Angels, Unicorns and Origami Money

Yesterday while I was putting money in the parking meter, I found a dollar in the street folded like a piece of origami. Then a few hours later when I stopped to get a cup of coffee I found a 20 dollar bill mixed in with some leaves by the curb, also folded like a piece of origami. I believe that if you find cash outside it is free for the taking and you don’t have to feel guilty about it. In fact you should probably feel the opposite of guilty. You should feel like it has been left there for you by your guardian angel. Yeah, it’s kooky but then explain the origami. See what I’m saying?

Once about ten years ago when the big-headed bills were first printed up, I had a 100 dollar bill in my pocket and I went into Tower Records to do some Christmas shopping. I picked something out and stood in the endless Christmas-shopping line and all of a sudden someone yelled out: Did anyone lose a hundred dollar bill in the parking lot? (Could you imagine that a person exists who would yell that out into a crowded store at Christmas?) I patted my pockets in a panic. And they were empty.

“Does it have a big Ben Franklin head?” I yelled.

“Yes!”

“That’s mine!”

I hugged the guy and offered him 40 dollars, which he accepted. We said Merry Christmas and never saw each other again.

Ok? Again: guardian angel.

Once when Mo was about 8 we were driving on the highway in a torrential downpour and my car broke down. I was lucky to be able to pull off on the shoulder, put on my hazards and wait. I tried to put my arm out the window and wave someone down, but when I unrolled the window it was as though someone threw a bucket of water in my face. So we sat (this was before cell phones). After about 30 minutes, a white van pulled up behind us, shining his lights into the car.

Is he going to get out? Mo said.

After he finishes loading his gun, I thought.

In the dark, in the rain, I saw a LARGE man got out of the van. He walked towards us, knocked on the window and made a sign with his thumb that meant Get In The Van. (did we have a choice?) I carried Mo and we ducked into the waterfall and ran to the passenger side and got in.

Inside it was warm and smelled amazing. The entire back of the van was filled with trays of donuts! We would never be murdered in a van with donuts. The Large Man made room on the floor for Mo to sit, asked us where we wanted to go and drove us there. He barely said anything except that his name was James and he was making a delivery to a church. When he dropped us off at the Howard Johnson's he gave Mo 3 dollars. I never saw him again and if you asked me, would not be able to describe what he looked like.

Ok? You see what I'm saying?