In the distance I saw a gold square shining in the sun. Usually the streets of Toronto are quite clean. The gold square stood out to me as I walked to my job at the coffee shop. As I moved closer I could see that the gold square was a wallet. I picked it up and unsnapped it to see what was inside. A stack of cash was stuffed inside the gold wallet, along with several identification cards. The driver’s license told me that the wallet belonged to a young woman named Carla Sampson.
I didn’t have time to take the wallet to the police because my shift at the coffee shop was starting in less than 15 minutes. I put the wallet in my purse for safekeeping and arrived at work. My boss barked at me for being late as soon as I walked through the door.
“Late again, Jasmine?” Craig said angrily. “One more time and you’re fired.”
I tied my apron around my waist, feeling nervous about Craig’s warning. I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent if I got fired from my job, and then I wouldn’t have a place to live. The gold wallet in my purse called to me, and I was tempted to keep it. There was enough cash in there to pay my next month’s rent, and then I wouldn’t have to listen to Craig shouting at me every morning.
Distracted, I poured a cup of coffee for a customer, horrified when it spilled all over the counter. “I’m so sorry!” I cried as Craig rushed over.
“That’s it, Jasmine. You’re fired!” Craig said coldly.
Without a word, I grabbed my purse and walked out of the coffee shop, not wanting to show anyone how upset I was. Tears rolled down my face as I wondered how long it would take me to find another job. The gold wallet tempted me again, and I opened it, staring at the thick pile of cash.
I battled with myself for several minutes, tempted to take the cash and toss the wallet into the trash. But that would be wrong, and everyone who loved me would be ashamed of me.
Lost in my thoughts, I realized that I was standing outside a police station. Seeing it as a sign, I hurried inside to turn the wallet over to the police. “I found a lost wallet!” I burst out at the first police officer I saw.
The officer opened the wallet and removed the driver’s license. “Carla Sampson,” he murmured. “She called us this morning about her lost wallet. She was very upset, saying that the cash in there was all she had to cover her daughter’s surgery and hospital stay.”
“Wow,” I said, feeling stunned. If I had stolen the wallet, I would have been hurting a child who needed the money more than I did. Standing tall, I walked out of the police station to start searching for a new job.
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Questions
Which detail shows that the narrator relies on her job as her only source of income?
“The gold wallet in my purse called to me, and I was tempted to keep it.”
“But that would be wrong, and everyone who loved me would be ashamed of me.”
“I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent if I got fired from my job, and then I wouldn’t have a place to live.”
“Tears rolled down my face as I wondered how long it would take me to find another job.”