My Sunday started out with my BFF and detecting buddy Cheryl Clark of Gulf Shores and I attending church followed by a lovely fellowship lunch where we indulged in some delicious homemade goodies. Afterward, we set out for one of our favorite detecting honey holes …. Only to arrive there and realize that one of us (I’m not naming names !) had forgotten our detector. Slightly disappointed, we decided to head back home and call it a day.
As we drove to Cheryl’s house, we decided to see what was showing at a nearby movie theater. As luck would have it, something we wanted to see was starting soon so we ran home to change clothes, grab the missing detector since it usually stayed in my car, and head to the movies at The Wharf in Orange Beach. It was interesting that, during that drive, I was thinking out loud and shared with Cheryl that I felt that there was a reason we couldn’t detect that day and that God must have wanted us at the movies instead for some reason.
With the movie almost over, I saw a call on my watch from an unknown number and a voice mail. Sneaking my phone out, I read a message from Jason that he believed his wife Florence had lost a very sentimental ring the day before …… At The Wharf ! I quickly texted him and let him know that we happened to already be right there and that I would call him back in about 20 minutes. The movie ended and we walked out to meet up with Jason and Florence. They relayed to us that they had attended a car show there the day before. Florence remembered that she had taken her family heirloom ring off to put lotion on her hands, and thought maybe she had it still in her lap when she got out of the car. They had searched the car and the parking lot already and had even had someone at their hotel come take the sink apart in case it had fallen in the drain.
Looking over the vast gravel parking lot, Cheryl and I exchanged a knowing glance. This was gonna be a tough one – almost impossible in fact ! The chances of someone else having spotted it on the hard, flat ground and picking it up seemed high. Nevertheless, we set out with our detectors to search. An hour and a couple of pocketfuls of pull tabs, bottle caps and miscellaneous metal bits and pieces later and still no ring, the disappointed couple felt like they really needed to set out on their drive back home to Louisiana. We told them we would stick around and look just a little while longer. Just as I watched them drive off, I heard an excited “whoop whoop” from Cheryl and, against all odds, there in her hand was Florence’s beautiful platinum and diamond ring !! I quickly called Jason’s number and asked if they could turn around and come back. I was trying to sound nonchalant but he could hear Cheryl’s excited voice in the background as we were ooing and aahing over the stunning ring. The look on Florence’s face was priceless as she tearfully slipped “Grandma Florence’s” ring back on her finger. She and Jason agreed that our serendipitously being at the theater that day instead of 30 miles away detecting was truly meant to be !
Although I live in Mobile and Cheryl lives in Gulf Shores, we metal detect together often and frequently tag team or join together to look for lost jewelry for folks. So, no matter which side of Mobile Bay you’re on, Cheryl and I just might be in the right place at the right time !
