As we all know, Boo relies almost exclusively on his iPad to communicate. Somewhere along the line, A and I began referring to it as Dapi, which became its pet name. Anyway, Dapi goes everywhere with us. Our adventures begins on a rainy Tuesday this week.
Boo and I needed to go to Target to get groceries and he made it clear that this should include a trip to Starbucks for a juice box and a slice of pumpkin bread. He knows I will always stop for coffee so it was an easy sell. The Minnesota State Fair was in full swing and lies between our house and Target. Despite the rain, traffic was at a crawl. Nonetheless, Dapi, Boo and I arrived at Target, got our groceries and coffee and decided that life, though rainy, was good. I clearly remember walking us back to the car, holding up the umbrella to shield Boo and the iPad while juggling my coffee and groceries. I popped open the car doors, let Boo in and put away our groceries. Without a second thought, I made sure Boo was buckled in and drove off. The traffic was at a crawl again and the heavens completely opened. I realized that it was almost lunch time and that I needed to feed the kids, pick up Mouse and run across town to pick up a friend. I asked Boo if Wendy’s sounded okay and he enthusiastically agreed. Twenty minutes later we pulled into the drive through. It suddenly crossed my mind that I Boo was being uncharacteristically quiet. He was not chatting on the iPad. I looked in the back seat. My heart sank. I did not see Dapi. “Boo”, I asked, “Where is Dapi?” Boo looked at me and then looked sadly at the car door. “Oh no”, I thought to myself, “This is not good at all.” I was already in the pickup lane for food and could not get out and the rain beat down steadily. After a definite wait, we got our food and I sped towards home to get Mouse. On the way I felt the definite need to pray. I am not Catholic but my years of teaching in parochial schools has left me with some definite habits. Immediately, I said, ” St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come ’round. Something is lost that can’t be found.” Then I thought to myself, what saint or divine being would really understand a teenage boy and a lost communication device? I have always had a special affinity towards Our Lady Mary and I began to pray the Rosary fervently. After all, Our Lady lost her Son in the temple. Surely she would understand a teenage boy who could not keep up with his technology. As I drove and prayed, a feeling of peace came over me. I sped home and called Target customer service to see if anyone had turned in a lost iPad. . No luck. I tossed the kids their chicken fingers, loaded everyone back in the car and sped back to Target, praying all the way. The rain continued to pour. An hour after we left I screeched back into the Target parking lot. To my utter amazement, though the lot was full, the area around where I had last parked was completely empty. And, there, in a puddle of rain water, in the middle of lot, sat Dapi. I leaped out of the car and snatched it up, fearing the worst. To my utter amazement, not only was it still working, it still had a full battery charge! The Otter Box had done its job exceedingly well. Letting out loud prayers of thanksgiving I wiped it off with my shirt and presented it to Boo with a flourish. He grabbed it out of my hands and promptly resumed his chatter. Limp as a dishcloth, utterly exhausted, I climbed back in the car and proceeded across town to get Mouse’s friend.
This latest adventure taught me some things. One, praying to Our Lady and St. Anthony is an unbeatable combination. Two, never give up hope. Three, Boo Bear definitely has his own guardian angel. This angel has protected him from danger when his has eloped, held him during seizures, and helped us find his iPad. After the return of the iPad, if Boo’s angel was down at the local bar throwing back a stiff drink, I say more power to him. Please stay tuned for more adventures of Boo and Dapi, the little iPad that could.
Harriet's Hedgehogs and Autism Advocacy 