Almost Untraceable

Judi Becker,
Innisfail, Alberta
October 13, 2013

It is strange how going to a funny movie could produce such stress, and reveal the help of an angel.

It was 1965, and I was living with one of my best friends at her parents house. I had graduated from grade twelve and had gotten a job at CMHC in the city of Edmonton that fall. One night after work on a payday, Leslie and I decided to go out to dinner and see a show afterwards. I still remember the show. It was "The Great Race" with Jack Lemon and Natalie Wood and it was hilarious.

It was my practice to always carry licorice in my purse and I snacked on it during the movie. In the dark of the theatre I would not have noticed my wallet falling out. In fact it was not until we tried to catch the bus home, that I discovered my wallet was missing. I was frantic!

Having just cashed my pay cheque, all my money was in that wallet and it would be a long two weeks without it! We returned to the theatre but it wasn't to be found. My worry hit an all time high. I had no identification in my wallet!

My family was now living in a city to the south, Red Deer, Alberta as my step-father had been transferred there from Wetaskiwin with Northwestern Utilities. He was the new district foreman. He and my mother had been married in June of 1965 just before the move to Red Deer.

A couple of days after I had lost my wallet, my step-father phoned me. He asked if I had lost my wallet. I replied, "yes." He then proceeded to tell me that one of his friends who also happened to work at Northwestern Utilities had found it. I was overjoyed to say the least.

As I mentioned I had no identification in my wallet at all, and the only other item, besides my cash, was a picture of my mother and step-father's wedding. What are the odds that someone who knows my step-father would find my wallet, especially in a large city with thousands of people. For me this was truly a miracle. When I got my wallet back, all my cash was inside. The gift I gave the gentleman in exchange was small compared to what he returned to me. I felt an angel surely was busy in the background bringing this all about and my gratitude remains all these years later.