I was waiting at the Dominion Theatre, under the giant gold statue for the We Will Rock You musical by Queen. I reached into my bag for my pink glasses case. Surrounded by the Friday night crowds, I needed my glasses so I could look out for my dinner mate when he arrived.
I opened the glasses case and they were empty.
It took me half a minute to realise that this was bad news. I couldn’t remember when I had last worn my glasses.
As I stood there in the crowd, in the rain, I catalogued the possibilities. Work. But I had just tidied my desk today. Home. I would have to tidy that tonight. Shops. Surely I wouldn’t have put my glasses down while shopping.
After dinner, I went home, took down my laundry and folded it away, emptied my bags, and sorted my mail. No glasses.
When was the last time I wore them?
It turns out I have proof.
Last Saturday, I was catching robber flies with Rebecca and Ian at the Natural History Museum’s new Darwin Centre. (Finally, a picture of my red glasses as promised.)
After the madness of the museum, Rebecca, Ian and I had tea at St Pancras station. So maybe, maybe, I had left my glasses at the wine bar.
This morning, I called the bar.
‘Hello. I may have left a pair of red glasses when I visited on Saturday night last week.’
‘…Yes, there are a pair of red glasses.’
‘Are they made of metal?’
‘It’s hard to say. They look a bit like plastic.’
‘I’ll come by to see if they’re mine, then.’
I had breakfast, got into street clothes, and went out with a giant umbrella. As I walked, I tried to avoid stepping on the dozens of worms on the pavement. The worms had been flushed out by the rain. Some lay stretched, curled, some where long, some were squat, some were round, and some had already been flattened.
I crossed my fingers. I often cross my fingers when I’m hoping. This time I crossed two sets of two fingers on my left hand and folded them over my thumb.
At the bar, the person in front of me ordered a large cappuccino and a banana. The bar had been open for breakfast since 7:30am.
When it was my turn, I said again, ‘I may have left a pair of red glasses when I visited on Saturday night last week.’
The manager heard my voice and came over. She had a pair of glasses in her hand. They were my red glasses.
‘They are metal,’ she greeted me, ‘But quite soft metal.’
‘With plastic arms for the over-ear bit,’ I said happily.
‘You’re a lucky person to get them back,’ said the other bar staffer.
‘Lucky, yes, and very forgetful. Thank you so much!’
As I walked back home in the drizzle, I could see the world and those worms more clearly then before.
I have a pair of red glasses too… that looks exactly like yours! Anyway, glad that you found your glasses!
YAY!! You found them, you ARE lucky.
I left my glasses at a some indoor waterpark a few weeks ago and alas, no one had turned them in. Argh, I was mad at myself ’cause even though they were like 5 years old, they were REALLY expensive!
I bought new ones and I’m happy I’m more up-to-date with the style of them, but still, glasses are pricy!
I was looking for a red color like yours but I just can’t pull it off as good as you can. 🙂
I lost an expensive pair of prescription Italian sunglasses a few years ago. I was furious with myself and surprised that no one else else was upset with me. I think my family and friends are used to me losing things often.
Juni, I reckon you could wear red glasses. People with black hair can wear red glasses!
Aww, triumph! If only fingers crossed over fingers crossed over thumbs ALWAYS worked so good. And if only you could ALWAYS have photographic evidence of the last time you’d possessed an ex-possession, or temporarily ex-possession.
If I could snap my fingers, and switch to a world in which just one little thing was different, then for me, this would be a very useful alternative world in which to live. (If the Universe/multiverse is infinite, such a world, apparently, should actually exist…).
I also think my lose-things bug might be contagious 🙁
Joan, it sounds like we’ve been living parallel lives … just a bit out on timing … so I too lost my glasses (while travelling to NZ for a conference) and stumped up to buy two pairs from Specsavers for $199 a couple of weeks ago. I have only worn the one pair … I am thinking about saving the other pair. I am not sure I need two pairs. Last time I bought glasses (back in the pre-Cambridge days when I had far too much money) they cost me over $400 – sane brand, same store. That’s deflation for you.
Brad, the glasses market seems to have hotted up. They’re much cheaper than they used to be!
Maybe you can keep a pair of glasses at work and at home. I guess that’s less useful if you don’t go out without wearing them. I sometimes forget to bring mine with me.