Nancy Drew

So today I was heading out to meet a friend. as I opened the door to my elevator there was an old man waiting on the other side to go up to his apartment. I didn't recognize him, but he had a load of groceries in a wire cart. We said hello, as I live in a very friendly building, and I went on my way.

When I reached the front door of the lobby, it was beeping. I saw a set of keys in the lock and assumed they were the old man's. I went back into the building with the keys thinking, ok, he probably can't get into his apartment without them but maybe his wife is home or something and he will just ring the bell. should i leave them on the table in the lobby? on top of the mailboxes? with the ladies who live on the first floor who act as doormen and tenents' association officers but who are just nosy? do I wait for him to come back down?

As I was thinking I looked at the set of keys. No apartment numbers engraved on them or anything, but then I realized one was a mailbox key. Debating the legality of opening someone else's mailbox, I realized if it weren't the old man's keys, whoever it was would want it back. So i started trying the boxes. Finally, on the sixth floor, I found the match. I triumphantly pressed the elevator call button so i could go up to meet the key's owner. As the door opened, there stood the old man, cart still in tow. He said, "I'm going down" (I immediately thought, ah to the super's apartment... I've so been there when I lock myself out!"), and I said, "Are these your keys?"

He took them from me and said something to the effect of "Oh, thank you! God Bless You child!" It made me happy to give a little kindness back to a building that always gave a lot back to me over the last 2 years. Plus I felt a little like nancy drew.