July 21, 2024
As happy as I was about the privilege of having received the key to his office flat in Kaunas from Nerijus, I was so depressed at the end – and then again not. What had happened?
On the morning of my planned departure from Kaunas, I still had just under two hours until the agreed return of the keys to Nerijus’ sister Lolita. I decided to use this time to discover a few more sights in Kaunas. No sooner said than done – so far successfully!
Back to the agreed meeting point ahead of time, but then the shock: the flat keys were gone, lost on the short sightseeing tour, undoubtedly fallen out of the negligently unlocked trouser pocket – and all my belongings, all my luggage behind the locked flat door, one hour before the train departed.
In desperation, even panic, I immediately drive the whole route again in the hope of finding the bunch of keys somewhere on the road – in vain! The worst-case scenarios were already running through my head and it was almost impossible to think clearly when Lolita arrived with her son Vladas and I dejectedly confessed my mishap to them. Lolita, however, in concert with her brother – reached by phone on his cycle tour in the Netherlands – and her perfectly interpreting son, as well as through her overwhelming friendliness and warmth, quickly managed to bring me back down to earth and calm me down – an angel!
In the end, their joint efforts resulted in
- the replacement key of the flat owner, who does not live in Kaunas, delivered by a friendly train passenger on the same evening;
- giving Lolita back the key to a flat that had just been renovated and not yet rented out, which I had been given in case of a late delivery and consequently an extra night for me in Kaunas;
- taking measures to adjust my onward journey, which had just been rearranged, to the new circumstances.
Ultimately, the still positive side of this embarrassing situation for me:
Getting to know two downright touchingly helpful and friendly people, Lolita and son Vladas, and a few extra hours in marvellous Kaunas.
And as the icing on the cake, I find my flag sticking in a sandheap, which I lost unnoticed two days ago when entering Kaunas – and that’s only because I got lost for a moment somewhere and happened to pass by here:
All’s well that ends (almost) well!