To the Editor,
What I was sure was a despicable trick at the time became an incredible treat.
For that, I thank a lovely young woman whose name I don’t know.
I own a small airplane at Nanaimo Airport, and keep records for the plane in a folio, including my pilot licence and medical information, navigation computer, maps and a cheque book.
I had gone to Port Place shopping centre on Halloween for my aviation medical exam and to meet another pilot. We briefly chatted on a bench and when we rose to walk elsewhere, I neglected to take my folio.
Ten minutes later I realized my error and we rushed back, but the folio was gone. The doctor would not be able to sign the medical document, and I felt certain I had lost everything in the folio. I contacted mall security and we even searched dumpsters. Then I called the RCMP and made a report.
Later at home in Mill Bay, I checked the answering machine as usual: one call. A young woman’s voice issued from the tinny speaker. “I have your case,” she said, asking me to call her. I couldn’t believe my luck.
The next morning in Nanaimo, she answered the door and gave me the folio. I proffered some money as a gift and a thank you for keeping my precious documents safe. When I checked inside, nothing was missing.
Later, I returned with a thank you card and offered her a ride in my little plane.
That young, principled woman has restored my faith in my neighbours. I am honoured to have met her – my nameless heroine.
Manuel Erickson
Mill Bay