A Decaying Future

Ever since a young boy, I have been taught to brush my teeth. To use a fair amount of toothpaste, to brush in little circles, and to always make sure to get the back of the tongue. In the profession I am in, traveling is very common. Rather than just throw my brush in a suitcase with all of my other personal items, buying a special case for just my brush seemed like a good idea. Well one day, when I arrived in Morocco, I set my bags down to check into the local hotel. When I finished at the check in, I turned around to retrieve my bags, my toothbrush carrier was gone. It was then that I swore that I would not sleep until I found the man who robbed me of my bristled buddy.

I checked everywhere. In the lobby, in the hallways, bathrooms, pool area, and my bag was nowhere to be found. Hours went by and my efforts were in vain as well as my hopes dwindling. All that I had now was dental floss and mouth wash. You cannot get the hygiene standards that the American Dental Association defines as well rounded with floss and mouth wash alone. As I was close to ending my pursuit of my toothbrush, out of the corner of my eye I saw it, my stolen bag. With the speed of a puma who just drank an espresso from Starbucks with 2 shots of caffeine, I ran.

The man with my bag was totally unaware of my coming until it was too late. I tackled him to the hard concrete and knocked him unconscious. There were too many witnesses around to be able to question the thief when he awoke. I was forced to take him back to the hotel room I had just rented out. He awoke hours later scared, confused, and with a headache.

He asked,” what on Earth are you doing!” I told him, “why did you take my toothbrush bag?” The man looked at me with a puzzled face, that seemed honest, but I knew he was a dirty liar. In a louder voice I demanded, “Tell me why you stole my bag!” To which he answered, “ I stole no bag.” I showed him the bag and he said, “ That is my shaving kit.” I opened up the bag, ready to prove the liar wrong, but to my shock it was exactly what he had stated. A shaving kit.

In but a few seconds I heard a knock on my door. Looking through the peephole, I saw that it was the bellhop. I answered making sure the bellhop could not see into the room, “Hello?” “Hello sir, I am here to return this bag of yours, we think you misplaced it in the downstairs lobby, well anyways have a wonderful day.” He left as quickly as he had arrived and the world was right again. I brushed my teeth, flossed, and rinsed with mouthwash, and could finally take a nap before the big meeting tomorrow. Everything was perfect. I did have to get rid of the man I accused of stealing my bag though. You can’t have any loose ends you know.