Lost and Found

“Where’s your hat, Justin?” Mom asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. 

It was my favorite hat—blue and white with orange stars all the way around. It used to have a fuzzy red ball on top, but it fell off. 

“Your grandmother made you that hat.”

“I know.”

“What’ll we tell her when she comes to visit this weekend?”

“I don’t know.”

“The minute you get to school tomorrow, go look in the Lost and Found.”

“OK,” I said.

But the next morning, I didn’t go to the Lost and Found. I decided to find the hat myself. At recess, I looked by the basketball hoop and under the slide and behind the baseball backstop. 

I asked Devaun if he had seen it. “It’s blue and white with orange stars all the way around,” I said. 

“Nope,” he said. “Did you look in the Lost and Found?”

I made a face.

“I know,” Devaun said. “I lost my baseball jacket last month, but I was too scared to go see Mr. Rumkowsky.”

“Can’t you just get another hat?” asked Jessica.

I shook my head. “Gran made that one for me, and I have to find it—even if it means asking Mr. Rumkowsky.”

“Uh-oh,” they said.

After recess, I looked for my hat in my desk and under the hamster cage and behind the bookshelves. I asked Tamara if she’d seen it. 

“No,” she said. “Did you ask Mr. Rumkowsky?”

I made a face.

“I know,” said Tamara. “I lost my sparkly purple scarf last month, but I was terrified to ask him.”

“I have lots of hats,” Jimmy said. “You can have one of mine.”

“Thanks,” I said. “But I have to find it—even if it means asking Mr. Rumkowsky.”

“Oh no,” they both said.

The next day, my friends asked me if I’d found my hat. “No,” I said. “I’ve looked everywhere. There’s only one thing left to do—go to the Lost and Found.”

“But that means talking to Mr. Rumkowsky,” said Jimmy. 

“Uh-oh,” said the others. 

“I know,” I gulped. “He’s ancient. He’s so old that he was the custodian when my mom went to this school.”

“Yeah,” said Jessica. “He’s always frowning and grumbling. And his office is way down at the end of that scary hallway behind the cafeteria.”

When I finished my lunch, everyone wished me good luck. 

I took a deep breath and gathered my courage. Then I went down the dark hall and knocked on Mr. Rumkowsky’s door.

Devaun was happy to get his jacket back. Tamara put on her scarf and twirled around. Jimmy, Jessica, and a kid I didn’t even know asked me to look for something the next time I went to Mr. Rumkowsky’s office.

“Did you find your hat?” Mom asked after supper. 

“Not yet,” I said.

“You must learn to take better care of your things, Justin. You’re having to spend an awful lot of time looking for your hat.”

I didn’t say anything. I knew that already. 

The next day, I went back to Mr. Rumkowsky’s office. He dragged the ladder out again, and I climbed into the box. I dug down deeper and found all sorts of weird stuff. But no hat. 

“You can have those things you pulled out,” said Mr. Rumkowsky. “Nobody wants them now.”

“Thanks,” I said. “See you tomorrow.”

My friends went crazy over all the stuff I’d found. 

I went back and looked through more stuff. The things I found were getting weirder and weirder. 

But still no hat.

On Friday, my mom dropped me off at school early. “This afternoon when I pick you up, I’ll have your grandmother with me.”

I didn’t say anything. I knew that already. 

I went straight to Mr. Rumkowsky’s office.

“Keep digging,” he said. It seemed like he wanted me to find the hat as much as I did.

But I was about ready to give up. Everything I was finding now was really old. 

Finally, I got to the bottom of the box.

“Do you see it?” Mr. Rumkowsky called down. 

“It’s not here,” I said. “Just this dumb old pink sweater.”

“Hmmm,” he said. “Try looking under it.”

I lifted it up. 

“My hat!” I yelled. “Blue and white, with orange stars all the way around.”

Mr. Rumkowsky helped me out of the box. “Are you sure it’s yours?”

“It’s mine, all right,” I said. Then I noticed that it had a fuzzy red ball on top—just like the one that had fallen off my hat.

I turned it inside out. The tag said “Sally.”

“Wait—that’s my mom’s name!” I said. “This must have been her hat when she was a kid!”

Mr. Rumkowsky actually smiled. “Come back anytime,” he said. 

I put the hat on and went to class. I wore it all day.

When Mom picked me up, my grandmother gave me a big hug. “I see you’re wearing your hat,” she said. 

“Yes.” I hugged her back. 

“I made your mother a hat exactly like that when she was a little girl,” Gran told me.

“I know,” I said. My mom had a funny look on her face. I grinned but didn’t say anything. 

Gran looked at my mom, then at me. “I wonder what ever happened to the hat I made for your mother.”

“Maybe you should ask Mr. Rumkowsky,” I said. 

“Rumkowsky?” Gran said. “Is he still at this school? Your mother was always afraid of him, but he’s really a nice man.”

I nodded.

I knew that already.