Due to recent world events, most people have long stopped flying from one country to another. The story still evokes feelings of nostalgia and heartache when a Florida woman and her boyfriend watched a companion be separated from a mysterious package; they knew they couldn’t ignore it. It all started on a calm day when Tampa flat resident Evalis Hernandez arrived in St. Pete; her boyfriend, Rick Bankston, took her to the airport and accompanied her to the security line.
At first, it was just an ordinary trip to the airport, but they soon noticed that the man leading them in the middle was forced to throw away the package. At the time, Evalis had no idea that the episode would affect her life in a memorable way. Rico Waits Patiently by his girlfriend, Everest, watching events unfold. The security guard seemed to have a problem with the man trying to move the wrapped package through the metal detector. The man did not want to give up the package but was very emphatically asked to leave the line for further questioning.
After September 11, countries around the world tightened security requirements at airports to the max, and the unusual spat got everyone’s attention. Not all of these strict security protocols really work. Airplane pilots are used to seemingly absurd demands from airport security officers. People are often asked to throw away the most random items before they are allowed on a plane, even humble items like toothpaste are banned due to liquid regulations.
As annoying as this is, we need to know that these regulations are in place for the safety of all passengers. Now let’s go back to Rico and Everest. The man standing in front of them is getting more and more tense. He tried to haggle with the TSA agent, asking if what he had could be shipped to the airport’s lost and found office, but all this is in vain.
TSA denied his request, ordering him to throw the package in the nearest trash can. Iveliss and Rico saw that the man was almost crying. Everest didn’t know what was in the package, but she felt that something had to be done to help the stranger. The uproar grew due to the harsh reaction of the TSA Rangers. Iveliss felt that whatever was in the package was of great value to him, and he couldn’t just throw it away. He ended up taking it, threw it in the trash.
TSA Rangers won the fight and ordered the man to move on. Onlookers nearby stared at him in horror, but Everest knew she had to do something. She turns to Rico and asked him to do something very unusual. Everest was deeply moved by the scene unfolding right in front of them at the airport. As she prepares to go through security herself, Everest hugs Rico, kisses him goodbye, and leaves him for an unusual mission. She made him rummage through trash cans near the security line, trying to find the contents of the package. She herself boarded a flight to Pennsylvania.
Since Rico hadn’t gone through security himself, he was able to try again to find the package. Of course, while at the airport, you’re not supposed to pick up items that constitute security to strangers. He knew they couldn’t be dangerous because the TSA guard asked the man to throw them in a regular trash can. In fact, he can take home what he finds in the trash without being bothered by TSA. That’s what he does. He took a mysterious package from the trash can left by the man.
He then drove back to Tampa with her. Meanwhile, on the way to Pittsburgh, Iveliss was appalled at how the man in the security line was treated. Her curiosity was strong, and it was such suspicious contraband that he ordered him to throw it away without exception. As soon as she lands safely, she turns on the phone and calls Rico to find out what he found in the package. When he told her what he found when he unpacked it, she immediately knew what to do.
As Rico unpacks, he realizes he’s looking at something that looks relatively uninteresting. There’s nothing fishy about it; it’s just a small thing. There’s a crystal ball in the package. But as Rico watches her closely, looking for any signs of suspicion, he sees what made her owner weep at the airport. And when he opened it, he immediately understood its preciousness. This is not your ordinary crystal ball you can buy in gift shops. It is specially made. Inside the sphere are two photos, one of a little girl and the other of an elderly couple. The crystal ball also played the song Green Sleeves.
There is a lettering under the crystal ball; the person who bought it posted a message on it, saying, ‘We love you, Katie, Grandma.’ Rico and Iveliss then agree on what to do with the package. In the end, Iveliss returned from a trip to Pittsburgh to Florida. He and his partner knew they couldn’t throw that crystal ball away like the TSA agents at the airport did. They had to find its owner. This unique package meant a lot to the man who was forced to throw it away, and the inscription on the crystal ball reveals that it held great sentimental value for him. The couple decided they had to return it to the owner. But how? Everest and Rico want to do a good thing, but the chances of doing it are slim.
The task of finding the owner of the crystal ball was quite a challenge, as they didn’t even know the name of the person who was forced to throw the crystal ball away. Apart from the inscription, there is no address or name on the discarded crystal ball. The only clue was that the man was in St. Petersburg. Clearwater. Sis had read and seen a lot of articles about using social media to connect with strangers, so she set to work on it. She wrote a post on her Facebook page with photos of the crystal ball and its carvings, in as much detail as she could, hoping her friends would help spread the word.
While there’s no guarantee the owner will be found, it’s the only thing the couple can do. Everest thinks the campaign will have a maximum of 200 shares, but they were all dead wrong. The couple was unprepared for what happened next. The couple underestimated the magic of the internet. Everest’s kind Facebook post became a surprisingly hot trending topic. In just seven days, the photo of the crystal ball, the message engraved, and the accompanying text from Everest were shared more than 48,000 times. Even the news station called home to spread the word.
Finally, amidst the voices of sharing, someone stepped forward and told the news. However, this is not a relative or friend of the person who threw the crystal ball, but the person does have some relevant information. An employee of a gift shop called ‘Things Remembered.’ What she said made Everest’s heartbeat faster. She was obviously moved by Everest’s words and wanted to find out the exact model of the crystal ball.
She sent the photo back to the company’s Ohio headquarters to see if she could find the special order and the name of the person who was supposed to be its rightful owner. What happened next was astonishing. Fortunately, headquarters found the name, Linda Motley. Linda ordered a crystal ball, especially for her five-year-old granddaughter, Katie.
