Money Laundering

Realtime

I've had a bad day. Not only has it rained solid all day but I've had to spend most of the day at the local laundromat.

Can you see $50 floating about in here?

No? Nor can I. But I did, and so did the French lady beside me who laughed and called her friend over. He saw it too. A purply-pink man's face with a big 50 beside it was waving at me on and off for a few minutes before disappearing in a big wave of soapy bubbles. A purply-pink man whose mate had just been rescued hanging from the ceiling of one of the dryers. Two problems with this picture though. You can't access the machine until it's finished and it wasn't my load!

He who shall remain nameless left two $50 bills in the back pocket of his trousers which I was washing. Not usual at all but somehow he'd overlooked transferring it to his wallet when I drew money out the other day.

I was lucky to get the first $50 back, I'd been back home to offload the washing that I'd dried and to wait for the next load to finish, returning 30 minutes later, when something made me look inside the drier (which was still empty). Not just inside but upwards (it was a knee level) and there hanging off the roof was a $50 note! I couldn't believe my eyes but that got me thinking- I wonder where the other note was. I called home for that other person to check the washing I'd brought home. No, no sign of the other note and murmurs of perhaps it was in his wallet or he'd spent it. I checked the wallet, he leaves it in the ute. No nothing in there.

By the time I walked back into the laundromat, the washing machine I'd used was washing a load for somebody else. That's when I saw the note floating about. Damn!

Nothing for it but to sit out the 35 minute wash and wait for the people to return to collect their washing. Which they did. And kindly checked their load as they transferred it into the drier. No sign of my $50 in the washing or anywhere in the washer. There were no gaps, no curves or drain holes it could have disappeared through either. Now what to do?

In the end I sat out another wash in case it made a return visit, which it didn't- the tourist also checked her washing for me at the end (and looked at me sideways as I tried to explain what was missing- crazy lady she must have thought).

Then the lady from the shop next door (they check the machines each day) came and unlocked the lint filter of the drier for me (in case it came free while the wash load was drying) but it wasn't in there either. I left her a card incase a miracle happened and also gave a card to the people whose load had been washed and dried after mine.

In the end I have no idea where it could have gone, I never left it's side once I spotted it through the door but I'm sure I've kissed it goodbye.

So, it was a bloody expensive laundry wash today (looking on the bright side- it would have been worse if I hadn't seen the other note).......and I need a large glass of wine!