忘带钥匙了

The door was right in front of me, but I couldn't get in. The key was inside, and I was outside. Even worse, Xiao Hua was inside watching me too.

Last night, after the last customer left my dessert shop, I cleared the tables and went home. I was a little tired after a busy day. I changed into comfortable clothes and planned to rest for a while. Before dinner, I saw a bag of rubbish by the door and decided to take it downstairs.

The bins were downstairs, so the round trip took only three minutes. I thought, I'll be right back, so I don't need my bag. I didn't even change my shoes. I took only my phone and the rubbish and went out in my slippers. At that moment, the key never even crossed my mind.

As soon as I closed the door, I heard a click. Once this door closes, it won't open without a key. I quickly felt my pockets and looked at both my hands. Apart from my phone, I had nothing.

I stood in the quiet hallway thinking for a long time. The key was probably still on the living-room table. I tried pushing the door and then pulling it again, but it didn't move at all. The lift opened and closed, and a neighbour went home, while I was still standing there in my slippers. Xiao Hua meowed twice from inside, as if she were asking, Why aren't you coming in?

Luckily, I had my phone. I called the building staff first and said, Hello, I forgot my key and I can't get into my home. Could you please help me? He asked for my building and flat number and came upstairs very quickly.

The staff member looked at the door and said he couldn't simply open it for me. For safety, he first had to know whether I really lived there. But my ID and everything with my name on it were inside, so I didn't know what to do for a moment.

Just then, Auntie Wang from the flat opposite heard us and opened her door. She said she knew me and knew that I lived there. She smiled and said, Don't worry. Everyone forgets things sometimes. She also invited me to sit in her home for a while and gave me a glass of warm water. Standing outside in my slippers was honestly a little embarrassing.

The staff member didn't tell me to use an advert on the door. Instead, he contacted a locksmith who often worked in the complex. About twenty minutes later, the locksmith arrived. He checked my phone number first, then asked Auntie Wang to confirm who I was, and only then took out his tools. This took a little longer, but I felt it was necessary and it made me feel safer.

The locksmith opened the door in less than five minutes. He told me the door wasn't broken; it had simply locked itself, so I didn't need a new lock. I paid eighty yuan with my phone, and as I paid, I told myself I had to be more careful from now on.

As soon as the door opened, Xiao Hua ran to my feet and kept meowing at me as if she had a lot to say. Sure enough, the key was sitting on the living-room table. It was only a few steps from the door, but moments earlier, it had felt incredibly far away. I picked up the key and couldn't help laughing.

Today, I put a small tray beside the door. Every day when I come home, I put my key in it. Before I go out, I also feel my pocket and say, Phone, keys, wallet. I also keep a spare key at the dessert shop and told one of my coworkers about it. Even if I forget again next time, I'll have another way to get home.

If the same thing happens to you, you can say, I forgot my key. You can also say, I'm locked out. When asking for help, you can say, Could you help me contact a locksmith? When you call, clearly give your address and flat number, and have something ready to prove your identity.

Forgetting your key isn't a big problem, but it can turn a three-minute job into half an hour of trouble. Next time before you close the door, feel your pocket first and check whether your key is there. I hope that every time you come home, you can open your own door without any trouble.