How Jerry Found His Palm

Because I had The Roofer and the NASA appliance guys visiting me this past Wednesday, I worked from home. Because I worked from home on Wednesday past, my lunch-time walking partner, Charles, had to spend his lunch-time walking alone. And because Charles was walking alone at lunch-time on that fateful Wednesday, he unwittingly met Jerry's Palm.

Taking the usual route down the newly refurbished 'river walk' opposite Harris Park, Charles rested for a moment on a park bench - something he only does when he's walking alone. Beside him on that bench he spied a gadget sitting all alone. The gadget was dirty and muddy, and Charles felt pity for the lonely little gadget. He wiped away some of the grime to find the gadget had a name stamped above a little screen. And that gadget's name was Palm Treo AT&T - Palm for short. So off they went together, back to the office, where Charles would give Palm a proper cleaning and discover the little gadget looked none the worse for wear - no water damage, no sticky keys, no scratched display.

This is where I come into the story, for Charles wasn't sure what to do. Palm must have been lost and must have had an owner. But Charles, being unfamiliar with the likes of a Palm Treo AT&T, did not know how to ask the right questions in the right way. And, alas, Palm's power button had no effect, and the screen refused to shine. But I knew what to do.

Palm came home with me Thursday past where I found an old Palm charger that fit just right. Once Palm was able to shine his screen, I asked him for his secrets. By asking the right questions in just the right way, Palm told me everything he knew and maybe a bit more.

His owner was Jerry (just Jerry), and he had lost Palm in late August, although they had not known each other long. Jerry was likely in his early 20's and a student at Fanshawe. Palm made phone calls for Jerry on the Rogers cell network, but Palm was not a Rogers phone. Rather, Palm was an unlocked phone, which meant Jerry had paid a price for his gadget. Palm also told me his phone number, and that his SIM card - his Rogers brain - had been deactivated. This could only mean that Jerry had told Rogers about his problem and that Jerry had a new phone - probably with the very same phone number!

The very next morning I shared Palm's secrets with Chuck who, while slightly disappointed that Palm was not a true orphan, resolved that we must find Jerry. After calling Palm's old phone number a few times, Charles connected with a confused Jerry and told him about the whole adventure. Jerry was indeed a young Fanshawe student, so after his classes he hopped on a bus so that Charles might reunite the two old-new friends.

Alas, Jerry was young and mono-syllabic - not one for graciousness and story-telling. With a shrug and a thanks, Jerry accepted Palm and left, leaving Charles and I wondering about Palm's adventures before the park bench by the river at Harris Park.

We'll never know, of course, but we'll always have karma for doing the right thing.