Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
This cute little holiday story was submitted to us by one of our writers and I found it fun to share.
The Miracle at Flagship Cinema
By Scott K Fish
Grandson Grafton and I went Monday night to see a movie: “Predator: Badlands.” Grafton gave it “a chef’s kiss” and said it’s his “new favorite movie.” I liked the movie too. Good sci-fi. Plus, I really enjoyed having a guy’s night with Grafton. We hadn’t done that in a long, long time.
The movie ended about 9:30 pm. I drove Grafton home, made sure he got inside his house, then I drove back to Camp Marlene.
Tuesday my 5:00 am alarm sounded. Physical Therapy at 7:30 am. After rising, shining, drinking a cup of hot black coffee, showering, and dressing, I started pulling together my travel gear: car keys, cellphone, travel mug, and….wallet?
Where did I leave my wallet?
Following a careful search of the house and car I consulted the iPhone “Find My App.” My wallet has an Air Tag for tracking it. “Find My App” showed my wallet 17 miles away in what appeared to be the Auburn Flagship Cinema parking lot.
I drove to where I parked for the movies and searched the parking lot for about 10 minutes. No wallet.
Finally, I got better at understanding how “Find My App” works. The little blue dot on my iPhone map was me. The red larger circle with a white key icon in its center was my wallet. The blue dot shows a faux flashlight beam which I followed to the red circle. And I ended up, 7:20 am, at the locked glass front cinema doors.
Stuck! Running late for my PT appointment, I’m almost resolved to waiting until after PT to return to the cinema and hope my wallet’s still there, when a male voice behind my right shoulder asks, “Can I help you?”
I turn around. A man with a Carhartt brown winter jacket, blue pants, dark green beret, eyeglasses, and a full, trimmed, graying beard is casually walking toward me.
He seems friendly.
I share with the man my lost wallet tale of woe. He listens and says, “Maybe I can help. I know what that feels like.”
The man pulls a key ring out of his blue pants, inserts it into the cinema door lock and turns it, The door is unlocked.
As he’s easing the glass door open, trying to get his key out of the door lock, I ask, “Do you work here?”
“Yes,” the man says.
We’re inside the theater lobby. My heart sinks a bit when I see professional cleaners with vacuums prepping the cinema for the new day.
Walking across the brightly waxed black and white tiled floor I ask my benefactor, “Are you with the cleaning crew?”
Smiling, he answers, “No. I’m the guy who fixes the seats.” He’s talking about the cinema seats that function like living room lounge chairs with adjustable seats and a heating option.
“That must keep you busy,” I say, adding, “I was in Cinema 10, Row C, Seats 8 and 9.”
The man walks me right to where Grafton and I were sitting the night before. He grabs the back end of chairs 8 and 9’s seat cushions, pulling them up and toward him. They lift easily and I can see the floor beneath the seats.
And there is my wallet!
My new friend puts back the seat cushions. I thank him again.
Walking out of the theater toward the lobby I say, “Well, Happy Thanksgiving,” and we shake hands.
“What is your name?” I ask.
“Nick,” he says.
“Mick?” I ask.
He smiles and shakes his head, “No.”
“Nick,” he corrects me.
We are on the sidewalk on the outside of the cinema glass doors.
“Well, Nick. Thank you again.” Holding up my wallet I say,” I feel as if I’ve just lost a weight off my shoulders.”
“It’s okay,” says Nick, “I’ve been there. I know the feeling. Happy Thanksgiving.”
Later, I share my lost-and-found story with Eileen. She says, “Maybe he was St. Nick.”
