Yesterday was to be another boring day. I had nothing to do thanks to oversleeping and missing my days lectures. But then the post man came,and what did he deliver? A little mystery for me to solve. I dont get out much Ok, I like little things!
Anyway, the letter was not addressed to me but to somebody who lived on a street with the same name as mine, in a town with the same name in JAMAICA! I live in Cornwall, thats Cornwall, England just in case you are wondering!
I left the letter to sit on my desk for a few hours, giving it furtive glances, desperate to know who its for and what the hell its doing sitting on my desk.
Supposed to be doing work but as usual always glad for a distraction, I decided to google the address. I came up with one in America and two possibles in Jamaica itself. Thats three other doorsteps it could have graced this morning and God knows how many others there were! That put paid to the idea of just putting it in back in the post and hoping for the best. How many hands had it passed through in the British postal system, none of them noticing the problem with sending a letter destined to Jamaica to Cornwall?
Its cold, windy and grey here for a start. Sure we have palm trees but they are not swaying gently in a warm sea breeze, they are being thrashed around! And besides that would rob me of my mystery!
Anyway, I got an email address for one of the Jamaican addresses as its a business. I asked if it belonged to anybody there but as yet have no reply...!
By this point I decided to just open it up and see if theres a return address. Probably would have been the easiest solution in the first place but it could have been personal! When I did so there was no address, just a hand written note wishing the person "best wishes for 2007" and $110!
I'd been keeping friends updated on this exciting little tale and when they heard this development they all said keep it, except my overly suspicious Grandad who reckons I should take it to the police just in case they track it down. I think he belives its from the mafia or something!
Whoever its from or for there's no way I could keep it. Research on the area in Jamaica its meant to be going to shows its quite a poor area. I may be a broke student but this guy may need it a whole lot more than me. And Im not selling my mystery for the equivalent of £57! The research on the area didnt show a street of the right name, but I did come across the local newspaper. I searched for the guys name and it turns out hes a kid and rather a good athlete. He won a scholarship to a top Jamaican school for his medal winning athletics.
So now I know which school he goes to! Yay! However the only contact details I have for the school is phone and I am reluctant to call. I would rather email, its free and not one million pounds a minute!
I could just send the money to the school, but I found an online version of a residential phone book while trying to find the correct address and it seems not only is his a very common surname, but every other boy there also seems to share his first name so it may not be the right one. The school is in a completely different area to where the letter is addressed! Maybe I should just call afterall?
Now Im following a different line of enquiry. The post mark on the letter says its from the Tyneside area. Ive posted a message on a local message board trying to find them. Its a bit of a long shot as I only have their first names!
Today Im thinking that maybe I should get out more instead of doing this! But am I going to give up? No way! I want to make sure the money ends up in the right hands and not another random person on a street with the same name in another part of the world!