Happy Birthday Dad!

It has been a night of limited sleep. Coming back on the 5 hour megabus yesterday, Mum drove me home to cups of tea and lemon cake. Dad arrived home from camera club and we excitedly discussed our photography plans for today; visiting the wildlife of year photography competition with Mum, Cheryl and Ivy. 

Midnight comes and I open my rucksack. No camera. 
The less than month old camera that Dad gave me for Christmas.
The Canon 7D.
The camera we have just been discussing.
The photos we have just been discussing. 
Gone.

Terrified, I am shaking and enter mums office where she is diligently practising on duolingo. She is quite calm. She checks the car, pretending to do the recycling. I must have left it in Manchester. We mentally retrace my steps, whispering so Dad doesn't hear. He thinks we are making birthday plans.

13.00 Enter library with camera.
13.30 Wait for Rory. Unpack bag to take out laptop. Presumably take out camera at this point. Clear memory of putting it on the table.
13.45 Rory is late and I move to a window seat to spot him.
14.00 Leave in a rush, hungry and angry that Rory was so late. Check behind, nothing is left at window seat. No check at previous seat.
15.00 Megabus to Bristol.

It was too late to ring the potential sites. The student's union, library, megabus customer service centre, bus station would all be closed. I desperately hope it will be handed in.

8am. The calls begin. Nowhere has the camera. They all promise to log it and let me know if they find it. I know that if no one handed it in straight away, it will never be handed in. Rory goes to ask in person, to no avail.

It's Dads birthday, so I greet him with tea and cards. We go to my dentist appointment, all the while I wonder how I can avoid telling him the camera is lost. I plan to tell him it's in Manchester and Rory will bring it at the weekend. But that doesn't make much sense based on our previous conversations. I make plans to buy a new camera. I'm not certain of all the specifications and baulk at some of the prices. Cameras are mentioned throughout the morning. The pre-written birthday card even says: "Happy Birthday! Can't wait to take lots of awesome photos today!". 

How do I lose everything expensive?! In so little time. Despair. 
How can I tell him on his birthday?!
How can I not tell him?

We all sit to have a coffee. Mum gestures for me to explain. Dad imagines I've left my charger behind. We wince and say it's a little bit worse than that. I explain. Heh. Well. 
We agree not to mention it today and don't let it spoil the day. 

10 minutes later. DAD CHECKS THE CAR AND HAS FOUND THE CAMERA!
I throw the hairbrush I am holding directly at him in anger, as I initially thought it must have been a prank. I couldn't understand how he could have the camera! I calm down and laugh loudly but nervously, still in a slight state of confusion. 
I am delighted to have not lost the camera!
Mum loosely put my rucksack in the backseat and the camera case came out. She checked, but she is pretty blind at night. In the car going to Bristol - Mum: "it was everyone's fault really!". Dad: "Well I don't think it was my fault!"

The photography exhibition was excellent, as usual. I feel very inspired to do some wildlife photography! It was great fun to hang out with my niece Ivy, and my lovely sister. In a strange sort of way, the day was also improved by having lost and then found, the camera. Happy Birthday Dad!