On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

This past Sunday was a beautiful day – all the snow from that humungous storm had melted away, so my son and I decided to walk down to Rockin’ Bob’s music store next to Johnny D’s to get a new set of guitar strings. I noticed he was bringing his iPod with him, which was kind of a slap in the face – it made me think that he didn’t want to chat with dad on the way, but I got over it.

We turned onto College Ave and jay-walked across when the traffic slowed down. We were going to cross at the lights at the Library, but we saw a chance get to get to the other side quicker, and we took it (professional jaywalkers do not try this at home). I told him to zip up his coat, as he was balancing on the small fence in front of the beauty shop next to the Library.

We noticed that we made it to Davis faster than the cars on College Ave. We passed the Store 24 and the ice cream place and took a right onto Holland Street, when we checked out who was playing at Johnny D’s and exchanged a few sad words about Brad Delp, the deceased singer – when we saw that Beatle Juice was coming.

We finally get to the music store, and it was closed, so we decided to get a crepe – and cross to the other side of Holland Street. The crepe place was too crowded, so we headed up Elm Street. I told my son to zip up his jacket again, as he was jumping around on the sidewalk. He still hadn’t listened to his iPod, and we were just goofing on people as we walked through the square.

We decided to check out the comic store across from Bank of America, so we turned down Grove Street. I got a call on my cell phone just as we started playing with a very cute 6 month old pug pup. My son was also on his cell phone waiting for me to finish my call Р“will you zip that coat up?” I said to him. We finally cross Highland Avenue and enter the comic store Рmy son is bending down reading a comic book and I am sitting at the other end of the store, tuckered out from our 15 minute walk.
All of a sudden my son rushes over to me in a panic and says – ‘my iPod is gone!‚Äù I freak out and look around on the floor, and say: ‚Äúlet’s go retrace our steps.‚Äù With a few expletives tossed in there for flavor, of course.

We cross Highland, go back up Grove to Elm and walk back to Rockin’ Bob’s guitars. All the way I’m cursing and preaching about how he should learn how to take care of his things. He tells me, conveniently: ‚Äúit probably fell out of my pocket when I was zipping up my coat.‚Äù So now it’s MY fault he lost it for making him zip up his coat.

We walk back to the comic store where the guy working there tells us that the iPod isn’t there (he heard me cussing as we left the first time), so we head into Mickey D’s, where the obvious topic of conversation now is that the iPod is gone…someone probably found it, they’re most likely going to keep it, and that’s that. He’s very bummed out, and I’m not too happy either.

They don’t make the ‚ÄúNano‚Äù anymore, and all his songs were lost – and it was sentimental and so on. We also started trying to ‚Äúsolve the crime.‚Äù Maybe the lady with the pug had set us up and stolen it. Maybe that guy in the comic store picked it up. Suddenly, everyone in Davis Square was a suspect.

We walked home and find one on eBay – he agrees to pay half, so I enter a bid. All of a sudden the phone rings – someone found the iPod! I can’t believe it! This guy was walking in the square and there it was, near a puddle. He took it home, plugged it into his computer, and my son’s name came up.

Thanks to perseverance, honesty and Google, he found our phone number. I got his name, number and address and we went over to his house and picked up the iPod, but first I had to cheerfully retract my eBay bid. At the honest guys house, we asked him if he was a Starbucks or a Dunkie’s man, so we could send him a thank you gift – he said he was a ‚ÄúDiesel‚Äù fan, so we went back to Davis and got him a gift certificate.

We were so thankful, we went right back to his house and delivered it in person, with a little thank you note from my son.

What an ordeal – it probably took a year off my life with all the ups and downs of the situation and I honestly cannot remember when I was that happy! I think it was when they told me my daughter was accepted to Matignon High School. We found an honest man who restored a little human faith in the world for my boy and myself. This was that Somerville spirit we hear about!

So, thank you sir for doing the right thing – and if your son or daughter has an iPod, for God’s sake do not make him/her zip up their jacket.

Please e-mail your comments to Jimmy at: jimmydel@rcn.com