Lost and found

We stopped at a motorway services to buy baguettes for lunch yesterday, on our way down through France. I left my wallet behind and I didn’t notice until we were an hour further down the road.

I’ve lost wallets in the past, so I’m familiar with that particular rollercoaster of emotions. “”, feeling , , then at myself for being so .

But, this is the first time my wallet had an AirTag inside. I looked at my phone and there was a notification telling when I’d parted from my wallet. The FindMy app told me when and where and that the wallet was still where I’d left it. I swung the car around and headed back. None of us said much to each other on the journey back.

I walked back into the services and I said nervously:

Pardon. J’ai perdu mon portefeuille ici il y a deux heures.

Excuse me. I lost my wallet here two hours ago.

Quel est ton nom?

What’s your name?

I told her and she disappeared for a few minutes. She came back, smiling and holding my wallet, and said:

Nous vous attendions.

We were expecting you.

I asked, curiously:

Comment?

How

And she replied:

Vous avez un AirTag dans votre portefeuille. Nous savions que vous reviendriez.

You have an AirTag in your wallet. We knew you’d be back.

I’d left my wallet on the counter where I’d bought our lunch. The service station was crowded with travellers and one of them had handed it to the cashier. Merci, qui que vous soyez.

Heading back on our way, we talked about the cost of AirTags. £99 for a pack of four seemed like good value when I bought them. £30 seems a lot for a single AirTag but even at that price, this one paid for itself dozens of times over.