I am off work. Finally. It has been a really long day and I just could not wait to finally get out of there. I walk down an escalator at Hammersmith Station. I patiently wait for an eastbound Picadilly train. While I am waiting, I notice that my hands are a bit dry. I take hand cream out of my purse. Before I put the lotion on, I take off my engagement ring and put it in my mouth (I always do it because I just hate when cream gets in slits of my ring). I put a bit of lotion on my hands and start rubbing them together. I see a train coming. I take the ring out of my mouth and place it on my left-hand ring finger. The train stops and in this very second I see my ring falling down on the platform. The rest is just slow-motion, movie-type standard. I see the ring reaching the ground. I scream "OH, NO!!!". My "no!!!", however, does not really help and the ring slowly rolls away, bounces off the wall of the train and falls down the platform. It is gone! I have lost it... I have lost my engagement ring...
I see a Customer Service Adviser. I approach him with a "oh-my-god-what-have-I-done" kind of look on my face. He smiles and calmly asks: "Have you dropped your mobile phone, dear? Don't worry, we'll get it for you". Oh, boy, do I wish it was my mobile down there on the tracks... And then I start panicking. I almost yell at the guy: "I haven't dropped my mobile! Far worse! I've just dropped my engagement ring! I have to get it! You have to help me! I need my ring! I need it now!". The man smiles once again, tells me not to worry once again and then calls a colleague and asks him to assist me.
I see a Customer Service Adviser. I approach him with a "oh-my-god-what-have-I-done" kind of look on my face. He smiles and calmly asks: "Have you dropped your mobile phone, dear? Don't worry, we'll get it for you". Oh, boy, do I wish it was my mobile down there on the tracks... And then I start panicking. I almost yell at the guy: "I haven't dropped my mobile! Far worse! I've just dropped my engagement ring! I have to get it! You have to help me! I need my ring! I need it now!". The man smiles once again, tells me not to worry once again and then calls a colleague and asks him to assist me.
After about two minutes (although it seems like hours) another TFL worker shows up holding a metal stick that has a small hook on one end and some sort of a big, round magnet on the other. He also smiles and tells me not to worry. He asks me what I have dropped and where. I explain to the guy that it is a white gold engagement ring with a diamond. I tell him where and how I have dropped it.
We start looking for the ring but cannot find it. There is lots of rocks and dirt on the tracks. We cannot see the damn ring. A train comes. We have to postpone the ring-searching until it is gone. The train leaves. We bend lower and scan every single place, inch by inch trying to focus on smallest details. No luck. Another train. Other passengers become interested in what we are doing. They start asking questions. I give a description of the ring. An elderly couple offers their help and starts looking for the ring. I almost cry. I tell the Customer Service Adviser that my fiance is going to kill me... that I have to find the ring... that it is bad luck if I do not...
Another train. The elderly couple wishes me good luck and gets on the train. The Customer Service Advisor and I get on our knees. I can see he really wants to find it for me. Other people dangerously bend over the platform edge. Everyone tries to help. Another train comes. The worker tells me that I would probably have to come back later in the evening or tomorrow morning when the station is less busy. I cannot really blame him. The situation gets far too dangerous as other people bend over the platform edge trying their luck in finding the ring. Another train stops... then leaves. We are still on our knees.
Two young ladies approach and asks whether they can help me. I tell them the story once again. One of them offers another pair of eyes, at least until their train comes. She starts looking for the ring. And then I see it. It is there! Below the platform! Amongst the rocks! I yell: "I've found it!!! It's there!!!". I literally jump on the girl and start hugging her happily. I can tell the Customer Service Adviser is also excited. He smiles and gets ready for the big moment. Another train comes and we have to wait until it leaves the station. The worker gets on his knees again, stretches out the stick and reaches for the ring. People around us are quiet. Everybody awaits the long-anticipated moment. The worker gets the ring on a hook and handles it to me. I can hear sounds of relief around us. I put the ring on my finger and start randomly hugging people on the platform. Everyone is happy for me and they wish me good luck...
Is there anything I have learned from my little incident? Oh, yes, definitely. I have learned that I should never, ever take off my engagement ring before putting hand lotion on my hands...
