Thursday, March 10, 2022

The Black Pencil

RT and I often run errands together.  This started a few months ago when I refused to drive my car I was having car troubles.  During this time we shared one car.  Well, I'm not sure if RT knew about this car sharing situation, that's a story for another day.  Anyway, instead of making multiple trips, we would hop in the car and tackle our "To Do" lists together.

On this particular day, I had to stop at the Post Office.  My package already had the postage but I wanted to make sure it was scanned by one of the workers.  Since I was driving, RT hopped out and headed inside with the package.  The parking lot was empty so I figured this would be a quick trip.  After twenty minutes, I turned off the engine (hey, gas prices are pretty high!).  More cars entered the lot with people filing into the building.  At thirty minutes I began to worry about him.  What's taking so long?  I know he didn't get lost because we live in a small town and it's a small post office.  Did someone go postal while he was in there?

Just as I was about to head into the building I see RT leaving.  As he is getting in to the car he tells me, "That was the worst experience in my life."  I figured the postage was wrong on my package and had to be recalculated.  Apparently this had nothing to do with my package. 

Here's the story:

RT was in line when someone ahead of him went up to the counter and asked about a black pencil that he left when he was there earlier.  The postal clerk could not find the pencil at her desk and proceeded to check the other stations.  She checked the floors and behind the stations.  Time (and work) stopped at our little post office all for this little black pencil.  After twenty minutes of searching, another worker came up front.  They told him about the lost pencil and he launched his own investigation.  

This is where I stepped in and said, "You gotta love the small town life.  Something like a lost pencil sends the entire town into chaos."  I probably should have kept my mouth shut.  

RT was pretty worked up over the pencil saga.  He was about to tell the guy he would buy him a new black pencil.  He even had thoughts of painting a pencil black and giving it to the guy.  And then RT said to me, "Why did he bring his favorite black pencil to the post office?"

Did he find his favorite black pencil?  
Why is this pencil so valuable?
Why did he bring this pencil to the post office?

I guess we will never know the answers to these questions.

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