Two Old Fools & Memory Loss

Long before we moved to El Hoyo in 2004, Joe’s been forgetful. Before now, he’s  put the phone in his sock drawer, and he’s locked the keys in the boot of the car countless times.

Once he left the engine running in our parked car the whole time we were shopping, around two hours. He’s left the chickens’ gate open, allowing them to range freely through my precious raised flower beds, leaving nothing but stalks. Get the idea?

So I wasn’t surprised when he returned from a recent shopping trip and couldn’t find his credit card. He felt in his pockets. Nothing. He searched the carrier bags. Nothing. He checked the car. Nothing.

“Could you have left it in Carrefour?”

“Well, I suppose it’s possible…”

Phone calls to Carrefour confirmed that no credit card had been handed in.

“I’m sorry,” said the helpful assistant. “Are  you sure you haven’t lost a green draught excluder, shaped like a python? Somebody handed in one of those…”

“Perhaps you left it at the petrol station?” I suggested.

“I don’t think so, I paid with cash. I suppose I’d better drive down and see. If they haven’t got it, we’d better get on the phone and cancel it.”

I was nervous by now. Had it been stolen?

I’d just discovered a free app for the iPad and smartphones. It’s called ‘SecureSafe’, and you can store all your valuable PINs, passwords and documents on it, and access them from anywhere.

Before I went to Australia last month, I’d laboriously copied in everything, and uploaded all our valuable items, like our escritura (house deeds), photos and the original manuscripts for my books. If the credit card wasn’t at the petrol station, I could easily retrieve all the details from the app, and call to get the card canceled. Couldn’t I?

Joe returned from the petrol station looking worried. “I didn’t leave it there,” he said.

“Never mind,” I said smugly. “I’ve got all the details on the iPad, I’ll phone right now and report it lost.”

But I couldn’t find the iPad. I’d used it last, so it was my fault.

We searched high and low. No iPad. I’d destroyed our credit card statements so we couldn’t refer to those, we don’t possess a smartphone, and the computer’s Internet connection was playing up.

“Put the kettle on,” said Joe. “I’ll feed the chickens and we’ll work out what to do.”

Two minutes later, he burst into the kitchen. “I’ve found the credit card,” he said, waving it triumphantly. “It must have fallen out of my pocket in the chicken coop when I gave them that lettuce when I came back from shopping.”

“And I’ve found the iPad,” I said. “It was in the fridge.”

So all was well. Such are the problems of ageing expats.