No Good Deed

At 11:51 this morning, housemate number 2 asks can you drive me to class, in a quiet, crackly, just got woken up voice. It's only a 10 minute walk, but it's pouring buckets out, and she's already late by 20 minutes. Okay. I'll drive you. I quickly grab my car keys and put on my coat. I do the usual check for my housekeys. Yep. They're in there. Off we go. It's a math class she says on the way there. I'm already late, but I don't want to miss anymore than I have already. I drop her off, turn around, and head back home. I hop out of my car, head into my building, and reach into my pocket for my housekeys. Only, they're not there. What I had confirmed to be my housekeys earlier was a small handfull of coins and my other set of car keys. I can't call anyone, since I left my cell in my room thinking I wouldn't need it. I walk back to the campus I have just driven to so that I can send an email to the housemates from the library telling them to meet me somewhere to lend me their keys. I find an open computer, and log in to gmail. I look up to see a familiar face. It takes a second, but I recognize her as housemate number 1 (you would think that I would recognize my housemate more easily than that, but it's at least the third time I've seen her somewhere and not recognized it was her right away). How fortuitous. I get her attention and explain to her my predicament. I have to hand in an assigment in Jeffery Hall, she says, and then I'm going home. Excellent. I walk with her to Jeffery Hall and wait for her to hand in her assignment. I run into friend of unspecified number. Oh dear. The circles are mixing. I just wanted to help out housemate number 2. I didn't mean for this to happen. How awkward. What do I do? What do I do? Housemate number 1 meet friend of unspecified number, I say. Friend of unspecified number meet housemate number 1. She's in political science, I say to friend of unspecified number who also happens to be in political science. Sorry. Political studies. The awkwardness is averted by them having something to talk about. The assignment is handed in, and we begin the long trek home (it's longer when you have short legs, as she does, or you're walking with someone who does). I am reminded once again that a waterproof coat is of no use to me if it's raining a lot and the water pours off onto my pants. We arrive home, and my pants are soaked. Not to mention that I have lost what must be an hour of work.

No good deed...