A Busy Morning

Leila worked at a small travel office with six other people. On Monday morning, three customers arrived at the same time. Leila answered calls, printed tickets, and helped a new worker. Before work, she had put rice, beans, and a green apple in a blue lunch box. At noon, she opened the office refrigerator and quickly took the first blue box that she saw.

The Wrong Lunch

Leila sat by the window and opened the box. Inside, she found a cheese sandwich, two tomatoes, and a piece of chocolate cake. It was not her food. A small note under the sandwich said, “Good luck with your meeting, Tomas.” Leila closed the box at once. She knew Tomas worked upstairs, but she did not know his full name or his office number.

A Message Upstairs

Leila asked the receptionist for help. The receptionist called the office upstairs and explained the problem. A minute later, a man answered. Tomas had Leila’s lunch box on his desk. He had also noticed the green apple and the rice. They agreed to meet beside the stairs, halfway between their two offices, so neither person had to walk far.

Boxes Returned

Tomas arrived with Leila’s box. He laughed because both boxes were the same color and had no names. They checked the food before exchanging them. Tomas was pleased to get his cake back, and Leila was happy that her rice was still warm. They returned to their desks with ten minutes left in the lunch break and enough time to eat.

A Clear Label

After work, Leila wrote her name on a white card. She covered the card with clear tape and placed it on the lid of her lunch box. The next morning, she saw another labeled blue box in the refrigerator. It said “Tomas, fourth floor.” Leila smiled and put her box on a different shelf. The simple labels made the shared refrigerator much easier to use.