guess my spirit was saying to me relax, God is in charge. But at that time relaxation was far from me. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 

I just wanted to share this story for a few lessons you might pick from it. But before I share the lessons, there’s this part of the story that happened. 

So after the whole trauma, I checked my Instagram dm and saw a message from someone: 

He said:

- “Hi, I think you may have left your bag at London bridge station”.

He is one of the station staff whom the bag was handed to at London bridge. Now I had already picked up my bag. When I asked how he found me on Instagram he said he checked my notebook which had my name on it, and then looked me up on social media. He had even also contacted my University, and informed them about my situation on my behalf, as he saw my school’s name on my notebook.

What a kind soul! I’ve never felt so LUCKY in my life! 🥺

Now the lessons:

- Smile, and be nice to strangers, you never know how much that’ll get you. Remember the stranger I sat beside? Imagine I had been rude to him. 😟

- Use social media wisely. We have gone past the age where social media was used for fun alone or to catch cruise. Now social media has become the new CV.

- What is your identity when people look you up on social media? Do you have your full name on your profile or you’re still bearing ‘Mz SwitLips’, ‘TonyDaDon’, etc,.? Imagine he typed my name on Instagram or google and found nothing. Would he have contacted me?

- Write Your name on your belongings. Books, and all, don’t use nicknames.

- Check your social media messages every day. These days, the first point of reference in finding something about you is your social media page. Read and reply to your chats you don’t know who’s chatting with you.

- Also, leave your data on 😜

- And lastly, when you’re worrying over something, try to calm down, and know that GOD IS IN CHARGE! 

Feel free to share. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

#LostbutFound

#Grace

©️Progressoberiko