Things Left Behind

  Abigail really loved her job. Of course it wasn't the career she wanted but as far as a way to make extra money until she finished college she was glad she'd found it. A lot of her friends were doing jobs that they hated so she considered herself lucky that she had found a maid's job at this little airport hotel.

  She'd never thought of herself as a voyeur but maybe she was and that's why she enjoyed her job so much. Cleaning up after people gave her a small, momentary glimpse into their lives. 

  Being an airport hotel, guests were in and out relatively quickly and didn't usually bother to send for their forgotten items (other than jewelery).

  An avid reader, Abigail  loved finding the books people discarded. She had quite an eclectic collection of mystery novels, romance, self-help,  you name the genre she probably  had at least one.The left behind clothing wasn't quite the treasure trove that the books were but she did find some rare gems, like that beautiful pashmina scarf she gave to her mother last May, and that funky tie that Marcus now called his "lucky" tie. 

  Of course there were the "naughty" items, the things some people were into really amazed her, but she found it entertaining to imagine the everyday non-vacation lives of the people these items belonged to. Like that unassuming, middle aged couple who looked like they'd stepped out of a Midwest postcard but had left behind that wild looking contraption. She imagined them as hard working farmers who escaped once a year to live out their wildest fantasies far from the sanctity of their home.

  Her favorite thing by far to find were the photographs. Sure, some were pornographic, she disposed of those, but the happy,  smiling, vacation photos were her favorite. It would probably seem strange to others that Abigail collected strangers' memories. She loved spending time perusing the personal lives of these people at their best and happiest. She liked to hope that these were true glimpses into real happiness.